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Former WWE superstar Hardcore Holly has lived a quiet life since his release from the company in 2009. Despite being out of the ring, Holly appears to still be in great shape.
A photo of Holly, posted on his wife Linda’s Instagram last June, has recently gone viral, showing the couple looking fit, as she proudly shared taking her “best friend” to a fitness class.
“We feel so good, we forget we’re in our 60s! Guess this a good thing,” Linda wrote in reply to a poster who complimented how good they looked. When asked how her husband stays in such shape, she said he works out every day for two hours and follows the carnivore diet, a popular diet with devotees but polarizing among nutrition experts.
Becoming Hardcore
Holly debuted in WWE in 1994 during its “New Generation” campaign, a mix of strong talent and questionable gimmicks. Despite his ability, his auto racing background led to NASCAR-inspired personas, first as Thurman “Sparky” Plugg, then followed quickly as Bob “Spark Plug” Holly.
Though he briefly held the WWE Tag Team Championship with the 1-2-3 Kid, later known as X-Pac, he struggled to connect with fans. During the Attitude Era, he reinvented himself as a no-nonsense competitor. A standout in the hardcore division, he earned the name Hardcore Holly.
From then on, he built a reputation for toughness. In 2002, Holly finished a match with Brock Lesnar despite suffering a broken neck. That moment became part of a storyline when Holly returned and challenged Lesnar for the WWE Championship at the 2004 Royal Rumble.
While wrestling in WWE’s version of ECW in 2006, Holly suffered a nasty cut on his back after suplexing Rob Van Dam through a table. Yet he finished the match, earning respect from fans.
Holly’s career wasn’t without controversy, though. Many believed he took liberties with a trainee during season three of Tough Enough, WWE’s reality series to find its next superstar. While in the ring with Matt Cappotelli, Holly chopped and stomped the young hopeful, bloodying his mouth to the surprise of the other contestants.
Holly defended his actions, telling the show at the time, “I’m being rough for a reason — not because I want to be, not because I can — I’m trying to teach them that professional wrestling is not an easy game.”
Through it all, Holly maintained a chiseled physique that was as durable as it was aesthetic. Even in his 60s, and despite the rigors of ring warfare, Holly has maintained the discipline that characterized much of his WWE career.
