Hillbilly Jim Explains Why He Decided To Sit Out Of Attending WrestleMania 34

Hillbilly Jim was on the Toddcast Podcast to discussed working with WWE and his WrestleMania attendance. Jim, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame this year prior to WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, reiterated that he was going to sit this year out due to having a difficult time last year in Orlando.

"I wasn't really gonna go to WrestleMania this year because I had such an awful time last year. I said to myself, if I get home, I'm not gonna go to this again this year, I'm gonna stay off a year because we were in Orlando, Florida last year and I had the worst time getting up there and getting back from it. I was three hours delayed out of the airport getting in to Orlando. Then, the whole weekend down there, I was just out of sorts. Whatever I did, I seemed like I couldn't get caught up. It seemed like it was stressful and I didn't enjoy it. Then, lo and behold when I came back, tried to get back home, I was four hours delayed. So, I said, if I get home, I'm not going next year."

Jim said he was trying to avoid WWE about coming to WrestleMania 34 as much as he could.

"8:30 that morning, [WWE] started calling me, and I was curious," said Jim. "Cause I know [WWE], when they want something, man, they're like the government... finally, they start calling again, I've gotta make a decision. I picked up the phone, and I call one of these numbers back for this guy named Mark Carrano. He was the one calling me, and he had Howard Finkle trying to call me and everybody. I said, I might as well handle this now. So here's what I did on that Sunday morning. I got his machine, I said Mark this is Billy, blah blah blah. Hope you had a good Christmas and a good New Year, I haven't talked to you a while. But look. I know you're trying to get me for WrestleMania in New Orleans, but I think I'm gonna pass this year."