Barry Horowitz, the Brooklyn Brawler and Iron Mike Sharpe stand out among WWE and WWF’s most memorable enhancement performers—not because losing records tell the whole story, but because their characters, longevity and match work made victories over them matter. This is an editorial ranking, not an official or statistical consensus.
What “jobber” means—and what it doesn’t
In wrestling, a jobber is a performer booked to lose so an opponent can look strong. The term describes a role in match presentation, not a verdict on the wrestler’s ability or knowledge. Barry Horowitz put that distinction plainly in a WWE interview: “I knew this business, I knew what my position was — and I went out there and gave all I had, and to see it pay-off was incredible.”
That perspective matters when weighing a career built around losses. The best enhancement performers helped establish opponents, gave matches personality and made the occasional win or upset resonate. WWE’s retrospective on wrestling journeymen offers a broader pool of candidates; the ranking below weighs longevity, recognizability, memorable character, contribution to opponents’ credibility and notable exceptions to the losing role.
The 15 most memorable WWE and WWF jobbers
1. Barry Horowitz
Horowitz made the familiar losing role feel like a story with a possible payoff. After years as an enhancer, he defeated Bodydonna Skip in a celebrated 1995 upset. WWE recalls Jim Ross’s shocked call, and Horowitz’s own account emphasizes the work and understanding behind his position. That combination of longevity, character and a memorable breakthrough puts him first.
#1 Best Overall
- Fan Favorites! WWE action figures bring Superstars to life in 6-inch scale.
- TrueFX Technology! Each figure is detailed with a life-like face for added collectability.
- Dynamic Posing! Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation.
- Play and Display! Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves.
- Super Collectible! WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figures (each sold separately, subject to availability).
2. The Brooklyn Brawler (Steve Lombardi)
The Brawler’s staying power and instantly recognizable presentation made him a fixture across eras. WWE describes Lombardi’s career as nearly 30 years long and notes that Bobby Heenan introduced the Brawler in 1989. He also played characters including Kim Chee and Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz. Frequent defeats were part of the act, but WWE’s profile also recounts a surprise victory in a 2000 handicap match and his later appearance at TLC 2012.
3. Iron Mike Sharpe
Sharpe’s arm brace, grunts and intense manner gave audiences a clear character before the bell. He was not simply a perennial loser: WWE recalls an early challenge to champion Bob Backlund and says wins became more elusive later in his career. The 2015 Online World of Wrestling list places him at No. 15, while its accessible text does not reveal the rest of that ranking.
4. Pete Doherty
A longtime competitor through the 1970s and 1980s, Doherty brought energetic opening-match antics and built a following in the Boston area. His value was not just in the result; an animated performance could give an early bout its own momentum.
5. Frank “Moose” Monroe
Monroe’s résumé of losses placed him opposite established names such as Tony Atlas, Chief Jay Strongbow, High Chief Peter Maivia, Tito Santana, Ivan Putski, Bob Backlund and Haystacks Calhoun. Being matched with stars across generations made him a useful part of the promotion’s weekly presentation.
Recommended Free Tools
6. Frankie Williams
Williams is remembered for personality as much as match outcomes. In a Piper’s Pit segment recalled by WWE, he declared, “I’m not afraid of anyone, or else I wouldn’t be in the ring!” The line gave him a defiant identity that audiences could understand immediately.
Rank #2
- Roll down to the ring with the Lucha Low Rider vehicle.
- Includes a WWE Main Event Rey Mysterio action figure with advanced articulation.
- Recreate iconic entrances with the Lucha Low Rider hydraulics action.
- Rey Mysterio can enter the match with the vehicle's launching action.
- Ride into matches with real rolling wheels.
7. Mario Mancini
Mancini complicates the idea that enhancement talent existed only to lose. WWE describes him as a capable competitor who served as a gatekeeper and faced rising stars including Randy Savage and The Undertaker. A gatekeeper can test a prospect’s presentation while still helping establish the next name on the card.
8. Joe Turco
Turco’s “Continental Nobleman” persona and comic frustration after defeats made him a character-based example of the role. The result might be predictable, but a distinctive reaction could still make the segment entertaining.
9. The Conquistadors
The masked team often worked against dominant opponents, yet its history included notable exceptions: the Conquistadors reached the final two teams at Survivor Series 1988, and a 2000 title story involved Edge and Christian wearing the hoods. That later angle belongs to its own storyline; it should not be mistaken for proof that the original enhancement act had become a dominant team.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →10. Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz
Schwartz belongs on a list that values recognizable presentation as well as ring outcomes. The character was one of Steve Lombardi’s roles, and the Brooklyn Brawler’s career shows how a performer could give audiences more than one identity while remaining a familiar presence.
11. Kim Chee
Another Lombardi character, Kim Chee illustrates how enhancement work could include costumed or distinct personas rather than a wrestler appearing under one fixed name. Lombardi’s range of roles adds to the Brawler’s case as a long-serving, adaptable performer.
Rank #3
- Fan Favorites! WWE action figures bring Superstars to life in 6-inch scale.
- TrueFX Technology! Each figure is detailed with a life-like face for added collectability.
- Dynamic Posing! Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation.
- Play and Display! Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves.
- Super Collectible! WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figures (each sold separately, subject to availability).
12. The Conquistadors as a memorable act
The team earns a second mention here as a distinctive act rather than as a claim about separate, individually ranked performers. Masks made the pairing visually legible, while their occasional storyline exceptions gave the team a place in WWF history beyond routine losses.
13. Enhancement opponents of rising stars
WWE’s journeymen retrospective describes performers such as Monroe and Mancini facing established names and emerging talent. Their contribution was often structural: a rising wrestler needed an opponent who could make a win look convincing without eclipsing the person being introduced.
14. Opening-match personalities
Doherty and Turco represent a different measure of memorability: the way a performer could energize an early bout with antics or a comic character. These acts show why a highlight reel of victories alone would miss part of what audiences remember.
15. The journeymen collectively
WWE’s retrospective also names Joe Turco, Frankie Williams, Pete Doherty, Frank “Moose” Monroe, Mario Mancini and the Conquistadors among the performers who filled this role. Their inclusion supports a wider view of enhancement work, but it does not establish a definitive ordering among them. This final place recognizes the collective craft behind a roster role that made other wrestlers’ stories easier to tell.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why this ranking is subjective
There is no shared scoring system in the cited material for comparing longevity, match frequency, audience recognition or contribution to an opponent’s credibility. The exact-title Online World of Wrestling page from November 13, 2015 calls its list a dedication and the available text shows only Sharpe at No. 15 and Horowitz at No. 14. It does not support attributing a complete order to that page. This ranking is therefore an editorial selection, not an objective historical consensus.
WWE’s profiles and retrospective provide biographical examples, not a complete match database. Career loss percentages sometimes repeated in secondary coverage are not necessary to assess these performers and are not treated here as settled statistics.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
