In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match.^[1] It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.^[2]

The term can be used a number of ways. When a wrestler is booked to lose a match it is described as "a job." The act itself is described with the verb jobbing. To lose a match fairly is to job cleanly.^[2] A loss through outside interference, cheating, or a reversed decision is called a screwjob. Wrestlers who routinely lose matches are known as jobbers.

Effects

Although most jobs are routine, a high-profile loss might signify certain behind the scenes events that have real-life implications on a wrestler. A job may mark the end of a push, a departure from the company, or a loss of faith in the wrestler as a marketable commodity. As a result, it may also mark a downward slide in a wrestler's career. This is especially the case when the wrestler is beaten very easily, or squashed.

Jobbers

General information

The act of losing is called jobbing and a frequent loser is referred to as a jobber.^[1][2] It is a mark of disrespect to refer to a wrestler as a jobber, as it implies they are a failure in their career, equivalent to the term tomato can in boxing. The term has entered into popular culture, to mean a loser or someone who is worthless, as well as jabroni, a phrase that was popularized by The Rock.^[1].

Alternate terms included:

• journeyman (because of jobbers being hired for individual matches and not having contracts with the major promotions)
• ham-n-egger (supposedly coined by Bobby Heenan, a phrase also used in boxing circles for unskilled fighters in reference to the amount of money they make buys them just enough for a ham and eggs breakfast). Ham & Egger also refers to the crowd, as Heenan would refer to them when they would start chanting "Weasel".

Despite the negative sense of the word, some wrestlers have made a career out of jobbing. Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi (better known as the "Brooklyn Brawler") made a career out of jobbing, primarily in the World Wrestling Federation, although Horowitz and Lombardi both had upset wins over Skip and Triple H, respectively.

A slightly higher position is jobber to the stars, which is a wrestler who still defeats pure jobbers but who consistently loses to top-level or up-and-coming stars. This often happens to popular faces towards the end of their careers, including Tony Garea, Tito Santana, and, more recently, Val Venis, Funaki, Tommy Dreamer, Paul London, Jim Duggan, and Nunzio. Triple H was given this role in the summer of 1996 by Vince McMahon as punishment for the infamous MSG Incident.

Historic usage

The World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) made greatest use of full-time jobbers during their syndicated television shows in the 1980s and early 1990s, WWF Superstars of Wrestling and WWF Wrestling Challenge. In addition to Horowitz and Lombardi, other jobbers of this period included "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, Brady Boone, Reno Riggins, Duane Gill, Jack Foley, Scott Casey, Terry Gibbs, the Conquistadors, Iron Mike Sharpe, S.D. Jones, Dale Wolfe, George South, Brian Costello, and Jerry Allen.

Some jobbers had gimmicks. For example, Poffo carried Frisbees to the ring, which he threw into the stands just before he read poetry. Horowitz wore green tights and patted his own back.

In the early '90s, the WWF elevated Lombardi and Poffo into mid-profile programs. Poffo was rebranded "the Genius," and later stepped down from wrestling to manage "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. Lombardi became the "Brooklyn Brawler" and engaged in a feud with Terry Taylor, a/k/a the "Red Rooster."

By the mid-1990s, the WWF dropped most jobber matches in order to increase TV ratings. Superstars fought each other on a regular basis on Monday Night Raw (see Monday Night Wars). Superstars and Challenge were converted into recap shows. By 1995, Challenge was cancelled and Superstars was moved to a Sunday afternoon timeslot on cable television.

Today, superstar-versus-jobber matches take place occasionally on Raw, SmackDown! and [[Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE)|ECW], and formerly on the now-defunct Heat, to put over up-and-coming superstars.

A jobber may not necessarily lose, only make the superstar look powerful or at least another superstar interfering with the match to be powerful. An example includes a jobber, Jimmy Jacobs, wrestling Eddie Guerrero during his last heel run and feud with Rey Mysterio, who actually won by disqualification when Guerrero beat him with a chair. Another example of a jobber winning was when "The Kid" suddenly won an "upset" over Razor Ramon on the May 17, 1993 episode of WWF Monday Night Raw. He then renamed himself the 1-2-3 Kid.^[3] This win and the Kid were worked into Ramon's feud with Ted DiBiase with DiBiase taunting Ramon repeatedly over losing to a nobody until he too was pinned by the Kid.^[4]

Gimmicks

Sometimes, jobbing may be used as a gimmick. Whilst in ECW, Al Snow began referring to jobbing on-screen as part of his gimmick. He subsequently formed a stable called the J.O.B. Squad. Also, in World Championship Wrestling since 1994, the tendency of the Armstrongs (particularly Brad Armstrong) to lose matches was referred to as the "Armstrong curse". On average, however, Brad was more of a jobber to the stars, while his brothers were pure jobbers for the most part.

The Barry Horowitz/Chris Candido feud in the WWF during the Summer of 1995 revolved around how Horowitz's constant losing streak ended when he defeated Candido.

A more modern example is Colin Delaney, who has constantly jobbed, mainly on ECW, while attempting to earn a (kayfabe) WWE contract.

References