Job (professional wrestling)

As professional wrestling is staged, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent. Whilst this technically does not matter, it may mark the end of a push, or damage a wrestler's self-esteem; also it may be a slip down the slippery pole. So when a wrestler is forced to lose, this is described as doing the job.

Related Topics:
Professional wrestling - Staged - Push

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The act of losing is called jobbing, and a frequent loser is referred to as a jobber. It is a mark of disrespect to refer to a wrestler as a jobber, as it implies they are a failure in their career. The term has entered into popular culture, to mean a loser or someone who is worthless, as well as its Spanish equivalent, jabroni, a phrase that was made popular by The Rock.

Related Topics:
Popular culture - Spanish - The Rock

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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; two WWF examples are Tony Garea and Tito Santana.

Related Topics:
Faces - WWF - Tony Garea - Tito Santana

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It must be said, however, that many of the greatest names in wrestling began their careers as jobbers. For example, Mick Foley and Bret Hart started their careers as jobbers in the 80s, later going on to greater success in the 90s after employers began to recognize their talent. Being a jobber is not always a true reflection of a performer's in-ring talent, after all, pro wrestling is pre-determined, and those in charge may determine that what's best for business may not be what's best for the in-ring product, hard to believe as that may be. One who is a jobber today may not be a jobber forever, but it is still believed by many that not using someone to their full potential by making them put over people believed to be of lesser talent on a regular basis is bad for business.

Related Topics:
Mick Foley - Bret Hart - 80s - 90s

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To lose in a uninfluenced fight is to job cleanly. To lose through outside interference is called a screwjob.

Related Topics:
Outside interference - Screwjob

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Whilst in ECW, Al Snow began referring to jobbing on-screen as part of his gimmick. He subsequently formed a stable called the Job Squad.

Related Topics:
ECW - Al Snow - Gimmick - Stable - Job Squad

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Other notable jobbers are Shannon Moore, and more recently, Simon Dean. One of the most well-known WWE jobbers is Steve Lombardi, otherwise known as The Brooklyn Brawler, who has made a career out of losing in the WWE, although he has had a few notable high points in his career. Among them were facing Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title at Madison Square Garden (in a losing effort, of course), and defeating Hunter Hearst Helmsley, after a large amount of outside interference on an episode of SmackDown! Many legends made special appearances usually only to job to young talent. A notable one is a WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter. He had returned few times on RAW only to get knocked out by Randy Orton, and to submit to Muhammad Hassan's Camel Clutch and Chris Masters' Full Nelson which he dubbed the "Master Lock."

Related Topics:
Shannon Moore - Simon Dean - Steve Lombardi - Shawn Michaels - WWF Title - Madison Square Garden - Hunter Hearst Helmsley - SmackDown! - WWE Hall of Famer - Sgt. Slaughter - RAW - Randy Orton - Muhammad Hassan's - Camel Clutch - Chris Masters' - Full Nelson

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