Ask PWTorch ASK THE SPECIALISTS ROUNDTABLE: Should jobbers be inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame?
Nov 18, 2014 - 2:51:55 PM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY
The "Ask the Specialists" Roundtable is the latest spin-off from the "Ask the Torch" feature. CSI led to CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, which is where you'll find the Specialists tackling a daily topic submitted by PWTorch readers to askpwtorch@gmail.com.
Ask the Specialists Roundtable #66
- Question from Josh in Bloomington, Minn.: The WWE Hall of Fame has "inducted" certain folks of dare I say, dubious credentials into their "hallowed" halls over the years. Question: What about someone like Barry Horowitz? Were it not for the jobbers some of those Superstars may not have been so super.
- "Mr. TV" Justin James (@Justin_M_James) responds: Sure, why not?
- "Mr. PPV" Nathan Kyght responds: If Koko B. Ware is in, I say give Barry Horowitz the nod. WWE is going to have to start padding the class of inductees at some point (arguably they have), so if they want to give Barry a (self) pat on the back, I'm fine with it.
- "Common Fan" Jimmy Eaton (@TheCommonFan) responds: I would be all for that to be honest. Guys like that help make the careers of others and they definitely put in more work in-ring than those in the "Celebrity Wing." However, I don't ever see it happening. Should it, though? Let me consult with my newborn daughter. Ah, she's patting herself on the back. And I fully concur. Thanks for the question!
- "Instant Reaction" Ben Tucker (@BTuckerTorch) responds: Considering the fact that Koko B. Ware is in the HOF, pretty much anyone not named Chris Benoit or Owen Hart is up for grabs. In an ideal, "true" Hall of Fame, Horowitz would be a very questionable candidate, but in the "entertainment" version of the HOF promoted by WWE I could see it happening.
- "Showstopper" Shawn Valentino responds: Thanks for your question, Josh. I think that is a horrible idea. If it were not for second-rate pro players, then star sports athletes would not have a game to play, but that does not mean every athlete should be in the Hall of Fame. If there was a physical Hall of Fame location, then I think a little display dedicated to infamous jobbers may be fun, but they do not belong in the annual ceremony at WrestleMania.
- "Collectibles" Michael Moore (@MMooreWriter) responds: WWE set the bar low for its Hall of Fame by inducting James Dudley, and to a lesser extent Koko B. Ware. That said, I don't see WWE inducting jobbers into the Hall of Fame. Where would it begin and end? If Barry Horowitz is a Hall of Famer, what about Iron Mike Sharpe, Scott Casey, Rusty Brooks, or Reno Riggins? The one exception I could see WWE making is Steve Lombardi a/k/a Brooklyn Brawler, due to his years of service to the company.
- "Mr. ROH" Mike Metzger (@mD0uble responds: I think it’s important to make a distinction between the Hall of Fame’s “celebrity wing” and the questionable wrestlers who have been inducted in the past. People like Donald Trump and Drew Carey are inducted strictly to generate buzz by having a “mainstream” celebrity involved during WrestleMania weekend.
You were definitely correct when you said that WWE has inducted people with “dubious credentials” in the past, like Koko B. Ware. He was a competent worker, sure. But, a somewhat memorable gimmick at the bottom of the card shouldn’t be worthy of the HOF, in my opinion. Back to your question, I don’t think Barry Horowitz belongs in the WWE HOF. While “Horowitz Wins!” was memorable to fans of that era, it has been largely forgotten by history. If you want to induct a jobber, I think “The Brooklyn Brawler” Steve Lombardi would be a much better fit!
***
[ FYI: The specialists consist of a mix of current PWTorch contributors providing their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Justin James, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, Nathan Kyght, Tony Donofrio, Mike Roe, and Mike Metzger. ]
THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.
He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.
He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).
He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)
REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.
Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.
The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...
-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars. **SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**