You know sometimes you just have to tip your hat to those who state the obvious. Take this week’s masked wonder for instance. Amongst all the green mist, steel chairs, blood, and fake boobs, someone tuning in may have thought they were watching honest collegiate, olympic-style wrestling. Never fear, our Jobber Of The Week is here to inform everyone that yes indeed, you are watching the wonderful sport of pro wrestling.
Allegedly from San Juan, Puerto Rico (by way of Parts Unknown of course) the Pro would arrive in WCW in late 1989. Standing an impressive 6’6″ and over 270 lbs, it appeared the newcomer might be somewhat of a prospect. As opposed to the usual mullet-wearing chubby Southern jobbers, the Pro actually looked like he knew what the words “gym” and “tanning” meant.
However upon entering the ring he quickly showed the world what exactly he was a “pro” at: getting his ass whipped. Wearing what announcer Jim Cornette claimed was a “tubesock over his head”, Mr.Socko Sr. here was used as a guinea pig by main event talent to test the old adage “the bigger jobber, the harder they fall (and all the stiffer you can land your shots).”
Believe it or not the Pro would actually end up in a WCW TV main event, facing The Steiners and the LOD in an eight man tag match. Any excitement he felt would soon fade when he realized his partners would be. The mighty Bob Cook, the legendary Cuban Assassin, and a washed-up Iron Sheik who appeared to be eight months pregnant. After this..ahem…”main event” the Pro seemed to disappear completely. One would assume he went back to Parts Unknown never to be seen or heard from again.
Well you can’t keep a good big man down. Unbelievably, he became the ECW world heavyweight champion and destroyed everyone in his path. Yes, the Pro would throw his tubesock mask into the dirty laundry for good, go to Japan and hone his skills, and come back awesome: Mike Awesome. He would go on a reign of terror that would ultimately result in him returning to his old stomping grounds of WCW, this time as a well paid main eventer.
However once there he would be plagued by bad gimmick after bad gimmick. You know, after dealing with becoming “That 70’s Guy” and the “Fat Chick Thriller”, odds are that poor ol’ Mikey wished that he had just stayed an mere, measly amateur.