I hate writing posts like this. I found out today that former WWF wrestler “Iron Mike” Sharpe passed away yesterday at the age of 64. Apparently he’d been battling health issues for quite some time.
While Sharpe was known best for being a “jobber” in the WWF (a guy that loses most of his matches) he actually won quite a few championships throughout his career. Being a jobber or enhancement talent is a lost art in the world of professional wrestling. These days, nearly every match you see is between two “superstars”. Because of this, it’s very difficult to really build up a monster heel (bad guy) or babyface (good guy). Back in the day, guys like Mike Sharpe, Barry Horowitz, Barry O and the Brooklyn Brawler were on the roster with one singular purpose – to make other guys look good. And that’s exactly what they did. And don’t think because these guys didn’t win very often meant they didn’t know what they were doing. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes in the wrestling business to make someone else look good is the most difficult thing you can do (I’m looking at you Goldberg).
Rest in peace Iron Mike. Your contributions to the world of professional wrestling will be missed.
