A lot of times when profiling the Jobber Of The Week, we tend to run into lot of bland, chubby, and nondescript individuals who entered the ring with the personality rivaling that of a worm found in a bottle of tequila. Not so with this week’s JOTW. In fact, this guy may be the most charismatic and colorful enhancement talent to ever step foot in the ring.
Norris Harrison Jr.’s road to wrestling fame started in 1996, when he spotted an ad for WCW’s Power Plant. Not only did he try out, but he made it though the rigorous trials and ended up with a spot in the company. Rechristened Hardbody Harrison, he soon became a jack-of-all-trades of the company. Whether it was doing the job on Saturday Nights, setting up the ring, or working beside Sgt.Buddy Lee Parker as an instructor at the Power Plant, he appeared to be making the connections and spreading himself out enough to have a potential future at WCW. After all, tell me there’s not a spot on the roster for a guy who wears..
a slightly disturbing pair of one-legged tights that would probably make the Booty Man blush if caught wearing them. And nothing accentuates the homoerotic appearance of a half-naked torso than this…
a self portrait of yourself, along with your name, shaved onto the back of your head. Did WCW really need to go out and sign Dennis Rodman? They already had one hell of a fashion disaster wacko under contract in the form of Hardbody. Despite possessing the outrageous charisma of Rodzilla, it could do nothing to stop the various losses. After a few years of getting defeated by everyone from Barry Horowitz, Glacier, and Jim Powers, Hardbody’s contract was not renewed when it expired in early 2000. But that wasn’t the end of his dealings with WCW, however. Along with Sonny Onoo and Hardwork Bobby Walker, Harrison filed a discrimination lawsuit against WCW, claiming they were not offered the same chances to succeed due to racism. The suit was eventually settled out of court.
With WCW behind him, turned to the other squared circle. FX’s Toughman show would soon feel the wrath of the Hardbody. Unlike many stars like Bart Gunn and Dr.Death Steve Williams, who excelled in the ring but floundered when it came to fisticuffs, when this former jobber put on the gloves, it was all business. In 2001, he would become a sensation on the show. Despite participating in an unscripted competition, his Hardbody gimmick was in full swing, as he became a trash-talking heel-like boxer, and ultimately went on to win a few heavyweight competitions as a Toughman.
Then for a few years, all was quiet on the Hardbody front. Until one morning in the summer of 2004, when this lovely mugshot popped up in the papers.
Hardbody was arrested on charges of forcing 3 women into prostitution, as a way for the women to repay their debts to him. Geez Hardbody, didn’t the Godfather teach you anything. Pimping ain’t easy, brother. Heck, if you wanna get paid by imitating like Charles Wright, why don’t you just take up voodoo, or something…
Yikes!!! After visualizing the horrifying image of Hardbody Shango, I only have one thing to say: Don’t give up your night job….get those women back on the streetcorner immediately!!!