Jewish wrestling legend Barry Horowitz trained as a professional wrestler under Boris Malenko in Tampa, Florida for 18 months and debuted in 1979 on the Floridian independent circuit. He went on to work for the World Wide Wrestling Federation(now WWE), Jim Crockett, Sr.’s NWA Mid-Atlantic promotion, and promotions in Canada and Puerto Rico. Horowitz eventually joined Florida Championship Wrestling as “Jack Hart”. On July 23, 1985 in Tampa. Horowitz defeated Mike Graham in a tournament final to win the vacant NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship. He held the title until September 2, 1985, when he lost to Kendall Windham. He remained in FCW for two years, and was managed by legendary managers such as Percy Pringle(Paul Bearer) and Sir Oliver Humperdink.

After wrestling in Memphis as “Stretcher” Jack Hart, Horowitz joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1987. He spent two years in the WWF before suffering a neck injury which left him on the sidelines for ten months. After he had recuperated, Horowitz travelled to Texas, where he worked for the newly-formed Global Wrestling Federation. Competing in the light-heavyweight division, Horowitz (billed as Barry “The Winner” Horowitz) won the GWF Light Heavyweight Championship on two occasions within the space of a month in 1992, defeating Jerry Lynn on February 7 and Ben Jordan on February 28 in Dallas, Texas. He remained in the GWF for two years until it declared bankruptcy. Horowitz also wrestled for Smoky Mountain Wrestling in early 1992.

Horowitz received a title shot for the WWF Tag Team Championship teaming with The 1–2–3 Kid, (who was chosen by Barry to replace Reno Riggins who was ill at the time), against The Quebecers. That gave a title shot to Horowitz and Riggins. Horowitz and 1–2–3 Kid lost after a very hard hitting match. He then competed under a wrestling mask at WWF’s 1993 Survivor Series as “The Red Knight”, teaming with Shawn Michaels (who was substituting for Jerry Lawler) and the Black and Blue Knights to lose to Bret, Owen, Keith, and Bruce Hart. In 1995 he joined the WWF on a regular basis, and the Barry Horowitz that most of us are familiar with was born, as his TV exposure increased, his win/loss record went to the dogs.

Wearing suspenders, and a vest with an outline of a handprint on the back to the ring, and patting himself on the back as a self-congratulatory measure, Horowitz genuinely shocked play-by-play commentator Jim Ross by pinning Bodydonna Skip in 1995, provoking Ross to shout “Horowitz wins! Horowitz wins!” into his microphone in disbelief (J.R still claims to this day that he has no idea that Horowitz might actually win). Horowitz faced the vengeful Skip in a rematch at SummerSlam 1995, which he also won. Following his victory, Horowitz formed a tag team with Hakushi, whom he attempted to Americanise after beating him in another match “no one thought” he could win. His short-lived, new-found success earned him his first t-shirt and a spot in the 1996 Royal Rumble match, at the 25th entrant place, where he was eliminated by Owen Hart. Horowitz’s contract was not renewed by the WWF in 1997, and he joined World Championship Wrestling in 1998, signing a two year contract. Horowitz wrestled primarily on WCW Saturday Night before leaving WCW in 2000 and returning to the independent circuit. As of June 2005, he was working as a nutritionist in Florida while occasionally wrestling for local independent promotions.

Barry Horowitz is not only a Jewish legend, a Wrestling legend and the wearer of one of the finest permed mullets in all of creation…..he is now….A Legend of the Job And you thought he only ever looked at the lights….Shame on you!