Robert Lawrence Horne (born April 13, 1967) is an American semi-retired
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
who is most famous for his time in the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
from 1993 to 1996 under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Mo (later Sir Mo), where he held the
WWF World Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
with
Mabel
Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,
History
Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...
as "
Men on a Mission
Men on a Mission was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Mabel (Nelson Frazier) and Mo (Robert Horne), best known for its appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996.
Career
Harlem Knights
The team that woul ...
".
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1991-1993)
Robert Horne made his debut in 1991 and soon found himself teaming with
Nelson Frazier in the Carolinas-based
Pro Wrestling Federation
The Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Carolinas area of the United States from October 1990 to December 2000, when it was run by George South and Gary Sabaugh. The promotion was based in ...
. The two were
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
brothers in a team known as "
The Harlem Knights" with Horne performing as "Bobby Knight" and Frazier performing as Nelson Knight. The
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
team was managed by
George South
George South (born September 7, 1962) is an American professional wrestler. In the course of his career, South has wrestled for professional wrestling promotions such as Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestl ...
, who led the young team to two PWF Tag-Team titles over the years.
In April 1992, Horne worked two matches for WWF both on
Superstars
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.
Superstar or superstars may also refer to:
People
* Warhol superstars, the associates of Andy Warhol
* WWE Superstar, a branding term referring to a WWE wrestler
* Superstar Billy Graham (born 1943) ...
. One in a tag match with
Jim Brunzell
James Brunzell (born August 13, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler. Best known for his successful tag teams, Brunzell performed for various wrestling promotions during his 21-year career.
Early life
The son of a navy pilot, Br ...
losing to the
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew ...
and losing to
The Mountie.
United States Wrestling Association (1993)
In 1993, The Harlem Knights moved on to the
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestling ...
based out of Memphis without their manager George South. While in the USWA, the team was pushed as the “Monster threat” due to their size and feuded with
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
,
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development.
Beginning his career in his father J ...
, and other faces. Their work in the PWF and the USWA got them noticed by the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWF) and they were signed to a contract in mid-1993.
World Wrestling Federation (1993-1996)
When Horne and Frazier made their WWF debut, the vicious heel duo had been repackaged as
faces
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...
with a rap gimmick. They wore bright clothes and had positive attitudes. They were teamed up with a rapping manager “Oscar” and had their names changed to "Mo" (Horne) and "Mabel" (Frazier) while the team name was changed to “Men On a Mission” (or M.O.M., the initials of the three men).
The team met with moderate success in the ring but got
over
Over may refer to:
Places
*Over, Cambridgeshire, England
*Over, Cheshire, England
*Over, South Gloucestershire, England
* Over, Tewkesbury, near Gloucester, England
** Over Bridge
*Over, Seevetal, Germany
Music
Albums
* ''Over'' (album), by Pe ...
mainly due to Mabel’s unusual size, their fun loving personas, and Oscar’s crowd pleasing raps. Their fun loving personalities were prominently displayed when they appeared at
Survivor Series 1993
The 1993 Survivor Series was the seventh annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on Thanksgiving Eve on November 24, 1993, at the Boston Garden ...
dressed up as Doinks (referred to by
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 – September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation ...
as "
Doinks on a Mission)" and teamed up with
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...
(also dressed as Doink) in a comedy match.
Their next feud was against the
WWF Tag Team Champions
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
The Quebecers
The Quebecers were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from in between 1993 to 1994 and again in 1998 who consisted of Quebecer Jacques and Quebecer Pierre. They also worked as The Amazing French-Canadians ...
and they even won the titles during a
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
tour.
Two days later, however, the Quebecers regained the titles in a rematch.
Mo injured his leg in a singles match against Owen Hart on the May 1 episode of Wrestling Challenge (taped April 12 in Syracuse, NY). Mo would not return to competition until October. That summer, Mabel started to wrestle more singles matches; he was seen as the spectacle of Men on a Mission due to his size, the "special attraction" that got used to make rising stars look good. It wasn't until the early parts of 1995, that Men on a Mission started to team again on a regular basis.
In April 1995 after another loss, Mabel and Mo attacked
the Smoking Gunns
The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. As a team, the Smoking Gunns w ...
in a fit of anger, then apologized for it later on. When they asked the Gunns to come to the ring to let them apologize, Men on a Mission attacked them once again and then beat up Oscar, turning the duo heel and dropping their rapping manager.
After a short feud with the Smoking Gunns, Mabel won the
1995 King of the Ring tournament. He became King Mabel with his trusty sidekick being dubbed "Sir Mo", wrestling royalty. When Mabel became king, the focus shifted from the team to Mabel once more with Sir Mo acting more as a manager and less like an active competitor as Mabel challenged for the WWF Championship. One of the last notable appearances for Men on a Mission was at
In Your House 2
In Your House 2 (retroactively titled In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks) was the second In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on July 23, 1995, at the ...
where they beat
Razor Ramon
Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
and
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera (born August 10, 1964) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is known for his work in the World Wrestling Council, where he won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Champion ...
. They were also the opponents in the match where
the British Bulldog
David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Worl ...
turned on partner
Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
. Mo lost to
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
on Monday Night Raw's November 27, 1995 episode during Mabel's feud with Taker. Mo's last WWF match was a lost to
Marty Jannetty
Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Championship Wres ...
on January 12, 1996 in a house show at the
Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...
making it the last wrestling event at the Forum before it was demolished. Mabel and Mo's last appearance in the WWF together was at the
1996 Royal Rumble, where Mo accompanied Mabel at ringside, while he participated in the match, until he was eliminated by
Yokozuna
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
. Afterwards they left the WWF.
Return to USWA and Independent circuit (1996-2007)
After leaving the WWF Mo and Mabel returned to the USWA where they feuded with
Brian Christopher
Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher and Grand M ...
,
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
and
The Moondogs
The Moondogs are a Northern Irish rock band formed in 1979, and consisting of Gerry McCandless, Austin Barrett and Jackie Hamilton. Their career spans three albums, four singles and two television programmes.
Discography
Singles
*"She's Nine ...
. They would disbanded in June 1996. After Men On A Mission, Mo became a part of the original
Nation of Domination
The Nation of Domination (NOD) was a professional wrestling heel faction who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from November 17, 1996 to November 28, 1998.
The group was formed by newcomer Faarooq in 1996 and remained an influencin ...
, the stable that was a forerunner to the more famous stable in the WWF. Mo became "Sir Mohammad", using a black supremacist
gimmick
A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...
. The USWA version of the N.O.D. was led by
PG-13
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
J. C. Ice
James Dundee (born James Cruickshanks) (born July 5, 1971) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Extre ...
and
Wolfie D
Kelly Warren Wolfe (born December 7, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. Wolfe is perhaps best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under the ring name Wolfie D (as o ...
) and also included Kareem Olajuwon (Reggie B. Fine), Akeem Muhamad (Big Black Dog), Elijah (the Spellbinder), Shaquille Ali (
Tracy Smothers
Tracy Stanton Smothers (September 2, 1962 – October 28, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and Extreme Champ ...
), Randy X, and Queen Moishe (
Jacqueline
Jacqueline may refer to:
People
* Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name
* Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler
Arts and entertainment
* ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...
). After group disbanded,
Faarooq
Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...
started the Nation of Domination in the WWF, due to the USWA version of the group disbanding, where they had major success.
Horne would remain in the Memphis region wrestling mainly as Rob Harlem, competing under that name in the USWA, its successor “Memphis Pro Wrestling”, and Randy Hales’ “
Power Pro Wrestling
Memphis Power Pro Wrestling (Power Pro Wrestling) was a Memphis, Tennessee based professional wrestling promotion that was founded by Randy Hales. It was affiliated with Memphis Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation. It was the fi ...
”. USWA shut down in November 1997. In 1997, Horne would start his own promotion “Southern Extreme Wrestling” which he both booked and wrestled for. Horne’s “Southern Extreme Wrestling” is not affiliated with the "Southern Extreme Wrestling Promotions" organization that operates today. He returned to
WWF as Buzz on September 6, 1997 beating a jobber at a house show in Nashville, Tennessee.
While in
PPW PPW may refer to:
*the IATA code for Papa Westray Airport
*Performance per watt
*Power Pro Wrestling - Memphis, Tennessee based professional wrestling promotion
*People's war, Protracted people's war - Revolutionary combat theory developed by Mao Z ...
, Horne teamed up with “Deon Harlem” to form the tag team “The Regulators”. The team beat Derrick King in a Handicap match to win the
PPW Tag Team Title, which they held when the promotion closed down in April 2001 and took a hiatus from wrestling.
In 2003, Bobby Horne returned to wrestling and added yet another gimmick to his long list of gimmicks. On December 30, Mabel was at ringside commentating when manager Paul Wylde came out and introduced the “Bahamian Heavyweight Champion” "Marly Pride". Wylde started making comments that Mabel was the fattest whale which Mabel took exception to. When the big man entered the ring, Marley Pride was revealed as his former tag-team partner Mo who attacked him and the two brawled until they were separated by officials. Mo and Mabel had a short feud in
Memphis Wrestling
Memphis Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee.
History
Memphis Wrestling evolved from an earlier short-lived promotion called Memphis Championship Wrestling.
In 2019, Dustin & Maria Starr with th ...
. On March 1, 2006 Horne as Mo defeated Bad News at a dark match for
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
O ...
. Then on April 21, 2007 Mo defeated
Christian York
Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. C ...
at ISPW in Newton, New Jersey. He then retired from wrestling and went into truck driving.
Also he was the promoter for New Blood Wrestling in
Dyersburg, Tennessee
Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census.
...
from 2006 to 2009.
Return To Independent circuit (2014-present)
In 2014, Horne came out of retirement and defeated Mike King at HLW Heroes and Legends III in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
In May 2015, he worked four shows as Sir Mo teaming with
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Harry Francis Smith (born August 2, 1985) is a Canadian professional wrestler,
best known under the ring name Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his real name Harry Smith. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was o ...
for Ultimate Championship Wrestling in Nova Scotia, Canada. He returned to the Maritimes in July with partner Lord Deon (Johnson) for three more shows. On July 30, the team - known as MOM2K - won the UCW tag team titles by beating Sidewalk Sam and Homeless Bob in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
.
Since January 2016, Horne has run SOAR Championship Wrestling with his wife Denise Jones in Dallas Texas.
Personal life
Horne has had many health issues in recent years. In 2018, he got a kidney transplant and he was told at the time that he would need to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life.
In January 2022, Horne's health got worse as he needed a liver transplant. Doctors became concerned about his body rejecting a new liver. He was hospitalized in the ICU battling
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On February 4 of that year he was released from hospital and made a Facebook post on his account telling them that he was in a medical rehab facility where he was still using an oxygen tank and on antibiotics. Also his kidneys have improved and no longer on a dialysis. He still has strength issues and is resting at home. Horne thanked the fans and his wife, Denise for helping him during his recovery.
Championships and accomplishments
![MOM win tag titles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/MOM_win_tag_titles.jpg)
*
New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
The New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Fan Fest is an American professional wrestling hall of fame. It was established in January 2008 to honor select wrestling personalities who have made significant contributions to professional wrestlin ...
**Class of 2013
*
Power Pro Wrestling
Memphis Power Pro Wrestling (Power Pro Wrestling) was a Memphis, Tennessee based professional wrestling promotion that was founded by Randy Hales. It was affiliated with Memphis Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation. It was the fi ...
**
PPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Deon Harlem
*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
**Ranked #144 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
in 1995
**Ranked #468 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
*
Pro Wrestling Federation
The Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Carolinas area of the United States from October 1990 to December 2000, when it was run by George South and Gary Sabaugh. The promotion was based in ...
**PWF Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with
Nelson Knight (1),
Mabel
Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,
History
Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...
(1), Black Angel (2)
*Southeastern Championship Wrestling
**SCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Ultimate Championship Wrestling
**UCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mom 2K
*
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
**
WWF World Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
(
1 time) - with
Mabel
Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,
History
Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...
*''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
''
**
Worst Worked Match of the Year (1993)
with Mabel
Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987,
History
Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering th ...
and The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...
vs. The Headshrinkers, Bastion Booger
Michael Paul Shaw (May 9, 1957 – September 11, 2010) was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Norman the Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation (W ...
, and Bam Bam Bigelow
Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mo
1967 births
African-American male professional wrestlers
American male professional wrestlers
Living people
The Nation of Domination members
People from Harlem
Professional wrestlers from New York (state)
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
Professional wrestlers from New York City