The Jobbers, Starring Armando Reséndiz and Cornflake LaManna
- Matthew Brown
- May 21
- 5 min read
05/21/2025
Jobber [job·ber]:
a wrestler who consistently loses matches, particularly against more established performers. Their primary function is to make other wrestlers look strong and successful by being defeated.
Everything in life is wrestling—especially boxing.
On May 31, inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, PBC on Prime Video delivers what should be a can’t-miss doubleheader. At the top of the bill are Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo—two names with history, star power, and one very obvious promotional trajectory. Their opponents? Armando Reséndiz and Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna. Their roles? Clear.
This is what’s known in wrestling parlance as a “squash match.” You throw enhancement talent—the jobbers—into the ring to take a beating, to make the stars shine. The guys you want to build for the future get to look dominant, sharp, and dangerous. It’s a dance. A ritual. Everyone knows their role. Everyone knows the outcome.
Except this ain’t wrestling. It’s boxing.
And in boxing, there is no script. It’s the theater of the unexpected.
Just ask Ryan García. Or better yet, ask Devin Haney. Both were walking a similar path: keep busy with a tune-up while the big-money fight looms. García vs. Rolly Romero was meant to be a quick stop on the road to Haney-García. Likewise, Haney-Ramirez was supposed to cement the undefeated champ’s dominance.
But someone forgot to hand Rolly the script.
Romero floored García early, then danced and jabbed his way to a shocking upset. The rematch with Haney? Torched. A million-dollar showdown vanished in a flash of right hands and shoulder rolls.
Lest we also forget Lamont Roach, playing a similar role against Gervonta Davis on March 1. Roach wasn’t just supposed to lose—he was supposed to lose big. Tank had the next opponent in the building, ready to walk into the ring afterward. Showtime moment, perfect ending. Except Roach didn’t cooperate. He dropped Davis (Steve Willis be damned). Boxed smart. Took a draw. Now we’re doing it again.
As Samuel L. Jackson so eloquently put it in Die Hard With a Vengeance:
“Well, you can shove your well laid plans up your well laid ass.”
Enter: Cornflake
Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna has heard all of this before. He’s been casted as Jobber # 1. Hell, he played the part so convincingly that it nearly ended him.
“I’ve been in this same seat before and I came up short when I fought Erislandy Lara,” he says. “I never want to go through that again. It messed me up.”
“Came up short” is putting it gently. Lara nuked LaManna with a single punch in the first round. That’s how a squash match is supposed to go. That’s what the promoters want this time, too. LaManna knows it.
But this time… he doesn’t intend to play along.
Since that embarrassing knockout, LaManna has clawed his way back. Nine straight wins—yes, against limited opposition—but enough to earn one last shot. Another phone call. Another dance with destiny.
And this time, it’s in Las Vegas, under the lights, against Jermall Charlo.
“I’m grateful to be here,” LaManna says. “Professionally and personally, I’m not supposed to be here. A win over Jermall Charlo changes my life. I’m glad he’s here and on May 31, we’re gonna rumble and the best man is gonna win.”
He’s not delusional. He knows what’s on the line—for him and for PBC.
“We all know what the task at hand is. I’m gonna give this my best shot. I’m gonna upset the apple cart.”
Charlo hasn’t fought in 18 months. He’s still officially a two-division champion, but the shine has faded. The plan is obvious: beat LaManna, then face Plant in a big-money showdown. But LaManna isn’t a warm body. He’s a man with scars. And he remembers what it felt like to be laughed out of the ring.
“We can talk about what we’re gonna do, but that’s why we fight the fights. Talking won’t win the fight.”
“I’m gonna shock the world. That’s what I’m coming to do.”
Enter: Reséndiz
Across the ring from Caleb Plant will stand another man with no intention of sticking to the script.
Armando Reséndiz is Jobber # 2. He’s the guy who’s supposed to make Plant look slick, fast, and flawless. To help sell Plant-Charlo to the masses.
But Reséndiz isn’t buying it.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” he says. “I’m thrilled to represent my people on May 31. That means the world to me. I’m here to stay.”
His performance against Jarrett Hurd in 2023 proved he’s no pushover. Reséndiz overwhelmed the former champion and forced a corner stoppage. Since then, he’s been circling the top tier, looking for a way in. Plant, coming off a loss to David Benavidez, needs a bounce-back. Reséndiz sees his shot.
“This is a big challenge, but I see it as a great opportunity. You’re going to see me at my best.”
“This isn’t just for me. It’s my family’s future on the line. My family is counting on me. I can’t let them down.”
Like LaManna, he knows what the world expects. But he’s not playing to the audience.
“I know Caleb Plant is a top-level fighter. He’s a former world champion for a reason — he’s fast, technical, and he’s been in there with the best. I respect everything he’s accomplished. But I didn’t take this fight to just be another name on his résumé.”
“I’ve put in the work, I’ve made the sacrifices, and I’m coming in prepared to give him a tough fight. He’s going to remember my name forever.”
Okay so…. Who’s gonna tell them?
That’s the question.
LaManna and Reséndiz were brought in to do a job. To lay down and play their part. But neither man seems interested in fulfilling the role. Not this time. Not with everything on the line.
They’ve seen what’s happened to others who played the part too well. They’ve also seen what can happen when the jobber forgets to lose. Rolly Romero knows. Lamont Roach knows.
And now?
Thomas LaManna and Armando Reséndiz want their turn.
We always say, “anything can happen in boxing.” But when fights like these are announced, we laugh. We scoff. We roll our eyes and look ahead to what’s “next.”
Plant-Charlo is supposed to be next.
But you might want to tune in on May 31—because someone forgot to tell the jobbers.
Top 5 Jobber Upsets in Wrestling History:
The 1-2-3 Kid defeated Razor Ramon
Barry Horowitz defeated Skip from The Body Donnas
The Brooklyn Brawler defeated Triple H
James Ellsworth defeated AJ Styles
Duane Gill defeated Christian
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