Jacobs made his first television appearance with the company as Isaac Yankem, DDS, Jerry Lawler's private dentist, in a vignette on the June 26, 1995 episode of "Raw". Placing emphasis on Jacobs' imposing height and weight, Yankem was portrayed as a monstrous figure whom Lawler had hired for the purpose of ridding the WWF of his longtime nemesis, Bret Hart. The character's in-ring debut occurred at a "Superstars" taping on August 15, where Jacobs lost to Hart by count-out. At that month's SummerSlam event, Yankem was disqualified when he hung Hart by twisting him in the top and middle ropes by his neck. He lost to Hart in a steel cage match in the main event of the October 16 episode of "Raw" and finally in a tag team match against Hart and Hakushi, in which he was partnered with Lawler on November 6. After his initial run with Hart, Jacobs was part of an unsuccessful team in an elimination match at November's Survivor Series and participated in the 1996 Royal Rumble match in January. The remainder of Yankem's televised run through April included losses to The Undertaker, Jake Roberts, Marc Mero and The Ultimate Warrior. Jacobs was used on a series of live events in Kuwait in May, as well as a September tour of South Africa, after which the Yankem gimmick was retired.