A Revival of Managers?

[The Scarred One]

Since March of this year, the man known as A.W. (formerly Abraham Washington) has been scouting and recruiting WWE Superstars for his own stable. So far, he's signed Mason Ryan and the tag team of Primo and Epico along with their valet, Rosa Mendes.

With this stable, we could very well be seeing something similar to the Heenan Family.

For more than 30 years, WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby Heenan collected and managed a stable of wrestlers in the AWA, NWA and WWE. In the WWE alone, he managed Big John Studd, Adrian Adonis, Ken Patera, Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Andre the Giant, the Brain Busters, Hercules Hernandez, Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect.

Could we see A.W.'s stable grow larger as time goes by? At the same time, we will see other managers come out of the woodwork to join him.

For the longest time, managers were paired with certain wrestlers with the sole intent of getting them over. These wrestlers, although having great potential, needed that little extra help to reach the next level. If the wrestler in question could perform extremely well in the ring but not on the mic, it would be the manager that did most of the talking. Famous managers, aside from Heenan, include Jimmy Hart, Teddy Long, J.J. Dillon, Lou Albano, Freddie Blassie and Paul Ellering.

Nowadays, managers have become a dying breed. But with the emergence of A.W., could we see a rebirth?

We already have Vickie Guerrero managing Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler. But what about Ricardo Rodriguez? He previously managed a stable in Florida Championship Wrestling known as the Ascension. There's also Byron Saxton down in FCW, whose managed the likes of Mason Ryan and Wade Barrett. The man's been in the WWE's developmental system since 2007, so the WWE must see something in him to have stayed on for as long as he has.

So does it look like A.W. is a sign that managers are making a comeback? Aside from him and Guerrero, who else can come along?

 

[The Dragon Saga]

You didn't even mention Sakamoto, peasant!

I touched on this not too long ago, WWE seem to have brought managers back but altered the titles to things such as "business advisors" and such, or for Ricardo Rodriguez, he is the ring announcer for Alberto Del Rio but also happens to fulfill the requirements of a manager while ADR competes. It's kind of an evolution of the manager's role, they're no longer titled as such. Unless you're Rosa Mendes, she is referred to as a manager it seems.

I think it brings something back to the table, opens up more possibilities, but unless you're Abraham Washington the role of a manager is no longer to act as a mouthpiece in the WWE, like Bobby Heenan and such once did. Instead you have Sakamoto for character development more than anything else, Vickie is just to draw Ziggler and Swagger heat cause neither can do it alone and Rosa is just there. No real reason, more something to look at.

Once again, it's nice to see manager's brought back into the fold and it's encouraging that WWE seem to have found a form to title them which satisfies their need to be unique.

 

[ccotreau1]

And you are also forgetting the biggest manager of them all of present, Mr. "I am the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the General Manager of both Raw and Smackdown" Big John Laryngitis. He has The Big Show, Eve, and David Otunga at his disposal as well as Teddy Long, and who knows who else will be joining forces with him in the future as well as AW and Vickie Guerrero

 

[trashboy]

And you are also forgetting the biggest manager of them all of present, Mr. "I am the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the General Manager of both Raw and Smackdown" Big John Laryngitis. He has The Big Show, Eve, and David Otunga at his disposal as well as Teddy Long, and who knows who else will be joining forces with him in the future as well as AW and Vickie Guerrero

I'm all for stables, big or small, heel or face. It's always more entertaining when there's stables around. And i keep hoping Johnny Ace will create a Corporation style stable. Along with Eve, Big Show, and David Otunga. He could also recruit Vicki, Ziggler and Swagger. I'd love it.

 

[ccotreau1]

I'm all for stables, big or small, heel or face. It's always more entertaining when there's stables around. And i keep hoping Johnny Ace will create a Corporation style stable. Along with Eve, Big Show, and David Otunga. He could also recruit Vicki, Ziggler and Swagger. I'd love it.

I know, that was what I was thinking, especially how Ziggler, Swagger and Vickie were cheering for Big Johnny after he beat Cena. Those 2 factions joining forces makes me think of the Corporation and the Ministry joining forces during the Attitude Era

 

[Fuel]

Only not nearly as powerful, or interesting.

A stable or two is fine, just so long as they don't take over and we end up with wCw vs nWo all over again.

And AW's stable seems interesting, but if thus far your signings include Mason Ryan and Epico & Primo? Ho hum...

 

[The Liar]

If managers can help further the careers of struggling wrestlers, I am all for them making a comeback. AW's stable does not need to be a main event force to be successful. So far he has a formidable tag team and a decent "bodyguard" type character under his wing. In time, he should add an upper-midcarder, such as The Miz or Mark Henry, and a lower midcarder, such as Ezekiel Jackson. Having a diva added to the stable would also be a nice touch. It could help turn around the career of someone like Natalya or Kelly Kelly, or jump start Maxine's.

 

[H16HP01N7]

I'm all for stables, big or small, heel or face. It's always more entertaining when there's stables around. And i keep hoping Johnny Ace will create a Corporation style stable. Along with Eve, Big Show, and David Otunga. He could also recruit Vicki, Ziggler and Swagger. I'd love it.

Has everyone forgotten that Brock Lesnar and Lord Tensai are probable members of Big Johnny's People Power Stable (TM). Laryngitis has bent over backwards for Lesnar, and Tensai seems to be his personal go to guy when he needs someone to get smashed.
Personally, I'm loving this new stable, and unlike the majority of people, I kind of enjoyed Big Show's Heel turn, not necessarily the way it was started (Big Show getting fired, and then saving the guy who fired him), but the way he played it out on MNR was, ast the very least, good (tho unfortunately not great).
Hopefully we will see more of the heels joining, or at least becoming allied to, BJPPS (TM) and a kind of Civil War scenario being played out of mass Face v Heel brawls akin to the end of MNR this week (which I loved, and made me think of the beginning of the Invasion storyline [again, which I loved, even if I hated the ending]).
I would loved to see a stable of faces rise up against the oppression of BJPPS (TM), lead by Cena (who has started to become likable again, at least in his promos, his wrestling superman style still winds me up), Punk, Orton (I hate to say it, ut he's an obvious choice) and Sheamus. Throw in a few Mid-carders, like Truth, Ryder, Kingston, a couple of Tag Teams (tho, I can't think of any Face Tag Teams except Truth and Kingston). I hope this goes my way... THAT'D BE AWESOME