Best Choices for Raw/Smackdown GMs

[justinept]

I can't believe there isn't a thread already for this. Perhaps I'm looking so hard for it, that I'm missing it right in front of my nose. If that's the case, please put this in the right place.


Following last night's announcement that Shane and Stephanie would be choosing GMs to run Smackdown and Raw, respectively, I immediately started thinking who would make the best, most logical choices for each. Keep in mind, I believe the WWE needs to make strong choices as the GM will serve as the voice of the show for at least the next several months. If the audience isn't given something fresh, it could kill any steam the brand split has.

Because of that, I've eliminated Triple H as a possible GM. n the surface, he makes the most sense since he's tied at the hip with Stephanie. But there are a number of reasons why he actually makes the least sense... 1) Why does he need the title of GM when he's already acknowledged on-screen as the COO? 2) Why would he be booked in a position to be a subordinate of his wife? 3) This too closely resembles The Authority story line and would likely turn fans off.

However, where Triple H makes the most sense is that he's an extension of Stephanie. Since Stephanie's entire character is based on having supreme confidence in herself, it's likely she'll choose someone that is a similar extension of herself. And that leads me to:

Kevin Nash
Nash has the obvious ties to Stephanie through her husband. He's seen by the fans as an extension of Triple H, who is seen as an extension of Stephanie. And thus, the characters could easily work in concert with one another Additionally, Nash has the name value and the talking ability to add a buzz to Monday Night Raw.

Shane's character, meanwhile, wants change. He has challenged his father's vision of the company as outdated. He prides himself on being one of the few men who can disagree with Vince to his face, who doesn't kiss the boss's ass. It seems like Shane would want that same quality in a GM. And that leads me to:

Paul Heyman
Heymay is the best talker in the business, a guy who is grossly underutilized due to Brock Lesnar's part-time schedule. The story writes itself as Heyman challenged Vince both as a competitor and then as an employee. He has a different view of pro wrestling than McMahon. He's not afraid to speak his mind, even if the boss disagrees. The real-life characteristics of Heyman seem to align perfectly with what the Shane McMahon character wants in a GM. Allowing him to work the mic every week on SmackDown, would bring a buzz to the show that few other potential GMs could bring.

So those are my two choices. Who would you like to see running the shows?

 

[OYDK]

JBL would be a good choice if it gets him away from the damn table. He's always been a great personality and he's a much better on-screen character than commentator. He's flexible, which means you can insert him in as either heel or face and he'll make them both work. They need somebody who isn't going to take up 30 minutes a show, someone who's just there to set-up matches and make the backstage segments work well. JBL could do that. He certainly hasn't lost his ability to talk.

Also, I would love to see Daniel Bryan back in any capacity and I would especially love to see him running Raw under Steph. I think the dynamic would make for some interesting TV and it would be cool to see Bryan one-up guys like Rollins, Owens, even Reigns by asserting his "authority".

So yeah, off the top of my head I wouldn't mind JBL and Daniel Bryan. They may not be the perfect picks, but they'd work well enough.

I've heard a lot of buzz surrounding Bischoff and Heyman and to that I say, same old same old. Just two more guys who would go around being the focal point of the show. No thanks.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There was a "spoil" of Bryan for Smackdown but I am certain it's a bluff... my money is on Eric Bischoff - makes a lot of sense that storyline wise, Shane would pick him to "get back" at his dad for not giving him RAW and to piss Steph off - especially if he one-upped her plan to get him herself.

On the outside I can see Sting...

On RAW I can see a few of options really

William Regal - Still on balance the best GM character they've had and with the draft coming it's a perfect time to shake up his role on NXT. He's also known as being Trips #2 in reality when it comes to a lot of stuff so while it's not a storyline linked to the Kliq for example, it's something Steph could say "I made the smart choice...Regal has brought through a lot of talent and did a great job in the past... he's the guy we need"

Shawn Michaels - Perhaps the logical choice... he's obvious in many ways but still enough of his own man that he's not going to bow to Steph. There would of course be tension with Trips built in which fuels storylines...and if there is ever gonna be that "one more match" then it comes from a role like this.

Paul Heyman - Perhaps the greatest part of the rivalry of the original draft was Bischoff v Heyman and it'd be a great story if the roles were reversed this time out... Heyman and Steph have that oil and water quality onscreen but she could argue that she is in a popularity contest with Shane, so get the most popular guy the fans like to run the show. The argument holds for Bryan, but Heyman comes with Brock as well, so that would be the big coup.

The outsider for me is Chris Jericho - He's at the stage where he is spending more time out of the ring than in it and there is a big segment set for Battleground with Orton, so if it is about Jericho now being GM and crowing then it works. He has a chequered history with Steph but "the gift of Jericho booking" is a good angle...they can play on the "best in the world at what I do" to cover running RAW. It also allows Jericho time off screen for his band. If he's off for a bit then Steph covers the slack as she's there anyway.

 

[d_henderson1810]

This is an interesting question.

I will list who I tip, and then who I would like to see as GMs.

For RAW, I tip that Stephaniewill pick Triple H, and Triple H will return and run Raw (unless NXT is going to be a third brand, like ECW was, and he would probably be GM of that).

For Smackdown, I saw something hinting about the "Yes Movement", which indicates Daniel Bryan. This would be a good choice, as Bryan is great on the mike, and it would get viewers to watch.

Who would I like to see?

I would love it if Eric Bischoff came back as a GM. I think he was great during the "Ruthless Agression Era". Also didn't mind John Laurinitis. But, please, no to Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long.

Other possibilities who would be popular would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. However, I feel that they enjoy working from time to time, and don't want to do the show every week.

Sting might be good, and they can get something back on their contract, given his injury. JBL or DDP could value as well.

Another good choice, is to have two GMs for a brand, and have them be Edge and Christian. They would be hilarious, and since they have a weekly Network show, they could work a full-time schedule.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

RAW - Daniel Bryan - My guess is that Stephanie will probably do something stupid and pick Triple H as the GM but Vince won't approve saying he's already the COO so he decides to name DB as Stephanie's GM so it creates that GM/Commissioner Face/Heel conflict.

Smackdown - This one is a tough one since I think Shane being a face will pick a popular choice. I would probably say Shane picks either Sting or Booker T both are ok in the mic and probably carry some GM related promos decently.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Raw - Triple H

Smackdown - Daniel Bryan

These make sense. Both are good on the mic and would create interest. More importantly, they would agree with each most of the time. So basically there's no power struggle. The last thing they need to do is pair a heel commissioner with a face GM or vice versa.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

You need former stars who can draw, but who you can realistically get on TV pretty much every week. That rules out HBK, Austin and others.

Triple H and Bryan seem like obvious shouts.

 

[Xemmy]

Eric Bishoff on Raw. Mick Foley on Smackdown. Both are great on screen personalities, and each would give their show their own unique flavor. There are stories that could be told with both, and it could make for some good Smackdown Vs Raw moments. There doesn't need to be any backstage scwabbling. I don't want to see endless backstage segments of Shane and Stephanie questioning the GMs they picked. Because that's been done to death over the last 5 years, and the less Stephanie McMahon is on my screen, the less likely I am to start skimming through the show just to see the results...or blowing my own brains out.

 

[L@RISANO]

As others have mentioned:

WWE SmackDown! - I can see Daniel Bryan being the guy chosen, as he will surely get people interested in watching the new LIVE show. Also, before he succumbed to injury and retired, there was interest from him in making SmackDown! must-see with him as IC Champion, so this would be like a second chance to do just that, but in a different capacity.


WWE RAW - Triple H seems like the obvious choice for GM at this point, however, it will be an instant turn-off for many people, lMO, and might well cost RAW some viewers early on if the other show were to get somebody likeable in addition to Shane O'Mac. Thus, I'd actually pick another guy forced to retire through injury in Sting, who coincidentally ended his WWE HoF speech by saying, that his retiring "wasn't goodbye, but actually, see you later".

 

[@smarkmouth]

I'm surprised no one else has thought of this, but what if Shane gets to pick his GM first, and throws Stephanie's final insult from Raw back at her. "As my sister pointed out, there's only one Game in this business, and I've drafted him!" Snatching up Triple H would be the first shot fired in that competition that Papa McMahon wants to see. Sure, might make Shane's job difficult, but it would be a new dynamic to play with. We haven't had much Triple H/Shane screen time yet.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

I'm surprised no one else has thought of this, but what if Shane gets to pick his GM first, and throws Stephanie's final insult from Raw back at her. "As my sister pointed out, there's only one Game in this business, and I've drafted him!" Snatching up Triple H would be the first shot fired in that competition that Papa McMahon wants to see. Sure, might make Shane's job difficult, but it would be a new dynamic to play with. We haven't had much Triple H/Shane screen time yet.

Why would he do that though? They can't work together, and no one wants to see another McMahon family power struggle.

 

[@smarkmouth]

Why would he do that though?

As I've said, a nice FU to lil' sis, with a vulgar display of competition.

They can't work together,

I don't think that's a certainty. I haven't seen them on screen enough in their current roles to know for sure. Maybe they'll surprise us and get along swimmingly.

no one wants to see another McMahon family power struggle.

Well, I agree here, but make no bones about it; the brand split is just another gear in the perpetual McMahon family drama. If it's going to continue (and again, perhaps it won't with HHH and Shane), at least the relationships can be freshened up.

 

[rbv13]

Why would Triple H accept either GM position? I realize it is professional wrestling and anything can happen with all logic tossed out the window but it makes very little sense. His real position within the company has been played up through his character. It should be obvious to most the casual of casual fans that a GM position is below Triple H.

 

[@smarkmouth]

Why would Triple H accept either GM position? I realize it is professional wrestling and anything can happen with all logic tossed out the window but it makes very little sense. His real position within the company has been played up through his character. It should be obvious to most the casual of casual fans that a GM position is below Triple H.

Why stop here? How come Triple H bothers wrestling? Surely operating out of the office is a higher paid position than acting as a talent. If they do indeed use Triple H, I doubt too many fans will bother questioning "Hey, isn't he the Corporate Exec of Talent and Development Mumbo Jumbo Sorcerer, PHD?". It's not a stretch whatsoever that someone could hold the GM position while continuing corporate duties. In fact, I would expect the COO side of his persona would be downplayed, and for an on screen character, I welcome the shit out of that.

 

[OYDK]

I'm surprised no one else has thought of this, but what if Shane gets to pick his GM first, and throws Stephanie's final insult from Raw back at her. "As my sister pointed out, there's only one Game in this business, and I've drafted him!" Snatching up Triple H would be the first shot fired in that competition that Papa McMahon wants to see. Sure, might make Shane's job difficult, but it would be a new dynamic to play with. We haven't had much Triple H/Shane screen time yet.

Can HHH even be drafted? Does he have to accept the GM spot just cus Shane named him? He's the COO isn't he?

That being said, if I have to see Steph/HHH on Raw again I might just give up on the damn thing so if he does go to SD I'm cool with that.

 

[Wald]

I'd set up the Face GM v Hell Commissioner for Raw to give it a bit of added sparkle but I wouldn't have that be Daniel Bryan. Everyone on-screen knows there is friction between Stephanie and Paul Heyman so I would have it so Steph does a deal to sign Brock Lesnar exclusively for Raw pre-draft by offering Heyman the GM, even have Heyman screw her out of it by having that detail in the small print of the contract.

For Smackdown, I'd go all in with the idea of Shane revolutionising the industry and just have a face GM. That's where I'd bring in Daniel Bryan.

 

[justinept]

Why stop here? How come Triple H bothers wrestling? Surely operating out of the office is a higher paid position than acting as a talent. If they do indeed use Triple H, I doubt too many fans will bother questioning "Hey, isn't he the Corporate Exec of Talent and Development Mumbo Jumbo Sorcerer, PHD?". It's not a stretch whatsoever that someone could hold the GM position while continuing corporate duties. In fact, I would expect the COO side of his persona would be downplayed, and for an on screen character, I welcome the shit out of that.

Because wrestling and serving in an authoritative role are two completely different things with unique functions.

As RBV13 said, Triple H being the C.O.O. isn't just a real-life job; it's a huge part of what his on-screen character has become over the past five years. Hell, for the past 3 years, Triple H used that real-life job title to control Monday Night Raw alongside Stephanie McMahon.

To further his point, that title as C.O.O. basically meant he answered to no one other than Vince McMahon. But as the GM, he'd actually answer to Stephanie McMahon - who would then answer to Vince. You see how that logically can be described as demotion? He'd go from running Monday Night Raw alongside his wife with almost complete autonomy to working as a subordinate of his wife.

Any fan capable of a rational thought would see that as a big-time demotion and question why someone with his status as C.O.O. would take on a separate position that was lower than the one he currently served in.

Let me give you an example.

Let's say Company X has two Vice Presidents, A and B.
A and B have the same job function.
A and B have equal authority.
C is hired to serve as the top employee under A.
Who has more authority - B or C?

Essentially, Triple H as GM would be like him serving as B AND C, simultaneously. It really makes no sense that he would even want the job of C when he already holds the position of B. Why would he want A to be his boss when he's already got the same amount of power as A?

 

[TheMainEvent]

With Shane running Smackdown and it being pushed as "new and exciting with the LIVE concept" I can see Shane wanting to inject some new blood into the role and giving it to either Daniel Bryan or someone synonymous with the brand like and Edge or Heyman. All of which I love the idea behind and would be fun to see.

Raw I can see Stephanie being the business driven person wanting to stick to something that is more familiar and knows works without the risk of assigning someone without previous experience. So that limits Raw to really Triple H, Bishoff, Heyman, Foley or my hopeful, a callup to Regal returning. If they mix up the commentators I could also see JBL throwing his hat in that basket too.

 

[@smarkmouth]

Because wrestling and serving in an authoritative role are two completely different things with unique functions.

As RBV13 said, Triple H being the C.O.O. isn't just a real-life job; it's a huge part of what his on-screen character has become over the past five years. Hell, for the past 3 years, Triple H used that real-life job title to control Monday Night Raw alongside Stephanie McMahon.

To further his point, that title as C.O.O. basically meant he answered to no one other than Vince McMahon. But as the GM, he'd actually answer to Stephanie McMahon - who would then answer to Vince. You see how that logically can be described as demotion? He'd go from running Monday Night Raw alongside his wife with almost complete autonomy to working as a subordinate of his wife.

Any fan capable of a rational thought would see that as a big-time demotion and question why someone with his status as C.O.O. would take on a separate position that was lower than the one he currently served in.

Look, if you don't like the idea of Triple H as GM, that's fine, but you don't get to ignore the fact that on air roles are fluid and ever changing. There's no lock on Triple H's, or anyone elses on air role. It could be as painfully easy as Triple H being fired from COO in character. An on screen, publically humiliating demotion. Or he indeed acts as a lowly General Manager while blatantly exploiting advantages offered by the COO position.

Hell, if I bought into your argument, I'd have to take exception to the fact that "Commissioner" is a far lower position than "One of the Principal Owners of WWE." Why are we not having this argument about Stephanie?

Again, taste is subjective, but anyone who says that there is are no creative variables that can be shifted to bring HHH as GM to a logical place is absolutely wrong.

 

[Goldberg's Lawyer]

I would love to see JBL and Bryan.

JBL is someone I hated during his championship run, but who in hindsight I think had an amazing and underrated heel run that I think was instrumental in getting Cena over. He should be more in the spotlight than commentary I think I'd love to see him interacting with more characters as Stephanie's GM.

Bryan fits with the whole new era vibe Shane is going for and I think it's very likely he'll get the job.

 

[justinept]

Hell, if I bought into your argument, I'd have to take exception to the fact that "Commissioner" is a far lower position than "One of the Principal Owners of WWE." Why are we not having this argument about Stephanie?

We could. But it ignores the fact that the commissioner's role is described to have the exact same power Stephanie McMahon has had on-screen for about 15 years. She still answers only to Vince McMahon. You could substitute any word you want. The position is the same. She could legitimately hold the title as "Janitor of Monday Night Raw," but so long as her job is to run the show, to make the decisions, and to answer ONLY to Vince McMahon - then the position is actually the exact same regardless of what you want to label it.

The argument with Triple H is not about the title. It's that the actual position being described - GM, serving underneath someone other than Vince McMahon - is a lesser one than he's carried since the start of this decade.

As for my personal opinion on Triple H serving as the GM, it wouldn't bother me. I don't think it would bother most people either. I think most people are dreading 5 hours of live wrestling each week, and watching a re-hashing of The Authority storyline play out on Monday Night Raw is a perfect excuse to skip that show in favor of Smackdown. That, mind you, is the biggest reason I don't see Triple H serving as the GM. We're only three months removed from spending THREE YEARS with that story. It's tired. And the fans would turn off the show.

There's no lock on Triple H's, or anyone elses on air role. It could be as painfully easy as Triple H being fired from COO in character. An on screen, publically humiliating demotion. Or he indeed acts as a lowly General Manager while blatantly exploiting advantages offered by the COO position.

You're right. There's never a lock on someone's on-screen role. Hell, even Vince McMahon has been 'fired' multiple times only to return within a few months as The Chairman. But while your logic can easily be tracked in a months-long (or even weeks-long) program, you have to remember that the GM is being announced on Monday. There are no more shows between now and the announcement of the GM.

Essentially, what you're suggesting is that Triple H could be fired as C.O.O. to start the show, and then be re-hired three hours later as the GM. Here's the logic gap there... If Triple H is fired as C.O.O. to start the show, and he's then hired as the GM as a result, it would mean that Stephanie McMahon went to Monday Night Raw completely unprepared to announce a GM. Thank God Triple H was fired so she had someone to hire!!!

Now, could I buy Triple H accepting the position to start the show only for Vince McMahon to come out and deny the appointment due to Triple H's other responsibility? Sure. I could settle for a momentary logic gap - especially if it led to Vince McMahon appointing a 'face' GM to contrast with Stephanie. That would bring some intrigue to Raw. Something different. And if it's Daniel Bryan... well, then Raw is kind of must watch, isn't it?

But Triple H as the GM? Sorry. Wouldn't watch it. And I wouldn't buy the idea of a character taking a lesser job to assume authority he already has.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

RAW: Mick Foley. I thought Mick was a pretty funny G.M when he was there. His comic timing is good and he can switch that in an instant and be sadistic on the mic. For whatever reason Steph is tricked into picking Foley I think he and Steph could work well off each other.

SmackDown: If they really want to shake SmackDown up than look for further than Eric Bishoff. Ya, he's made some mistakes in the past, but he's also the reason WCW had kicked WWEs ass in the ratings for a couple of years back in the 90s. Shane could say the same thing, he wants to make SmackDown better than Raw and that's why he hired Eric, because of his historic accomplishment in holding his foot on Vince's neck for awhile. Eventually they could clash much like Mick and Steph.

 

[ShinChan]

Multiple names have been suggested here. But I want to suggest the base criteria.

I think that Raw should have a heel GM and Smackdown should have a face GM. Because that's what is logical. Stephanie being heel would chose a heel GM and Shane being face would chose a face GM. Simple but effective.

 

[justinept]

Multiple names have been suggested here. But I want to suggest the base criteria.

I think that Raw should have a heel GM and Smackdown should have a face GM. Because that's what is logical. Stephanie being heel would chose a heel GM and Shane being face would chose a face GM. Simple but effective.

I don't disagree with the logic. But I don't think a heel GM would be the best thing for Raw moving forward.

Raw has had a heel authority figure for the better part of three years now. Will fans stick around to watch another indefinite period of heel characters run around Raw unchecked?

Now, normally, I wouldn't buy the "I'll stop watching" argument to pro wrestling. Most fans, especially ones that post on IWC chat boards, aren't going anywhere. We're hooked. But this time is a bit unique. Smackdown going live is a real game changer that offers a legitimate choice for fans. If one show is complete garbage, then fans will likely get their wrestling fix by just watching the other one.

That wasn't the case with the original brand split. It's tough to ask even the most hardcore wrestling fans to sit through 5 hours of wrestling every week. The reality is that with the WWE's initial brand split, most fans chose to watch one show or the other. And most chose Raw likely because of the live TV factor. How else do you explain why Smackdown had lesser ratings despite being a superior product? Fans made a conscious decision to watch Eugene, Rene Dupree, and the Spirit Squad on Raw while mostly ignoring Kurt Angle, Edge, and The Undertaker on Smackdown. Why? Because one was live, the other was taped, and wrestling fans seem to have an aversion to watching taped wrestling (even the pre-taped MNRs in London draw less than typical live MNRs.)

So if Raw's biggest advantage is thrown out the window, and both shows are now on equal footing, then Raw will have to do something different this week to keep its audience. 'Cause honestly, Smackdown having Shane McMahon (a considerably fresher character than Stephanie) already pushes it ahead of Raw in the 'must-see category.' Re-hashing the same-old heel authority regime on Raw that most fans have grown tired of these past few years could make it considerably easier for fans to choose Smackdown over Raw when deciding how to allocate their time...

That's why, of all the ideas on this board, the one I like the most so far for Raw is to have Danie Bryan somehow be named the GM of Raw. His dynamic with Stephanie McMahon would be quite intriguing...

 

[stingray11214]

It is fun to read these "wish lists". You really wonder if people actually understand what is going on. Let us cut to the chase of one WWE "superstar": Daniel Bryan will NOT be a GM. The reason is that the minute he steps on that ramp, the whole planet will want him in that ring. Furthermore, HE might want to go back into that ring. It would be completely disruptive to anything else that is going on. Remember, he got strongarmed into retirement. He did NOT want to retire. It would be like telling a kid that he cannot have fried chicken, and then bring him to KFC.

The concept of a GM is to put someone in there who 1) is not going to be used as a wrestler, or 2) Creative has nothing else for them. SO, here are my two:

For RAW I choose Zack Ryder. For Stephanie, you need a putz. Steffi is the Alpha female. So, you need someone that will basically wear the leash and collar for her. Ryder's shtick makes him come off a little brain dead. It would be perfect because then Steffi can have complete control. If Zack Ryder makes a suggestion, Steffi can completely shit on it, and give him an angle that he will completely agree with. Steffi as the Queen, Ryder as her bitch, It works.

For SmackDown, I see Bischoff as a "Plan B". I do not know if VKM will part with a crapload of money. SO, Shane likes his professionals. He has been around them for so many years. He sits on IMG's board. He ran YOU on Demand. So, with all this, does WWE have someone on their payroll who can act like a professional? Cue in David Otunga. The Harvard-trained lawyer-cum-wrestler will be the perfect compliment to Shane. And, he is already under contract, so one does not need to spend the big bucks on a Bischoff when you already have someone who can hold a cup of coffee and make educated suggestions. And, he can present himself in a professional matter to the audience. It would rub some the wrong way, so Shane comes in to probably save the day. This pairing would work.

Remember, the last two GMs we Teddy Long and Brad Maddox. The GM role worked for them. It would work for Otunga and Ryder.