Best Manager Gimmick

[HeenanGorilla]

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is atop many lists as the best manager ever. Brain was good on the mic, took a good beating and enhanced matches just by being at ringside. He relied on his personality to get over. He didn't have an angle or prop for the most part. (Right? He never hit anyone with his neckbrace did he?) Other managers had good personalities too, but had props/gimmicks that added to their character. Some had no personalities but looked good (Ex. Elizabeth). Paul Bearer had an urn and an eerie persona. Slick had a cane and had a jive soul pimp aura to him. Even Coach had a whistle..which I found unforgivably annoying. Different people had different approcahes, characters and demeanors. Whose did you prefer?

I think Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart brought the most to his men's matches. As I said, Heenan is my favorite, but more so as an announcer than a manager. Hart had the nagging shouting through the megaphone (which I could see someone finding as much of a nuisance as I do Coach's whistle), the use of the megaphone as a weapon, solid on the mic, had a solid stable of talent, and was able to draw heat and make the crowd want to see him get his ass handed to him. He also used all of these things to make you hate his wrestlers more than you might have otherwise. I don't remember hating Heenan Family members because of Heenan. It seemed that people hated Heenan for Heenan, not Big John Studd simply BECAUSE he was a Heenan guy. But, for example, Honky Tonk Man was more annoying than his character alone may have been, thanks to "Come on, Honky!" or "Beautiful! Beautiful Baby!" being yelled through the megaphone throughout his matches. I think Hart was a fun character that really added an element to each match he was a part of and to each wrestler he managed.

So, what do you think was the best manager package? Personality, gimmick, look, stable...whatever you look for in a manager. Who had the most?

 

[HonkyDong Man]

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is atop many lists as the best manager ever. Brain was good on the mic, took a good beating and enhanced matches just by being at ringside. He relied on his personality to get over. He didn't have an angle or prop for the most part. (Right? He never hit anyone with his neckbrace did he?) Other managers had good personalities too, but had props/gimmicks that added to their character. Some had no personalities but looked good (Ex. Elizabeth). Paul Bearer had an urn and an eerie persona. Slick had a cane and had a jive soul pimp aura to him. Even Coach had a whistle..which I found unforgivably annoying. Different people had different approcahes, characters and demeanors. Whose did you prefer?

I think Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart brought the most to his men's matches. As I said, Heenan is my favorite, but more so as an announcer than a manager. Hart had the nagging shouting through the megaphone (which I could see someone finding as much of a nuisance as I do Coach's whistle), the use of the megaphone as a weapon, solid on the mic, had a solid stable of talent, and was able to draw heat and make the crowd want to see him get his ass handed to him. He also used all of these things to make you hate his wrestlers more than you might have otherwise. I don't remember hating Heenan Family members because of Heenan. It seemed that people hated Heenan for Heenan, not Big John Studd simply BECAUSE he was a Heenan guy. But, for example, Honky Tonk Man was more annoying than his character alone may have been, thanks to "Come on, Honky!" or "Beautiful! Beautiful Baby!" being yelled through the megaphone throughout his matches. I think Hart was a fun character that really added an element to each match he was a part of and to each wrestler he managed.

So, what do you think was the best manager package? Personality, gimmick, look, stable...whatever you look for in a manager. Who had the most?

Jimmy Hart and Bobby The Brain hands down. Growing up during the 80s I always wanted to see Mr Fuji get his ass kicked. So I guess he played his character well.

HM to Slick also.

If I had to chose - the Brain. The Heenan family was awsome.