Should WWE Bring Back Managers?

[My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't]

First thread so bear with me. I recently have been rewatching a bunch of old VHS's of Raw and various PPVs and I have to say, I miss the managers and personalities that accompanied various superstars back then to the ring.

Back then, majority of the main event/upper main event talent were accompanied by three or four managers.

You had the Heenan family, Jim Cornette's guys, Jimmy Hart's guys, Slick, Mr. Fuji, Money Inc etc...

My question is, for those that remember the days of the various managers and personalities that accompanied the wrestlers, do you wish the WWE would bring back that kind of format. Where you have majority of the roster "teamed up" so to speak with various managers?

 

[baldjedi]

I feel the managers bring spice to the roster. How many times have we seen a manager mess things up or even save a wrestler. I recall when Paul Heyman was the manager for The Next Big Thing: Brock Lesnar and that was huge for Brock to have a mouthpiece like Heyman to be his manager. It just makes sense because of the added intrigue for wrestlers.

This does not mean everyone should have a manager, but either ones that need that extra spark or need someone who is good on the mic. It won't work for everyone, but for some it will. If we go old school I think of how Andre the Giant was such a huge factor and alot had to do with Bobby the Brain Heenan, still my favorite manager because he just wanted you to hate him so much, but it worked with all the attention he provided for his wrestlers.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I think they should definitely bring back the manager. Matt Striker would be a good one. It should be a guy who has the ability to hold the audience's attention. The thing about Heenan was he was funny, charismatic, and entertaining, but the end he ultimately had one goal. That goal was to end Hulkamania. Heenan always aligned himself with someone who he could build up to take on Hogan. Andre, Ted Dibiase, Flair, Randy Savage, Mr. Wonderful, Rick Rude etc.

I could see this working now with Cena. Cena is this larger than life character who all the kids love. Have a character who just hates him. He starts aligning himself with guys to take him on. Occasionally one may when the title away from him, but eventually Cena gets the best of the guy. It was a formula that worked for many years. Plus, you could get guys who might not be the best talkers but are good in the ring over. I think Striker would be good, Michael Cole appears to be heading in that direction, or find a washed up wrestler who could talk the talk but not go in the ring. I think Road Dogg Jesse James would be someone who could come back, Million Dollar Man would also fit, Bret Hart...

Guys that could benefit from a manager...

John Morrison
David Hart Smith
Tyson Kidd
Dolph Ziggler
Jack Swagger

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES A thousand times YES

I love this idea. WWE has alot of very good, but bland wrestlers. They cant talk. They have their promos scripted for them and are unable right now to captivate an audience the way a big name wrestler should. They need a mouthpiece, someone who can connect with the fans either as a heel or a face, which will give the wrestler time to practice their mic skills for the future.

Guys like David Hart Smith, Jack Swagger etc can all wrestle, but look lost when they pick up a microphone. They need someone to do their talking for them. Plus, heel managers are always entertaining, cheating to help their guy win and eventually getting beten up themselves. Its something I really enjoy seeing.

There is one manager not currently in any major organisation, who is the best mouthpiece in the business today and that is Father James Mitchell....he is awesome. However, I dont know how his character would fit in to the WWE right now as we have no "evil" characters who need a manager...before you say Kane he has Bearer.

Maybe Mitchell could come in by himself, and announce he is forming a new group and then recruit wrestlers to the dark side, just like Undertaker did when forming the Ministry.

What do you think?

 

[Dzone]

I like the Mitchell dark side group thing, they could sort of end up being SD!'s Nexus lol *in a sense that they come and destroy... end of and only Mitchell does the speaking*.

I like Managers in general, they give support to an unexpected twist and they also make the bland wrestlers seem even slightly interesting...

Just as a complete and utter side note, I'd love it if he took some kind of wacko sinister clown gimmick... imagine the mental promos (tbh I just want to see that gimmick, I know it was a bit of a random comment but I'd love the idea of an evil clown that has his own group lol).

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE... U know when I really realized it... On the OLD SCHOOL RAW when SLICK came out... I just thought man if he could talk for either MARK HENRY OR EZEKIEL JACKSON as a MONSTER they would be incredible... Think of BROCK LESNER when he first got to the WWE and PAUL E. was his manager... Plus I remember how managers gave ppl instant credibility.... I remember the manager battles for RANDY SAVAGE and BAM BAM BIGELOW... Just being in the Hart Foundation was an honor...

PLUS FANS LOVE SEEING THEM GET BEAT UP!!! Who can forget watching the BIG BOSSMAN vs BOBBY HEENAN? I think managers are a neccessity in wrestling and I wish they would return!!!

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

Absolutely they should. How many times have you read on here that ............. would be a great moster heel in only they had a manager to do the talking for them and it is so true. Without bobby heenan or jimmy hart or any of the legendary managers, where would guys like earthquake, Andre the giant, King Kong Bundy, Yokozuna and hell maybe even the Undertaker have gotten, Undertaker is not bad but he couldn't get the reaction merely from words that paul Bearer could rely on.

Having a manager in itself brands you as someone to watch out for. The only guy close to having a manager now would be Dolph w/ Vickie, sure lots of people stand on the outside of the ring but not many have their own gimmicks and interfere to enhance the heat of their managed superstar, vickie does do this with dolph to an extent. Other people like tamina or natalya for heart dynasty or even A-Ri don't speak for those superstars and so don't really enhance them, they just hang around.

A real manager was over the top and had their own gimmick like heenan's weasel chants or hart's megaphone, and they made everyone aware that their superstar was going places. I'd love to see the return of the manager because the only PUR BREDD manager we have is Ranjin Singh, and he's managing a guy who we haven't even seen for a month or so, which is pretty sad. First port of call, split up maryse and dibiase so he can get a real manager, maybe his dad...

But just generally those low in charisma, I can see morrison benefitting from perhaps melina (unless that was another dead end backstage segment the other week), tyler reks, drew mcintyre and several others all benefitting from having a amanager.. MAKE IT HAPPEN

 

[I Suck Ass]

Oh, definitly. Managers are one of the easiest ways to make you hate heels. They help you easily win matches by holding they guy's legs down, or distracting the ref for a cheap chair shot.

Currently, the one guy that I could definitly see needing a manager would be Drew McIntyre. Why? He's a good heel, but sometimes I feel he isn't over. A manager would be perfect for him.

 

[Huggie-Bones]

Without a doubt, yes.
I was just thinking about a week ago whilst watching some classic clips that there really hasn't been anyone with the caliber of a Bobby Heenan or Jimmy Hart to really push the younger stars and give them relevance.
I mean, Ziggler kind of has Vicky right now but it just doesn't have the same dynamic. Additionally, the female valet/manager was always the perfect draw to get you to actually care about the girls. When they finally got their comeupance in a match, you wanted to see it instead of stepping out for a fresh beer or some nachos when the diva matches happen. The women's wrestling just isn't relevant right now because we can watch bikini models to sexier things in way less time...and I think it's mostly because there's no story behind them and no reason for us to care.
Bring back valets. Bring back managers. I think it's the stars' decision though. Creative can recommend it but isn't it a contract issue?

 

[caesarmacdaddy]

Managers are essential in pro wrestling. Most of the roster isn't over. Managers not only are great mouthpieces and have their own custom gimmick weapons (megaphone, salt, canes, urns) to help their wrestlers win matches and get them over.

Also, their wrestlers managed can come together for an occasional big angle, to add spice. It just adds an element of realism that brings prestige to ALL the titles. I remember when a wrestler won a championship for a stable, it helped raise the profile of the manager, which in turn gave heat to his other wrestlers.

Bring them back NOW!

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Yeh they definitely should, and not to sound sexist, but as long as they aren't valets or Vickie Guerreros. Yes she gets heat, but it's HER heat, not Ziggler's heat.
Thinking back, was Estrada the last male manager in the WWE with Umaga or am I missing folk?
The only downside I can see with managers is that if they are used as mouth-pieces to garner heat for their students then that doesn't necessarily equate to the students getting better on the mic themselves.
Also, it's all well and good saying 'so-and-so' needs a manager, but WWE has to strike the right balance between competitor and manager. I would like to see Regal emerge as a manager for someone he can bring out of their shell, like Drew McIntyre for instance who I thought did a solid job with his Teddy Long feud but hasn't been able to follow it up since and has become a secondary character.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES A thousand times YES

I love this idea. WWE has alot of very good, but bland wrestlers. They cant talk. They have their promos scripted for them and are unable right now to captivate an audience the way a big name wrestler should. They need a mouthpiece, someone who can connect with the fans either as a heel or a face, which will give the wrestler time to practice their mic skills for the future.

Guys like David Hart Smith, Jack Swagger etc can all wrestle, but look lost when they pick up a microphone. They need someone to do their talking for them. Plus, heel managers are always entertaining, cheating to help their guy win and eventually getting beten up themselves. Its something I really enjoy seeing.

There is one manager not currently in any major organisation, who is the best mouthpiece in the business today and that is Father James Mitchell....he is awesome. However, I dont know how his character would fit in to the WWE right now as we have no "evil" characters who need a manager...before you say Kane he has Bearer.

Maybe Mitchell could come in by himself, and announce he is forming a new group and then recruit wrestlers to the dark side, just like Undertaker did when forming the Ministry.

What do you think?

You know, I was thinking Kevin Thorn's biggest problem was he was absolutely shit on the mic. If he had somebody like James Mitchell speaking for him, he could be a solid upper midcarder Maybe even a short-term main eventer.

I also could see Mitchell being useful on people like Tyler Reks as well. Problem is you can't just get the usual WWE frat-boy wrestler to just over night switch to a darkside gimmick. It can only be wrestlers that are already edgy.

 

[fenfool]

Absolutely! They are great for heels, causing distractions and other little cheats that make the wrestlers seem even more heelish. Some of the wrestlers have been given female valets, which is fine...but I think a manager makes more sense. Maryse comes out with Ted Dibiase for some reason...but neither can really talk. You swap her for a guy like Bobby Heenan in his managing prime, and he becomes a better superstar right away. Factions are ok, but I miss 'stables'. Having a central figure who is not a wrestler with several wrestlers to his name...Prince Nana is the only one I can really think of currently...now you have a mouthpiece, allies, allegiances, and a built-in pathway to numerous feud possibilities. I'd like to see them return, absolutely.

 

[mral82]

Yeh they definitely should, and not to sound sexist, but as long as they aren't valets or Vickie Guerreros. Yes she gets heat, but it's HER heat, not Ziggler's heat.
Thinking back, was Estrada the last male manager in the WWE with Umaga or am I missing folk?
The only downside I can see with managers is that if they are used as mouth-pieces to garner heat for their students then that doesn't necessarily equate to the students getting better on the mic themselves.
Also, it's all well and good saying 'so-and-so' needs a manager, but WWE has to strike the right balance between competitor and manager. I would like to see Regal emerge as a manager for someone he can bring out of their shell, like Drew McIntyre for instance who I thought did a solid job with his Teddy Long feud but hasn't been able to follow it up since and has become a secondary character.

Regal was Drew's mentor/manager before and Regal is talkin bout hangin up the boots. So Regal w/ Drew, Sheamus, and some tag team would be awesome plus another great person to be a manager would be Jericho and the crusade to git rid off John Cena or someone else. I agree the need to bring back managers. Hell git Finlay to manage someone.

 

[BillAlfonso]

Take a look at my user name if you wanna know if I agree. Managers are awesome because it's kinda like a supplement, it gives the talent a way to stay relevent for whatever reason and it can be a way to give guys that they may have nothing for at the time something as he can do a run in for a wrestler that's apart of his manager's family or stable of talent.

 

[MMSoldier]

Managers are only as good as the superstars they manage. Some can make them rise up, but most just give them more notice. An example of each. Jimmy Hart brought anyone that he managed up quite a bit. Ranjin Singh, on the other hand, couldn't bring up a person already high. He had nothing to work with on khali.

 

[Yarrie]

I miss Managers, they were awesome. Woman managers can be good when they are teamed with faces, that way heel man can lay the smackdown on them, therefore enraging the people. Now this has been bought up I so want it to happen. Heck bring back the old school managers, that would be so awesome!!!!

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Managers are only as good as the superstars they manage. Some can make them rise up, but most just give them more notice. An example of each. Jimmy Hart brought anyone that he managed up quite a bit. Ranjin Singh, on the other hand, couldn't bring up a person already high. He had nothing to work with on khali.

True, but if you use someone as a manager who can talk and is already a heat magnet then the chances of them benefitting their wrestler is much higher...the question is who can do this role??

James Mitchell, Ric Flair, and Paul Heyman are the only 3 people I can actually think of.....

 

[LSN80]

Absofrickinlutely. The question should be "Do managers need to take a more active role in the wrestlers they manage in today's WWE?" Managers have always been a great way for a heel to get over, as well as "retain" their championships without themselves cheating. Right now, within WWE, we have Alex Riley, Vickie Guerrero, Maryse and Paul Bearer that could be viewed as "managers". But they're not enough. I hear so many complaints aout a John Morrison, who people say is mic skills away from being main event material. as I recall, Morrision debuted and spent 3 years with Melina as his manager. Why not bring that concept back? Someone doesn't have to be a heel to have a manager, although you rarely see a face with a manager. But i think it could be a revolutionary concept to use a manager for a face, and see how that plays out. It hasn't been done much before, and certainly not in recent memory. So yes, absolutely yes, WWE should re-introduce the art of a true manager, as it truly made many a superstar's career.

 

[Funkydr79]

Again, as just about everyone has said, this should ABSOLUTELY happen! I think they could definitely help the guys whose work on the stick is atrocious.

John Morrison, has look, ability, but when he talks, he sounds dumb as a rock. Sorry for the Morri-marks, you know its true.

I would love to see a couple managers come. They can help individual wrestlers, but also, I love it when managers have stables and not just one or two "cash cows". The Dangerous Alliance or the Heenan Family are great examples of heel stables. They don't need the same logical reasoning to be together that is necessary for a tag team. Why are these guys working together? Oh, because they have the same manager.

Plus, I would like to see a diverse array of managers. Vicky Guerrero would be perfect as a manager of a full stable. You could either keep the cougar gimmick or go with something a little more basic.

Managers are a lost art that is most needed in today's market.