Want to separate yourself from WWE? Bring back Managers!

[Optimist Prime]

Back in the heyday of wrestling...even before the mid-to-late 80's boom. The majority of wrestlers were similar to today's in some respect. I don't mean that they had similar wrestling styles or are even comparable in that light...but wrestlers back then didn't really have much personality. So what was the answer they had? MANAGERS!

This ultimately solved all of the problems at the time. If a wrestler wasn't good on the mic and couldn't talk - they would be paired with a manager who would add that "personality" that was previously lacking.

Another idea Vince McMahon had was to add some imagination to the situation. If a lot of wrestlers can't speak well - I'll create an imaginary gimmick for them that will even it all out. And low and behold - the cop, sailor, birdman, snake man, perfect man, million dollar man, dead man, etc. were born. And sometimes...some of these gimmicked wrestlers COULD speak as well...and that's where you have your legends and Hall of Famers. During this boom you had wrestlers who had personality...and then the wrestlers who didn't were paired with the personalities of Bobby "The Brain", Mr. Fuji, Slick, etc. which made nearly the entire staff entertaining to watch at all times at that time.

Then the world was spoiled with the much younger baby boomers and generation x personalities that didn't need imaginary gimmicks or managers for help...and the likes of Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Steve Austin, The Rock, etc. was born for the newer generation and attitude era respectively.

These wrestlers are now getting older and dying out and the newer wrestlers seem to lack the same personality the wrestlers of the past few decades were able to pioneer. In fact, the majority of the newer wrestlers could make George W. Bush look like a poet.

Meanwhile, you still have some of those older personalities hanging around in TNA for the reason I've said in the past. To not only help "teach" but to help compliment what is lacking...and it's most certainly personality with the majority of these new guys. So what you do is you make the older guys into managers for some of the younger guys who can't talk to save their life. This philosophy has been very successful in the past and is certain to work again if done correctly. I loved the Ric Flair with AJ Styles pairing (although he could have been paired with someone else - I just liked the idea of it).

This accomplishes a bunch of things: 1st - It rids the older guys (that everybody seems to be worried about) of wrestling in matches or at least limits them significantly. 2nd - It provides what is needed to areas that are lacking. 3rd - While it's something that has been successful in the past, it's very unique in today's market and unique is always good. Separating yourself from the norm of today opens eyes. and 4th - Retro is in! lol jk. But really...

What do you guys think? Now I don't feel you necessarily have to have 35 managers running around representing EVERYBODY...but perhaps a similar formula to the 70's, 80's and early 90's would work wonders.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They started to touch on it a while back when guys like Amazing Red were being managed by Don West, Ric Flair was managing AJ Styles and so forth. Hell, if you date even farther back, Nash "managed" a number of young X Division stars in his time – namely Alex Shelley, Austin Starr, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. In essence without Nash we'd never have seen Black Machismo at all.

In principle your idea works, but the issue with utilizing managers is that the managers themselves have to work in the traditional sense of being bought as a manager or a mentor – guys like Hogan would fail in that respect, as the focus would be too heavily centered around the iconic figurehead by the ring and not nearly as much on the guy he's supposed to be mentoring. Jay Lethal, for example, has done wonderful things getting himself over as himself while "tributing" to Hogan via wearing his colors, but if Hogan came to the ring with him for all his matches, most folks would focus on Hogan and not Lethal.

The same goes for guys like Jarrett, I'm afraid, as well as Foley to some extent. Foley might be able to break that mold a bit, but the desire to see him would still heavily outweigh the desire to see any of his under studies, I'm afraid.

Either way, I agree, but as you noted, I also don't want managerial wars in TNA. If anything, I'd like a manager or two added to help solidify a couple of the bigger guys in the company who lack that personality – guys like Rob Terry and Hernandez.

 

[Optimist Prime]

Yeah, you're right about the iconic focus and shift of the attention. I didn't really put that into perspective. But as for Kevin Nash managing X-Division stars and Hogan "managing" Abyss...those are just ridiculous ideas you have to scratch your head with. They just don't really make sense.

As for the focus and attention shifted to the managers...I was basically making this decision based on what seems to be the majority of TNA fans NOT wanting the older guys in there at all in some cases. So my feelings were that if they didn't care for them whatsoever, then if they were managers (and not in the ring) it could possibly work. If those people, who don't want the older guys in there at all, were not able to focus on the new talent due to gradually gazing and paying attention towards the iconic older managers instead - perhaps you shouldn't want the older guys out of there after all? The whole reason they are in there is because they DO have that effect on certain people - where a lot of the newer guys don't just yet.

Note: I didn't mean "you" personally, I meant the universal "you".

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yeah, you're right about the iconic focus and shift of the attention. I didn't really put that into perspective. But as for Kevin Nash managing X-Division stars and Hogan "managing" Abyss...those are just ridiculous ideas you have to scratch your head with. They just don't really make sense.

As for the focus and attention shifted to the managers...I was basically making this decision based on what seems to be the majority of TNA fans NOT wanting the older guys in there at all in some cases. So my feelings were that if they didn't care for them whatsoever, then if they were managers (and not in the ring) it could possibly work. If those people, who don't want the older guys in there at all, were not able to focus on the new talent due to gradually gazing and paying attention towards the iconic older managers instead - perhaps you shouldn't want the older guys out of there after all? The whole reason they are in there is because they DO have that effect on certain people - where a lot of the newer guys don't just yet.

Note: I didn't mean "you" personally, I meant the universal "you".

No offense taken, I understood what you mean/meant.

Nash at the time was working with Shelley and Johnny Devine in Paparazzi Productions, giving them advise on various aspects of the wrestling business, all with atypical Kevin Nash humor attached. I know in theory the idea of one of the better giants in wrestling history mentoring the high flyers didn't work, but it actually did, despite the seeming failure to launch.

To be honest, though, I'd rather not see guys like Nash (who can still go) demoted to being a manager simply because a couple of spoiled rotten IWC fans don't buy him as a viable in-ring talent anymore. Watch tapes of Diesel from the WWF or Nash from WCW – tell me what he did then that he doesn't do now. Nash's game has always been cerebral, not technical. He was never a great wrestler, and his arsenal has always consisted of the same dozen moves or so because he doesn't sell himself on his ability to wrestle, he sells himself on his ability to talk and have his stories shine through his fantastic personality – something not a lot of current stars can lay claim to.

Ideally, I'd rather natural managers be brought in. Hernandez, for example, could quite easily be managed by another Konnan or Hector Guerrero type, and Rob Terry could easily be managed by a number of traditional types. Dean Ayass is probably available if they're looking to get him some vocal help. Ayass was responsible for Paul Burchill's success and managed guys like Christopher Daniels and Terry Funk in his day as well.

 

[Optimist Prime]

You're absolutely right about Kevin Nash. I certainly feel the same way. I would definitely prefer that he stay in the ring as he can still do exactly what he has been doing for decades now - so moving him anywhere is entirely unnecessary.

I also agree with bringing in outside managers. I guess some of us were a little spoiled with somebody like Bobby Heenan. And my premature thinking led me to basically hope that since some of these guys came up during those times with great managers - that they would automatically just start emulating them. Obviously, there were some managers back then that were almost completely unnecessary (i.e. Paul Ellering) and I kind of wanted to avoid those types haha.

Finding another Bobby Heenan will be seemingly impossible. Although, I did feel that Flair (when he didn't also wrestle) did a decent job with his personality. He was kind of like a Freddie Blassie with more spunk. Hogan should certainly stay away...but there are always other people you can bring in. The guys you mentioned are worth a try as well.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

You're absolutely right about Kevin Nash. I certainly feel the same way. I would definitely prefer that he stay in the ring as he can still do exactly what he has been doing for decades now - so moving him anywhere is entirely unnecessary.

I also agree with bringing in outside managers. I guess some of us were a little spoiled with somebody like Bobby Heenan. And my premature thinking led me to basically hope that since some of these guys came up during those times with great managers - that they would automatically just start emulating them. Obviously, there were some managers back then that were almost completely unnecessary (i.e. Paul Ellering) and I kind of wanted to avoid those types haha.

Finding another Bobby Heenan will be seemingly impossible. Although, I did feel that Flair (when he didn't also wrestle) did a decent job with his personality. He was kind of like a Freddie Blassie with more spunk. Hogan should certainly stay away...but there are always other people you can bring in. The guys you mentioned are worth a try as well.

Ellering was awful. LOL. I didn't even think of him, to be honest, until right then when you posted his name, and I think that's the first time I've given him so much as a thought since he was managing the Legion of Doom in the first place – as if The Legion of Doom needed a manager anyway? What brain-dead ******** came up with that one, is what I want to know...

I doubt we ever have another Heenan, or another Blassie, Sensational Sherri, Jimmy Hart, etc. because all of them are/were legends in their own right – the type of legends that can be often imitated, but never duplicated – however, I also don't think that should discourage anyone from understanding that there are still a number of managers in this day and age who are more than capable of making a name for themselves as well. Prince Nana and Larry Sweeney are two of those types.

 

[Optimist Prime]

Ellering was awful. LOL. I didn't even think of him, to be honest, until right then when you posted his name, and I think that's the first time I've given him so much as a thought since he was managing the Legion of Doom in the first place – as if The Legion of Doom needed a manager anyway? What brain-dead ******** came up with that one, is what I want to know...

I doubt we ever have another Heenan, or another Blassie, Sensational Sherri, Jimmy Hart, etc. because all of them are/were legends in their own right – the type of legends that can be often imitated, but never duplicated – however, I also don't think that should discourage anyone from understanding that there are still a number of managers in this day and age who are more than capable of making a name for themselves as well. Prince Nana and Larry Sweeney are two of those types.

I definitely agree. Currently, I pretty much associate anybody with a manager as a heel. Very rarely did you or do you have a successful face with a manager because usually the manager is there for the advantage.

That being said. Even if they bring in a guy who's like a Mr. Fuji or Slick with a cane who may not be a Heenan or Jimmy Hart but can still give you that "Oh No!" factor...where you know he's going to do something. That's all I'm asking for!

Haha yeah, Paul Ellering never made any sense. That was a prime example of a period where the managers situation was just being abused - they would just throw anybody anywhere...when the wrestlers have infinitely more personality than the manager...it's a clear sign that the guy is ultimately unnecessary. Even when I was little I would wonder why he was there haha

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I definitely agree. Currently, I pretty much associate anybody with a manager as a heel. Very rarely did you or do you have a successful face with a manager because usually the manager is there for the advantage.

That being said. Even if they bring in a guy who's like a Mr. Fuji or Slick with a cane who may not be a Heenan or Jimmy Hart but can still give you that "Oh No!" factor...where you know he's going to do something. That's all I'm asking for!

Haha yeah, Paul Ellering never made any sense. That was a prime example of a period where the managers situation was just being abused - they would just throw anybody anywhere...when the wrestlers have infinitely more personality than the manager...it's a clear sign that the guy is ultimately unnecessary. Even when I was little I would wonder why he was there haha

Yeah, I was talking about guys like Hernandez and Terry needing managers because I do feel their personalities (or lack there of) require them, and I was also inferring that they'd be heels in the process. Hernandez may be over with the iMPACT! Zone, but body aside, he's an awful face – his mannerisms are incredibly contrived and always feel forced, the way D-rate actors read from a script card, I'd imagine – same goes for Terry.

I obviously don't want to get into the nitty gritty about how any of this could/would/should be accomplished, but I do feel both would benefit greatly from a managers influence.

 

[MMK]

WWE especially needs to bring back the heel managers. Wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin and John Morrison are prime examples of guys who could have benefited from having a Bobby Heenan or Jimmy Hart type character to do the talking for them. Both have great in ring ability but lack the mic skills to get the push to main event status.

First of all, Morrison's character is clearly better suited as a heel. He needs to just stand there and look cool like Rick Rude or Bret Hart while some yappy manager does the talking for him. That's how it would have been in the 80's. Morrison's a rockstar like Honkytonk man, but he needs a Jimmy Hart to help him get over.

And there are plenty of people within WWE already who could play these roles. Vickie Guerrero could give instant heat to whoever she managed. All she has to do is show her face and fans give her hell. Michael Cole is another example. He could be a modern day Jimmy Hart if used properly.

There are so many guys in WWE who could be main eventers but they will sadly most likely never get that chance simply due to a lack of mic skills. Think of how many legends of the past who never would have received a push without a manager there to cut the promos for them. They really need to bring back the manager role.

 

[ANKHOR_MAN3]

Just thought Id mention that Jimmy Hart is still under contract with TNA at least he is still on the rosters page. So you could have him manage Rob Terry just a thought

 

[Judah's Lion]

like IDR, i'm not sure that i know exactly how this should or could be played out well, but there are several talents that would and could benefit from a manager and there are several talents out there that could play the part well.

the only downfall, as stated earlier, is that perhaps the focus would then be on the manager and not the superstar. i would think, though, that if the manager is doing his/her job well, this would not be such a big issue.

possible manager/superstar combinations:

Bret Hart for the Hart Dynasty. just a natural fit.
Ted Dibiase and Mike Rotundo for "Fortunate Sons" as another pretty easy connection.

can't think of any good pairings for TNA, but there are definitely a number of superstars that could benefit from a manager and many manager options available.

some possible ideas there:
Hector and Vickie Guerrero, James Mitchell (probably for Abyss), Flair, Hogan (i think that with some time away from the ring, he could be a manager that doesn't distract from his superstars), Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake, Kurt Angle, Edge and Jericho (when they retire from active competition), HBK, Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko, Terry Funk, Foley and Raven. just some names to throw out there. these guys are all excellent mic workers and have great minds for the business and have good ring pyschology as well. besides helping a superstar by being the mouthpiece, any superstar could learn tons of other aspects about the business by being around such vets.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think it's all pretty much been said at this point. I'd personally love the idea of having a traditional manager/mentor, and I stress the word "traditional". If TNA were to return to the concept on a broader scale, what they're doing with Ric Flair is the opposite of what needs to happen. As IDR pointed out, certain iconic individuals serving as managers/mentors/mouthpieces tend to overshadow the wrestlers they're managing.

Even those like Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Sting, etc. would be pretty much in the same position. Even if they weren't booked in a managerial role, but not booked to be the same sort of character as Ric Flair, just their presence could be enough to overshadow whomever they manage.

 

[Reddannihilation]

It sucks that they brought in Jimmy Hart with the Nasty's and ditched him when they ditched them. Guys like Hart, James Mitchell, Don West, Scott D'Amore, etc. Would all be great for some of TNA's less skilled mic. workers. I remember when Hernandez and Homicide were managed by Konnan. That was probably the most entertaing those two guys ever were, because they had a mouthpiece who helped communicate a message they couldn't deliver on their own.

Part of what made managers so useful is that their charges could in turn develop their own personality by observing their managers in action. I can't help but wonder if TNA had held on to guys like Mitchell, Cornette, etc. how useful they'd be right now with guys like Joe, Terry, Abyss, Hernandez etc. I really thought when Don West was managing Amazing Red, we might see West put a stable of guys together. Even now I'd love to seem him manage Rob Terry and announce him as the next big thing in TNA, it'd be perfect.

All in all, I'd be very happy for TNA to pick up some strong talkers and utilize them as managers. As has been said, steer clear of veteran wrestlers because they steal the spotlight whether it's intentional or not.

 

[DangerousDave]

There are a few guys that could use managers in TNA. Joe & Rob Terry come to mind immediately. These managers should be strictly managers like Hart. Slick Ric Flair with his Fortune group is fine, but I wouldn't bring in any other wrestlers as managers as it would be a distraction as mentioned many times. Hart is still on the payroll, so they should start with him and maybe bring in another one or two managers over time and see how it works.

 

[onemandynasty08]

Yeah I think that TNA should bring back managers. In their early years they had various managers from Scott D'Amore to James Mitchell. I think that D'Amore garnered alot of heat for Team Canada. James Mitchell was a sinister heel manager. When you look back at some of the top stars in wrestling, they had a managers at some point in their career. Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H, Hogan, Shawn Michaels.

I would say that I prefer heel managers over face ones. They are there to interfere, be a mouthpiece for some, and draw heat to their client.