4 Most Likely General Manager Candidates For WWE Raw & SmackDown

9. Ruled Out Candidates

Of those that we hope will assume the role of General Manager for either Raw of SmackDown, some candidates can be dismissed entirely. Numerous names have popped up as candidates with little rhyme or reason, so let's knock a few of those out of contention.

Triple H seems like the logical selection to operate Raw under Stephanie McMahon's control, but WWE publicly acknowledging him as the COO means that taking the role would essentially be a demotion. Not to mention the recent mentioning of The Authority's failed reign on Raw; there' no way WWE could return to that formula.

It's not entirely impossible for Stone Cold Steve Austin to be named Raw GM, and it would certainly make for a hilarious dynamic with Stephanie McMahon. However, Austin is already up to his shoulders in commitments, made all the more difficult by recovering from shoulder surgery.

Kurt Angle addressed his relationship with WWE earlier this month, stating that he has a good relationship with Triple H and intends to return to the company. Angle said: "I will not be returning for the draft. Possibly in the future, most likely next year, but that is not a guarantee. It was a loose conversation but I will be in touch with Triple H in the future."

The rumour of Sting being assigned GM was essentially born out of desperation from fans who enjoyed his TNA authority run. If this happens, I will have a picture of Sting's face tattooed on my body - hold me to it.

Of all the names I wanted to include as genuine candidates, it was difficult to exclude Eric Bischoff. It would make plenty of sense for him to return to a position of power within WWE, but his pre-existing business pursuits and scheduled appearances (including his UK WhatCulture tour, plug-plug) make it impossible. If you weren't already convinced, Bischoff unequivocally ruled out any chance of it happening on Twitter.