These days in the WWE, a wrestler (sorry, entertainer) is expected to do everything: not only having to grapple and sell, but also to deliver lines. Its why we see painful backstage sketches, with stilted dialogue and poor delivery, and its why we see Roman Reigns struggle to cut a promo on the mic, night after night. Of course, there are a few standout, modern superstars who can do it all Seth Rollins comes to mind but the majority of wrestlers cannot do everything with equal aplomb. And back in the day, when a wrestler couldnt talk, there was a simple, elegant solution. It's a shame that the modern WWE doesn't employ this solution more often (Paul Heyman is a notable exception). The bookers gave the wrestler a manager. A manager solved so many problems: if the wrestler couldnt cut a promo, the manager could do it for him. All the wrestler had to do was stand there, look scary, and deliver a one-liner at the end, like, REST IN PEACE, or BANZAI!! The manager also made his or her wrestler more likeable all of the crowds heat would be be directed at the manager, which would make it easier for the heel wrestler to get over with the crowd. And lastly, a great manager knew when to insert himself in the match: whether distracting a referee or tossing their clients a weapon, they injected unpredictability into the matches they presided over. The best managers had boatloads of charisma; they were despicable, but compulsively watchable, and hard to turn away from. Jim Cornette. Bobby Heenan. Paul Bearer. Mr. Fuji. But there were other, lesser managers who crossed that fine line: fans despised them, rather than despising their characters. We werent emotionally invested in our hatred for them. We just wished they would go away, so that we could have better villains to boo. Here are The Ten Most Annoying Managers Ever in the WWE.
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
