8. Managers Were Really Managers
The art of the wrestling manager is one lost now on mainstream companies such as WWE. Sure, there have been notable exceptions, such as Zeb Colter and Paul Heyman, but in general, Vince McMahon doesn't really pay a whole load of attention to the promo-merchants these days. It's a damn shame, because these ringsiders can add so much to the match itself, and are excellent for creating instant heat for that wrestler who - for whatever reason - isn't too comfortable on the microphone. Back in ye olden days, most kids likely thought that these managers were exactly that, managing the day-to-day business and lives of the stars they represented on television. It's hilarious to imagine now that guys like Bobby Heenan took care of Ric Flair's flight itinerary, but that's how it was presented, that Heenan made sure Flair could do what he did best, wrestle, and concentrate solely on that aspect of his life. Even more ironically, Heenan told a story during a shoot interview about how Dewey Robertson, otherwise known as The Missing Link, took the idea of a manager literally, and thought The Brain was actually there to manage his schedule and finances. Letting Robertson know in no uncertain terms that he was wrong, Heenan informed The Link that he'd see him at shows and that was it.