10 Times WWE Ripped Off AEW
3. Bringing Managers Back
AEW has embraced the lost art of the manager.
The manager adds so much: another layer of intra-match drama, a deeper illusion of an interior life, a mouthpiece for those not skilled verbally. Most recently, Taz has added a real sinister presence to Brian Cage's act, talked people into his match with Jon Moxley, and used his technical knowledge to put over Cage's ability to withstand Mox's Paradigm Shift in a great video that, to too little fanfare, put over the sporting element people whinge is missing from AEW's presentation. Tully Blanchard, Jake Roberts, Arn Anderson: they all enhance the presentation with their gravitas and timeless promo ability.
WWE virtually abandoned managers years and years ago, with few, rule-proving exceptions, but they are as back in vogue as they've been, curiously, and most notably by the recent pairing of Ric Flair and Randy Orton. The history is obvious, but so is the inspiration.
Zelina Vega predates AEW, but MVP's new role does not. Malcolm Bivens and Robert Stone are also playing managerial roles on an NXT show that had precious use for them in September of 2019. Stone doubles, to minor force-of-will success, as a counterpoint to loud complaints over the very, very intense approach NXT took at the immediate onset of its move to USA.
It was significantly less fun than Dynamite; Stone is the end product of the focus group meeting.