10 Ways Wrestling Was Just BETTER In The '90s

8. Numerous Great Managers

The concept of a manager is something that hasn't entirely left the wrestling business, but these days there's not just a shortage of great managers; there's a shortage of managers, period.

Yes, Paul Heyman is one of the all-time greats. Yes, Don Callis gets nuclear heat. Yes, Maria Kanellis is great when allowed the opportunity. And yes, Prince Nana is currently clicking nicely with Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy.

No slight on these names, but do the likes of Karen Jarrett, Alex Abrahantes, Jose the Assistant, Mr. Stone, and Scarlett Bordeaux really stand out as game-changers who audiences are fully invested in? Clearly not.

In the '90s, there were so many legendary managers who played such an important role in the career of a talent and in the wider reaches of the wrestling product. Bobby Heenan, Jim Cornette, Sensational Sherri, Miss Elizabeth, Jimmy Hart, Paul E. Dangerously, Woman, Paul Ellering, Marlena, Theodore R. Long, Harley Race, Sunny, Ted DiBiase, the Genius, the Sinister Minister, Colonel Robert Parker, Bill Alfonso, and Debra are just some of the names who spring to mind - with several of those being easily in the conversation for the top ten managers of all-time.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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