For years, President Jack Tunney ruled over WWE storylines with an iron fist, not always making decisions that were met with open arms by fans, but decisions that were made in the best interest of the promotion. When Gorilla Monsoon replaced Tunney, he became the first real authority figure to experience increased television exposure. He stood up in the face of defiant villains such as Jim Cornette and Vader and even found himself on the receiving end of a vicious assault at the hands of the massive Coloradan. It was not until Roddy Piper was named interim president and waged war with Goldust at WrestleMania 12 that the authority figure became an integral part of WWE television. Sgt. Slaughter followed suit, becoming commissioner in the summer of 1997 and engaging a relatively young Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a war that quickly became personal. Their Boot Camp match at the December pay-per-view, In Your House: D-Generation X, continued the trend set by Piper of authority figures competing against active workers in an intense match. The rise of the evil Mr. McMahon character in late 1997 and his appointment of Superstars and alumni to the commissioner and general manager spots over the next 15 years changed wrestling forever. Authority figures became integral parts of WWE television. Eric Bischoff, Stephanie McMahon, William Regal and Vickie Guerrero were heels even more despised than some of the company's top in-ring villains while ol' Teddy Long was the one constant on the SmackDown side of things. With that said, every rise is culminates with a fall and for some of WWE's most recognizable authority figures, the falls were glorious. Whether it featured induction into Vince McMahon's notorious "Kiss My Ass Club" or literally being thrown into the garbage, the overbearing men and women in charge of tormenting the top stars in sports-entertainment got the comeuppance in the grandest fashion possible.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
