9 WWE Stars Who Just Needed The Right Manager To Get Over Huge

9. Essa Rios

What's to say that Essa Rios could't have been a big star for WWE, particularly when it comes to the latin/hispanic demographics? Granted, he probably wouldn't gave shifted as much merch or headlined as many PPVs as Rey Mysterio, but there was definitely potential there. He had a unique look and an exciting style, but he was missing something. That something was a manager. As Aguila/Papi Chulo, Rios toiled in the company's half-baked Light Heavyweight division (including a WrestleMania XIV match against Taka Michinoku) until he got rid of the mask, died his hair flame red and was paired up with a mysterious new diva named Lita. Lita, who wore matching gear and hair, would often perform Rios' moonsault finisher on his downed opponent after he had already won his match. It was an eye-catching act and after it caught on it graduated from Sunday Night Heat to Raw and Smackdown. Essa even got a PPV match with Eddie Guerrero (at Backlash 2000) out of it, but then he was phased out. The focus was clearly on getting Lita over, and she was paired with the soaring Hardy Boys. Essa was left to rot on Heat, but it didn't have to be that way. He and Lita were getting over. Had Lita stayed with him a little longer or had WWE chosen to replace her with someone adequate, Rios could have gone a lot further in the company. His nonexistent promo skills (in English, anyway) and small stature greatly limited him. A manager could have diverted the attention away from his shortcomings and really put over his positives.