Ranking Every WWE Smackdown General Manager - From Worst To Best
The blue brand was also a revolving door of authority figures.
Starting 19 July, SmackDown will air live each and every week with a unique roster, storylines, and naturally, authority figure.
WWE has already started teasing just what an honor it will be to run the newly-reborn SmackDown brand. Former GMs Teddy Long, Kane, and John Laurinaitis have shown up on Raw to pitch their case for getting the job, but so far, no decision has been made. Men like Daniel Bryan and (up until recently) Kurt Angle were rumored for the role, but fans will just have to wait and see.
No matter who leads SmackDown in the new era, though, they'll have a host of predecessors from which to learn. From 2002 to 2011, the show was its own brand with an authority figure running it. Even after the brand split ended, SmackDown had a unique leader, only getting rid of the GM position in 2013.
In those 11 years, eight different men and women ran the blue brand. Some became synonymous with the program, becoming part of what gave it a different feel from Raw. Others had tenures that are barely remembered today.
This article is a look at every General Manager in SmackDown history, taking a look at their terms and accomplishments from both a kayfabe and non-kayfabe point of view. Here they are, ranked from worst to best.
8. John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis's time as General Manager of Raw only lasted eight months, but it was infamous for the 'People Power' founder's droning promos, verbal gaffes, and awful feuds with babyface stars. Less well-remembered, though, was Laurinaitis's equally-bad (but thankfully brief) tenure atop SmackDown.
At WrestleMania XXVII, SmackDown GM Teddy Long and Raw GM Laurinaitis each created six-man tag teams to battle in a winner-take-all contest. When Eve Torres helped The Miz pin Zack Ryder, Laurinaitis's team got the win, giving "Big Johnny" control over SmackDown as well as Raw.
Even though Laurinaitis was appearing on SmackDown and acting as the authority figure for the brand, most of his storyline focus went toward Raw. He began a feud with John Cena that led to a singles match between the two on pay-per-view, which Laurinaitis won with help from The Big Show.
By June, Vince McMahon wanted to fire Laurinaitis. He tried on an episode of Raw, but a WMD from Show put a stop to it. At No Way Out, Cena defeated Show in a steel cage match, and McMahon put the era of Laurinaitis to an end.