The union between wrestlers and managers is based on a simple mechanic: the latter hides the former's flaws and highlights their strengths. Such a partnership can benefit both careers, which is why pro wrestling has seen many such pairs trot out to the ring and perform their act.

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This means there have been some highly successful wrestler manager pairings, like Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar in WWE, while many others have failed to live up to expectations and died slow deaths. When the latter happens, it invariably brings down both the performers, and while the reasons for said failure could be many, it mostly boils down to a lack of connection between the two.

UPDATE: 2022/09/04 15:30 EST BY Andrew Kelly

Oftentimes in wrestling, there can be a singles competitor or even a tag team that has a lot of potential, but is just missing one final piece. This last building block can sometimes come in the form of a manager, specifically if those involved are inexperienced or not incredible on the microphone. Sometimes, a manager can be such a huge part of the overall presentation of a performer, with them feeling integral to their character or gimmick. However, simply adding a manager to the equation doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, with some pairings just not working out. Whether this be due to a lack of chemistry, a lack of talent on either side or even other circumstances which means that it doesn’t work, there have been plenty of examples of pairings flopping.

13 * Darren Young & Bob Backlund

Darren Young with Bob Backlund

When Darren Young became a singles competitor in WWE, he didn’t really have too much to stand out. That is why WWE brought back legendary former WWE Champion Bob Backlund to be in his corner, with him aiming to make ‘Darren Young Great Again’.

The over-the-top nature of Backlund didn’t click with Young, who failed to match his energy. Whilst the new pairing would receive a small push, with Young challenging for the Intercontinental Championship, this was dropped after not too long, ultimately becoming a failure.

12 * Ryback & Paul Heyman

Ryback Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman is one of the most prominent managers in professional wrestling history, but he has had just as many failures as he has had successes. One of his several failed partnerships was with Ryback, who came to his aid during Heyman’s feud with CM Punk.

Ryback had been floundering for some time despite having the potential of becoming a huge monster star less than a year prior. However, Heyman was the focus, as was Brock Lesnar, his other client, so Ryback was left playing third fiddle before their alliance came to an end. Heyman would also call Ryback a "schmuck" years later and knew he wouldn't be a star.

11 * Prime Time Players & Abraham Washington

Prime-Time-Players-Abraham-Washington

At first, this pairing was a huge success, with AW being the perfect annoying mouthpiece for his new tag team, as they began their rise up the card. At ringside with his own microphone, he would give team talks and make jibes at other opponents.

Unfortunately, with the freedom of the mic, AW ended up saying the wrong thing, using the infamous Kobe Bryant sexual assault case as a punchline which would end their tandem and result in him getting fired. The Prime Time Players would begin an ascent as a babyface team, proving to not even need a manager.

10 Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman

Curtis Axel WWE Intercontinental Champion Cropped

The son of Curt Hennig was always going to be given a platform to show what he was made of. After all, he is none other than Mr. Perfect's progeny.

And so it came to pass when Curtis Axel joined the WWE main roster under the guidance of Paul Heyman after a stint with NXT. However, neither the company nor the manager seemed entirely behind Axel, and his own limitations as a performer ensured this ended up being a failed project.

9 Authors of Pain & Drake Maverick

Authors Of Pain Drake Maverick

A more recent instance of an association that initially seemed tremendous but fell apart, involved Drake Maverick becoming the Authors of Pain's manager. When down in NXT, the duo had the legendary Paul Ellering as their manager, but they booted him out after joining the main roster.

WWE seemingly desired someone younger, and Maverick was selected for the role. However, the three did not gel despite some fun moments, as Maverick was more of a comedic character while the AOP needed a more serious approach to suit their persona and style.

8 The Dudley Boyz & Stacy Keibler

Dudley Boyz & Stacy Keibler Cropped

This is another instance of a wildly-popular tag team paired with an equally in-demand female talent. However, The Dudley Boyz and Stacy Keibler never seemed to be a natural fit.

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It did not help that the former was a hated tag team after joining the Alliance, while Stacy was a fresh female face on the scene whom the audience wanted to cheer. These conflicting feelings ensured they were split soon after, and for the better.

7 Steve Austin & Ted DiBiase

Steve Austin & Ted DiBiase Cropped

In hindsight, this pairing sounds too good not to have worked. However, despite being introduced as The Ringmaster with Ted DiBiase as his manager, Steve Austin could not enjoy as much success as he would have liked.

With the legendary DiBiase, an all-time great heel, doing most of the talking, Austin barely got to cut promos or show his personality. Luckily, the Million Dollar Man headed to WCW soon after, and the now unshackled Stone Cold became the biggest star in company history.

6 Cesaro & Paul Heyman

WWE Cesaro and Paul Heyman

There just must be something between WWE wrestlers whose names start with C and Paul Heyman being their manager. When the talented and impressive Cesaro joined WWE, fans were drooling at the prospect of the wrestling monster becoming a breakout star.

Pairing him with Heyman seemed like a no-brainer, for the foreign-born star was still getting to grips with the English language. However, from the off, it again seemed like Heyman was too busy elsewhere, in this case, Brock Lesnar, leaving Cesaro feeling like the forgotten, unwanted second child.

5 Legion of Doom & Sunny

Legion Of Doom and Sunny walking down to the ring at WrestleMania XV.

This never felt right, not on paper or in execution. By themselves, Legion of Doom and Sunny were incredibly popular and over acts, but when put together, they just did not click.

Come 2000, WWE decided to freshen LOD's act by pairing them with Sunny. While the latter had lots of success as a tag team manager, this association lacked that chemistry.

4 Mark Henry & Teddy Long

Mark Henry Rodney Mack

Teddy Long's infectious personality meant he was always a better General Manager than a manager in WWE. However, when he was asked to manage Mark Henry, a potential monster heel character, it looked like a great pairing.

The company hoped that the future SmackDown GM would aid in getting Henry over with the crowds after years of mediocrity. The two soon had Rodney Mack, Jazz, and Chris Nowinski joining them in a solid act, but somehow, they did not click, meaning Henry was a solo act soon after.

3 The Undertaker & Brother Love

The Undertaker and Brother Love
via youtube.com

During the first few months of his time in WWE, The Undertaker had Brother Love as his manager. While the latter did much of the talking for "The Old West Mortician," they lacked that chemistry to keep the character interesting.

The Deadman continued to enjoy a solid first year in the company, but that spark with his manager was just not there. Fortunately, come January 1991, Brother Love decided to hand over his managerial duties to Paul Bearer, and the rest is history.

2 Shane Douglas & Torrie Wilson

shane-douglas-torrie-wilson

There have been many male wrestlers being managed by women. Some great examples are Randy Savage/Miss Elizabeth and Shane Douglas/Francine.

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Speaking of Douglas, when he debuted in WCW, he had Torrie Wilson as his manager, looking to replicate his success with Francine in ECW. However, while Wilson garnered nuclear heat, Douglas was left floundering as the company never treated him as a serious threat.

1 Kurt Angle & Bob Backlund

Kurt Angle and Bob Backlund

When Kurt Angle joined WWE, there were worries that he would take time learning the ropes as he had an amateur background. However, he proved everyone wrong by enjoying one of the best rookie years in company history as a heel.

However, it did not stop Vince McMahon & Co. from hiring Bob Backlund as his manager to fast-track his development and gain more heat. The pairing was soon dropped after the Olympic gold medalist rapidly improved on the mic and the ring, showing he did not need a manager's guidance to be a star.