A good manager in a professional wrestling match can be a fantastic addition to any storyline and also enhances the match activity that takes place in and out of the ring. Some of the all-time greats (Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Paul Bearer, Jimmy Hart) had an uncanny knack for putting their stamp on some of the greatest wrestling promotions and are often remembered as fondly as the wrestlers themselves.
Are there people that are well known in American society that would have made fantastic professional wrestling managers if they had chosen a different career path? Undoubtedly, and it is fun to imagine what life would look like had they chosen sports entertainment over their current ventures. Here are ten famous men that would've made great wrestling managers.
10 Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris is approaching 80 years old, but according to all the Internet memes over the past decade-plus referring to his individual presence and strength, this surely isn't going to be an issue for him. An accomplished action star, Norris has also won multiple karate championships and is certainly equipped to handle himself against younger and larger individuals. He even spent time training some of Hollywood's finest in his heyday. He passed a portion of his karate knowledge on to Steve and Chad McQueen (anyone remembers Chad portraying "Dutch" in the original Karate Kid movie), Bob Barker and even Donny Osmond. His cool demeanor assuredly is not a sign of weakness and a wrestler that was not from his stable would need to keep one eye on Chuck Norris at all times.
9 Justin Beiber
Justin Beiber mostly comes across like a conniving punk that thinks pretty highly of himself. However, he has a certain confidence and swagger that could serve his wrestlers well. It would seem he would have little issue attacking an opposing wrestler if given a clean opportunity, provided that it allowed little opportunity for retribution. His musical talents would allow him to even create and perform the entrance music for the wrestlers that he managed, and his ringside antics could keep competitors off-balance. Besides, who wouldn't just love to see him get put through a table at some point.
8 President Donald J. Trump
Who in the world would do a better job of getting a promotion to believe the wrestlers that he manages are the greatest and deserve the best matches? He would have an uncanny knack of making wrestlers believe their best chance at success was allowing him to manage their careers. He actually had more experience in wrestling than he did in politics before he was elected President of the U.S. Remember the "Battle of the Billionaires" hair v. hair match at WrestleMania 23? Yes, his man, Bobby Lashley won and Trump kept his hair. That didn't save Trump from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's wrath, as he was a victim of Stunner after Vince McMahon's shaving.
So the guy got a Stunner and still went on to become President of the U.S.? That's resilience. Trump definitely would be the type of manager that would have little issue turning his back on a wrestler that underperforms.
7 Dr. Phil
So, a wrestler is in a slump. Imagine Dr. Phil standing in the corner analyzing the wrestler's body language and their verbal and non-verbal cues. Dr. Phil would be a caring and nurturing influence on said wrestler and he would be able to guide him out of the slump with positive reinforcement and tough ( yet gentle) love. He wouldn't have to give the wrestler the answer either... he would just guide them there. And when the wrestler was able to do that, they would have the kind of renewed confidence that would allow them to perform at a higher level than they ever imagined. Dr. Phil would just sit back and watch the birth of champion after champion.
6 Warren Buffett
Imagine how free and easy a wrestler could feel if he was uninhibited by constant concerns of money and financial security. With Warren Buffet, a wrestler could just concentrate on what was going on in the ring. They would enter each match knowing that one of the finest (if not the finest) investors in history was taking care of their earnings and making wise long term investments that would allow them to be financially solvent when their wrestling primes inevitably pass. The wrestler Buffet was representing would be able to stay away from competition in the ring for "too long" and would be able to avoid dreaded and misguided "comebacks." Unfortunately, Buffett would provide no physical presence in the process.
5 Jim Carrey
Ok... Jim Carrey would provide little muscle to the wrestlers he managed (we do know he can beat himself up thanks to Liar Liar), but it is easy to imagine the ringside distraction he could provide. His seemingly endless energy and slapstick comedic timing would serve him well in providing entertainment to all in attendance. More importantly, it would keep his wrestler's opponents off-balance by breaking their concentration.
It also seems that Carrey would not be averse to taking a bump once in a while. It is said that his ascent to movie stardom was peppered with obstacles, all of which he worked tirelessly to overcome. This is just the type of thing that Jim Carrey could instill in what would undoubtedly be a growing stable of wrestlers.
4 Danny Trejo
Armed with a look that would strike fear in any heart, Danny Trejo's early life was marred with trips in and out of jail and prison. While incarcerated, he learned boxing, and upon his release, he began to be cast in various television shows and movies. A lion's share of these roles saw him playing thugs and criminals, as he is a legit tough guy beyond the big screen. If Danny intervened in a wrestling match, most wrestlers would think twice before tangling with him. His very presence during a match would put the most experienced wrestler on edge.
3 Kevin Hart
Standing only 5'4, Kevin Hart isn't exactly a menacing physical presence. For what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in what seems like an endless supply of energy. It isn't difficult to envision Hart jumping up and down on the ring apron, shouting out instructions to his wrestlers and urging them on. When things were going well during the match, he would unquestionably show it. If things weren't going well, he would surely show that too. All along, his constant chirping could put any seasoned wrestler on edge. He would already have his first wrestler in his stable with best friend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
2 Suge Knight
If Suge Knight brought the vigor and ruthlessness he had in acquiring talent in the rap game (Vanilla Ice incident anyone?), then there would positively be no way of stopping him in collecting talent for his stable of wrestlers. Being an imposing presence himself, one would think it would be a difficult decision for any wrestler working with him to turn their backs on him.
What would be the odds that an opposing wrestler would attack him without some degree of fear of swift and brutal repercussions? Also, imagine the pay-per-view where he brought Tupac back. If only prison time didn't get in his way.
1 Pat Riley
When Pat Riley's slicked-back hair and the custom Armani suits are paired with his all-knowing smirk, you have a former NBA head coach and current executive that would be the ultimate guy to manage a stable of heels. Always looking like he is thinking of a way to undermine and trick you, it isn't hard to imagine him walking to the ring with a wrestler that is "under his wing" that has suddenly taken on a preppy or bourgeois approach to life. This change would allow for the climb to obtaining an elite status in the promotion to begin. The guy wins wherever he goes, so why not in professional wrestling?