The role of male wrestlers having a female manager was common in wrestling for years, but there have been instances of the opposite scenarios. Pairings like Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth or Edge and Lita showed how the valet could enhance a wrestler’s career by leading them to the next level. Promotions have seen the male managers becoming more prominent throughout the years.
Chemistry is always important to a manager enhancing a wrestler. Each wrestler involved had talent, but that didn’t mean they could get to the next level. Find out what combinations made it to television with the female wrestlers managed by male managers.
10 AJ Lee & Big E
WWE paired together the trio of Dolph Ziggler, Big E and AJ Lee when Ziggler was moving up the card. A face turn would see Ziggler moving forward on his own with the pairing of Lee and Big E sticking together for a short run.
AJ started competing in the women’s division and won the Divas Championship with Big E at her side during matches. The role of Big E wasn’t a typical manager as much as an enforcer providing muscle for her evil actions. Big E tricking Kaitlyn into thinking he was her secret admirer on behalf of Lee created a strong program for the women’s division.
9 Carmella & James Ellsworth
WWE found success with Carmella’s heel character in the early stages of the Smackdown women’s division following the brand split. Carmella was trying to find new ways to gain more heat when James Ellsworth was also looking for a new role.
Ellsworth was removed from the AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose main event program. Carmella used Ellsworth as her manager to have him interfere in matches like the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The combination found success together before WWE parted ways with Ellsworth twice.
8 Lacey Evans & Ric Flair
The most recent instance of a new partnership between a female wrestler and male manager featured Ric Flair managing Lacey Evans. Charlotte Flair entered a program with Evans who was using Charlotte’s dad as a way to get into her head.
There was plans for Lacey to get a huge push when feuding with Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship and rumors of her winning to defend against Charlotte at WrestleMania. Evans getting pregnant and leaving WWE ended the partnership before things changed on the fly.
7 Trish Stratus & Tyson Tomko
WWE turning Trish Stratus heel to become the new love interest of Christian led to them both working with Tyson Tomko. Christian hired Tomko as his personal enforcer, but an injury took him off television. The absence of Christian landed Stratus as the talent benefiting from Tomko.
Trish dominated the women’s division as the top heel against names like Lita and Victoria. Tomko did a great job getting involved in matches or giving Stratus the extra desire to act arrogant knowing she had backup.
6 Tenille Dashwood & Caleb Konley
The current partnership between Tenille Dashwood and Caleb Konley sees a female wrestler/male manager combination in Impact Wrestling. Former WWE star Emma has found her groove as a heel personality using her influencer lifestyle as part of the gimmick.
Konley manages Dashwood and serves as a part of her social team. The character skills of both wrestlers have been utilized effectively in the current partnership. Tenille has reinvented herself in Impact with Caleb now an important part of her gimmick.
5 Bertha Faye & Harvey Wippleman
One of the first scenarios of a male manager representing a female wrestler showed Harvey Wippleman introducing a new talent. Bertha Faye revealed a dominant side that took the fight to Alundra Blayze as the face of the women’s division in the New Generation Era.
WWE utilized the unlikely combination by having the weak male talent interfering on behalf of the stronger woman. Faye unfortunately never had the run she hoped for as WWE leaned too far into the comedy. Wippleman was good at getting cheap heat, but he wasn’t enough to enhance Bertha’s role in WWE.
4 Aliyah & Robert Stone
NXT signed former TNA wrestler Robbie E under the name of Robert Stone to become a manager. The primarily role of Stone has been representing talents in the women’s division while looking to expand his list of clients.
Aliyah has been the main wrestler to work with Stone despite rarely winning any matches with him at her side. The character work of Stone didn’t mesh well with Mercedes Martinez which led to him solely working with Aliyah. Chelsea Green was the first name to work with Stone, but WWE split them up due to seeing more potential on her own.
3 The Beautiful People & Billy Gunn
TNA made the most unusual character change for Billy Gunn becoming Cute Kip as a consultant and manager for The Beautiful People. The trio of Angelina Love, Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne were a top heel act in the Knockouts division.
Gunn was struggling to get television time in the ring and started managing them on a regular basis. The backstage segments of comedic moments were the main element of his time working with them. Unfortunately, fans started to lose interest in The Beautiful People around this time to hurt Billy's standing in the group.
2 Jazz & Teddy Long
Jazz was one of the most respected women in WWE when the early 2000s division started. Teddy Long was eventually added as the manager of Jazz to do her talking. The strength of Jazz as the strong silent heel made it ideal to have a talker like Teddy at her side.
Long eventually formed a faction with Jazz, Rodney Mack and Mark Henry before he was moved to the Smackdown General Manager spot. Jazz struggled without Long and would eventually get released. The benefit of having Long at her side added to her heel work becoming a top rival to Trish Stratus among others.
1 Victoria & Stevie Richards
WWE pushed Victoria as a top heel in the women’s division when getting introduced with a sadistic character. Stevie Richards was eventually added to the act as a manager and implied love interest at Victoria’s side for her matches.
The two characters played well off each other leading to success for both. Richards rarely received television time as a wrestler and thrived more working with Victoria. WWE splitting them up led to both wrestlers struggling to find a new role ending a great partnership too early.