It’s hard to believe that 20-years-ago around this time, World Championship Wrestling was as Tony Schiavone might say “a coffin on roller skates,” less than a year away from going out of business. Because much of the company’s great success came from the nWo and Sting, it’s hard to remember there were also many amazing managers who helped make WCW a hit, some even concurrently with the epic nWo run.
Whether they had success elsewhere or not, WCW had a slew of great managers over the years. How many can you remember? Without further ado, here's a look back through wrestling history at 10 great WCW managers that fans today will have a hard time remembering.
10 Sonny Onoo
Not only was Sonny Onoo one of Eric Bischoff’s doorways to Japan, but he was also a pretty good manager as well. Throughout his run, he was able to lead Team New Japan against WCW at Starrcade 1995. He also managed Bull Nakano as she reignited her feud with Madusa at Hog Wild 1996. Perhaps his biggest run though was managing The Ultimo Dragon as he was at one point the most decorated Cruiserweight in the world, holding virtually every light heavyweight title you could hold.
9 James Vandenberg
In a head-scratching moment as far as good managers go, WCW brought in "The Sinister Minister" James Vandenberg to manage Wrath and Mortis during the Blood Runs Cold angle.
As that angle was short lived and behind on the times, Vandenberg tried to remain relevant by having his own segment on WCW Saturday Night, where he’d riff on certain feuds. But instead of using his talents, WCW opted to bench him for the remaining two years on his contract.
8 Paul E. Dangerously
Between his now mythical work creating and molding ECW, The SmackDown Six, Brock Lesnar, and now The Tribal Chief, it’s easy to forget that the beautiful wrestling mind of Paul Heyman was a part of WCW in the late 80s and early 90s. He was a manager for the original Midnight Express and got to feud with James Cornette and the new Midnights. As Paul E. Dangerously, Heyman was the driving force behind The Dangerous Alliance - a stable of the greatest wrestlers in WCW at that time - Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson, Larry Zybysko, Steve Austin, Rick Rude, and Madusa.
7 Alexandra York
Terri Runnels greatest claim to fame was of course Marlena in the WWE during the Attitude Era. However, she got her start in WCW as Alexandra York; the wicked business-suit clad vixen and head of The York Foundation. She’d manage several midcarders that remade themselves as businessmen, like Richard Morton, Terrance Taylor, and Thomas Rich. Using her laptop full of statistics, The York Foundation feuded with the likes of Flyin’ Brian Pillman and Dustin Rhodes. Oddly enough, the gimmick was coopted several years ago by Dana Brooke when she was part of Titus Worldwide.
6 Teddy Long
Before his run as a WWE referee and then SmackDown Tag Team Matchmaker, err...General Manager, Teddy Long had been a manager in WCW. Not just a manager, but a good one. After he was revealed as a heel referee, Ol’ Peanuthead was able to take Doom - Ron Simmons and Butch Reed to the WCW World Tag Team Titles. Long also managed a team called the Skyscrapers with Sid Vicious and a young up and comer named Mean Mark Callous.
5 Diamond Dallas Page
DDP spent the latter half of his WCW days becoming a champion of the people and finally earning the title of WCW World Heavyweight Champion. However prior to this, Page wasn’t just a walking-talking gimmick, he was a big time manager too.
He got his start in the AWA managing The Diamond Mine stable, a concept he brought with him to WCW, that featured Scott Hall as The Diamond Studd. An aspect of the character that was once again hinted at when Hall and Nash tried to recruit him for the nWo.
4 Gary Hart
Many old school fans and plenty of the boys who knew him will tell you that Gary Hart was simply one of the greatest managers who ever lived. Court Bauer; the founder of MLW would even call him a mentor. In the late 80s and early 90s, Hart fronted the J-Tex Corporation, which was made up of Terry Funk, The Great Muta, and The Dragonmaster as they whole feud with a babyface version of The Four Horsemen.
3 Woman
One of the most devious vixens ever in the history of the sport, Woman got her start at Robin Green, a groupie of Rick Steiner. Eventually, she would turn on the Dog-Faced Gremlin and align herself with her old friend from Florida (and former husband), Kevin Sullivan. She too would manage Doom when they wore hoods. She was also one of the many women who would adorn The Four Horsemen in the 90s, along with Debra and Miss Elizabeth as she was the very definition of beautiful and dangerous.
2 Col. Robert Parker
For many wrestling fans south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the Fullers were a huge wrestling family. Robert Fuller came to WCW in the early 90s as Col. Robert Parker and began to manage both Sid and Vader, The Masters Of The Powerbomb.
He would reform his old Stud Stable as well; this time with guys like Terry Funk, Arn Anderson, and Meng. For a brief time, he also managed The Harlem Heat, where he would fall for their other manager, Sister Sherri. And as the photo above indicates, Parker also managed "Stunning" Steve Austin.
1 Sensational Sherri
Debuting in WCW as the Sensuous Sherri, the trailblazing Diva has claimed she came to WCW to find a man to bring her the WCW World Title. She would then show up with Sting facepaint only to fool The Stinger and help Ric Flair win the title.
She also would don the flames of the Harlem Heat to become Sister Sherri. Her WWE run and promos with The Macho Man were the stuff of legend, but that doesn’t mean her WCW run should be ignored.