The potential of a great wrestler and manager pairing can lead to massive success in the wrestling world. WWE has always been hit or miss on the idea of having managers do the talking and adding to the presentation for a wrestler. History has shown that the art of having a manager represent a wrestler can take them both to the next level.
We will look back at wrestlers that most benefited from having a manager and those that could have used one. The best scenarios have seen wrestlers become legends with the manager at their side. Meanwhile, there are plenty of names that would have been bigger stars with someone representing them. Both sides will be viewed in-depth regarding the success and potential success. These are five wrestlers that became legends with managers along with five that could have used one.
10 Became legend: The Undertaker
The pairing of The Undertaker and Paul Bearer created magic for WWE. Undertaker started to rise in popularity when having the spooky manager cut promos for him. WWE didn’t let Undertaker speak for years which made the presence of a manager more important.
Both careers would skyrocket following their time together. Once Undertaker was already hitting the legend status, WWE split them up with Bearer turning heel to join Mankind. Fans still instantly link Undertaker to Bearer due to their great work together.
9 Could have used manager: Sycho Sid
The run of Sycho Sid saw him win world championships in both WWE and WCW during the Monday Night Wars. Sid was an intense big man with a great presence that made him stand out. Unfortunately, he was lacking in the promo department.
A manager would have made Sid even more intimidating by cutting his promos for him. Sid primarily played a heel and would have also benefited from the interference from a manager adding to the matches. Both WWE and WCW missed the boat not giving Sid a manager.
8 Became legend: Edge
Edge would not take the step from great wrestler to legend until Lita became his manager. Fans hated them both for the real-life love triangle gone wrong involving Matt Hardy. WWE decided to put them together and use the heat on the show.
The pairing helped Edge make the leap from upper mid-card to legitimate main eventer. Edge and Lita were a perfect heel act that knew how to push the buttons of the audience. If this never happens, it’s hard to envision Edge having the same legendary career.
7 Could have used manager: Lex Luger
The physique of Lex Luger earned him a big push when joining WWE in the 90s. Fans never connected with Luger and it prevented WWE from following through on the big plans Vince McMahon had to make him the face of the company.
Luger clearly lacked the promo ability that most of the other top stars possessed. WCW did a good job of hiding his weaknesses, but he could have been an even bigger star with a manager. The success of Luger would have skyrocketed in WWE specifically if someone was doing the talking for him.
6 Became legend: The Road Warriors
The Road Warriors became an iconic tag team in the 80s with Paul Ellering as their manager. Hawk and Animal both worked well together, but they didn’t truly reach the next level until adopting Ellering as their official representative.
Ellering even had an intimidating presence that set him apart from the other managers. WWE struggled to push Animal and Hawk as the Legion of Doom in the late 90s without Ellering. The act worked best when all three were together.
5 Could have used manager: Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko was one of the top cruiserweights in WCW. The in-ring greatness of Malenko made him a tremendous worker. Malenko’s biggest weakness was the lack of charisma. Fans would not invest in the promos from Malenko.
A manager would have been perfect for Malenko to become a bigger star. WWE specifically couldn’t get much out of Malenko as his run was a huge disappointment. Given the many managers on the roster in 2000, they dropped the ball by not giving Dean one.
4 Became legend: Randy Savage
The WWE's success of Randy Savage in the 80s would have likely come with or without a manager. However, fans did buy into him more when he introduced Miss Elizabeth as his manager and love interest since they were married in real life.
Savage and Elizabeth had the first major romantic storyline with Elizabeth finding unexpected success as a wrestling manager. The run together would elevate Savage into a top spot as the second biggest star in WWE behind Hulk Hogan. No matter how talented a wrestler is, a good manager can enhance the overall act as shown here.
3 Could have used manager: Ahmed Johnson
WWE had high hopes for Ahmed Johnson as part of the New Generation. Vince McMahon viewed Johnson up there with Shawn Michaels and Diesel as the future faces of the company. Johnson never lived up to his potential with the lackluster matches and worse promos.
The push of Johnson started to fizzle out after an injury took him out of action. It all could have been salvaged if WWE found a great manager for Johnson. Someone representing one of the most physically impressive wrestlers could have hidden his weaknesses.
2 Became legend: Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar’s career in WWE took off right away with Paul Heyman as his manager. WWE wasted no time pushing him to the top of the company. Lesnar losing Heyman and turning face would see him struggle on his own towards the end of his first run.
The return in 2012 was off to a disappointing start until WWE called Heyman to come back as his manager. Lesnar and Heyman have been a top pair on WWE television ever since feuding with the likes of Goldberg, Seth Rollins and many more. Heyman even rose to a prominent position backstage during the run as Brock’s on-screen manager.
1 Could have used manager: Ultimate Warrior
WWE found lightning in a bottle with the Ultimate Warrior during his first few years. Fans loved the unique look of the face paint along with the tremendous theme music and the intense running to the ring. Warrior received the push of a lifetime when defeating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6 to win the WWE Championship.
Fans quickly grew tired of Warrior in the role and his title reign tanked. The limitations in the ring and on the microphone could have seen him have a longer run on top with a manager. Warrior instead fizzled out and lost his relevance faster than anyone could have predicted.