A lot of things that are still sparingly practiced in professional wrestling might be considered a dying art by some fans. Storytelling, mat work, even selling. Another element of the business that was rife in the past but has shown signs of disappearing entirely is the role of the wrestling manager. It felt like almost everyone in wrestling had a manager during the 1980s. When fans reel off some of the absolute best to have ever done it, most of them were at the height of their success during that decade or shortly after.
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan, Mr. Fuji, Jim Cornette, Paul Bearer. The list goes on and on. However, when fans name their number one, the slot is often occupied by Paul Heyman. There are likely a number of reasons for that. Top of that list is the fact Heyman has transcended multiple decades and generations. He started his career during the heyday of wrestling managers yet continues to work that same tole today. Alongside Roman Reigns who is arguably WWE's biggest draw right now.
Paul Heyman: Jack Of All Trades
Heyman doesn't just manage the talent you see him alongside in the ring every week. Whether it be Reigns, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, or any of the countless others he has managed over the years. Today, the most important work he does is backstage. Ask almost anyone on the WWE roster today who has helped them the most, and odds are Heyman's name is going to come up. His willingness to offer up help and knowledge makes it seem incredibly likely that Zelina Vega has spent a lot of time under Heyman's learning tree.
So much time, in fact, that it could be argued she has now surpassed him as wrestling's greatest manager today. Not as the greatest manager ever, of course. That honor may still belong to Heyman depending on who you ask. But in terms of the current product, particularly in WWE, Vega might well be a better and more effective manager than the man she has almost definitely learned so much from.
Vega started her WWE career alongside Andrade in NXT. That decision was likely linked to El Idolo being unable to speak English very well. He actually didn't speak much at all throughout his WWE run, at least not in English. That can often be a big stopping point for a lot of Superstars. However, with Vega by his side, there was no stopping Andrade. He won the NXT Title and put on matches that have gone down in the black and gold brand's history, especially his TakeOver clash against Johnny Gargano. There's no doubting Andrade's talent between the ropes, but he wouldn't have been given those opportunities without Vega fighting his corner.
Zelina Vega Is The Key To Success
Andrade's success continued on the main roster, and it could be argued that it didn't take a nosedive until Vega left his side. The future looked bright for Andrade and Vega's new recruit Angel Garza. However, when WWE tore the group apart, Andrade wound up off TV and eventually released, while Garza has all but disappeared from television. Perhaps due to Vega getting released herself at the tail end of last year.
The finer details of Vega's departure and return are unknown. However, it seems likely that WWE realized just how important Vega is to their overall machine. Pairing her with Andrade may have been a throwaway decision at the time based on a language barrier, but in hindsight, it has become clear that without Vega, Andrade probably wouldn't have succeeded in WWE. It will be interesting to see how he does in AEW, and if Vickie Guerrero can do the same for him there that Vega did in WWE.
Perhaps the biggest plus Vega has over Heyman is she can work. Yes, Heyman has wrestled a handful of matches in his career, but the future Hall of Famer himself would probably admit the use of the word wrestled here is a stretch. Vega is not only good enough to compete on a regular basis, but she might also be one of the better female wrestlers on WWE's roster right now. What will be interesting to see in the coming weeks and months is how WWE strikes the balance between her in-ring career and her managerial one.
Vega might have made it into the Money in the Bank match later this week, but her loss to Liv Morgan the night she returned suggests WWE doesn't have huge plans for her between the ropes. There might be someone in the wings waiting for her to be their manager. Whether that happens or not, WWE using Vega as a manager is a testament to just how good she is in that role. Vince McMahon is one of the main reasons why managers have more or less become a thing of the past in wrestling. That Vega has been allowed to thrive in that role under WWE's banner and has been brought back into the fold after a messy release just goes to show how good she really is in the role.