How long as the"Evil Boss" been around?

[Sephiroth]

Bare in mind that I mean in the modern context. I know the evil boss gimmick is something that goes all the way back in wrestling-heck, look at JJ Dillon with the Four Hoursemen. But I'm referring to the context of our current times. Part of why many are worn out on The Authority is that its simply the latest incarnation of something that has been ongoing for so long now. I'd date it from when Eric Bischoff turned heel and joined the NWO-and that was 96 or 97, I can't quite remember which. Considering we are going into 2016 now, that would make it almost a full 20 years that the evil boss has been an ever present gimmick on wrestling tv. Makes me inclined to say that yeah, it could us a rest.

[Allie Kitsune]

Dec 23, 2015 8:11:39 GMT -5 Sephiroth said:

Bare in mind that I mean in the modern context. I know the evil boss gimmick is something that goes all the way back in wrestling-heck, look at JJ Dillon with the Four Hoursemen. But I'm referring to the context of our current times. Part of why many are worn out on The Authority is that its simply the latest incarnation of something that has been ongoing for so long now. I'd date it from when Eric Bischoff turned heel and joined the NWO-and that was 96 or 97, I can't quite remember which. Considering we are going into 2016 now, that would make it almost a full 20 years that the evil boss has been an ever present gimmick on wrestling tv. Makes me inclined to say that yeah, it could us a rest.

No wonder people got so excited over the short-lived "RAW is Anarchy" angle.

[mrbananagrabber]

Problem is the idea started and peaked with Vince, and no-one has come close to ever being as good as he was.

[cabbageboy]

As noted, it really started on a big scale with Bischoff being revealed as the NWO mastermind in late 1996. Vince never kicked it into heel boss mode until right after Austin won the title. It's amazing in some ways the angle worked as well as it did considering Shawn Michaels' bizarre role in all of it. I mean Vince was against the beer drinking redneck as champion but he was okay with a guy running around with a banana in his underwear and threatening to moon the audience?

I have watched some Mid South on the network and Bill Watts' no nonsense fair play boss is such a breath of fresh air compared to the heel bosses of today. Imagine it...a wrestling boss that actually cracks down on heels and demands legit competition!

[Sephiroth]

And also worth noting, its not just how long its gone on-its how many different versions we've had. Trying to list them all over time, please correct me if I miss any.

WCW: Eric Bischoff as leader of the NWO, Ric Flair as the "crazy" president of the company, Vince Russo as Doctor Claw, and then Bischoff and Russo as the leaders of The New Blood

WWE: Vince as Mr. McMahon with Team Corporate/The Corporate Ministry. Trips and Nips as The McMahon-Helmsley era. Vince, Heyman, Bischoff, and Vickie Guerrero during the brand split era. Vince again during the feud with HBK, DX, and "God." And now The Authority.

TNA: Jeff Jarrett as Planet Jarrett. Vince Russo as the leader of S.E.X. Eric Bischoff during the Hogan era. Dixie Carter and the "Dixie Train."

Sufficed to say, that's a lot of evil boss characters, even stretched out over that length of time.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

It needs to go for a while. Evil Bosses are fine but when there always seems to be one after another since 1998, its beyond tedious.

[moondoggie]

Dec 23, 2015 9:57:51 GMT -5 OGBoardPoster2005 said:

It needs to go for a while. Evil Bosses are fine but when there always seems to be one after another since 1998, its beyond tedious.

It only worked with Vince because he would get his ass kicked and then he would push his authority and screw around with people but he would end up not getting the last laugh. He had a fine line of knowing when to take the defeat and when to push the bastard level up to the highest degree.

[nickcave]

How many face authority figures have their been since Vince? Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Booker T and Teddy Long are all I can think of with only Texdy really having any sort of extended run.

[Bang Bang Bart]

Dec 23, 2015 16:30:02 GMT -5 nickcave said:

How many face authority figures have their been since Vince? Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Booker T and Teddy Long are all I can think of with only Texdy really having any sort of extended run.

Ironically, Steph was a face authority figure as SmackDown GM back in 2002/2003.

[Deleted]

I remember back when Ed Lewis drove a Lucky Strike truck into the Marigold Gardens and smoked and smoked until Toots Mondt caved and gave him a title shot.

[Dave the Dave]

People give credit to Vince but wasn't Bishoff evil before him?

[Mayonnaise]

Dec 23, 2015 16:43:50 GMT -5 Dave the Dave said:

People give credit to Vince but wasn't Bishoff evil before him?

He joined the nWo about a year before Vince even hinted at a turn. Vince was a heel in Memphis years before any of this, but he wasn't the boss while doing that either.

[cabbageboy]

That's why I said "on a big scale." The USWA messed around with some heel authority figures in the pre MNW era. I don't know if I'd consider Vince though since he was an outsider in that realm and not in authority. Randy Hales, Bert Prentice, etc. seemed like they might have been heel commish types in the USWA but this has been years ago and I am hazy on this.

The problem in general with the heel GM figure is that it paints the promotion itself in a horrible light. In the past there would at least be someone to jerk the chain of the heel authority figure, like upper management in Time Warner to skewer Bischoff, or Linda/Shane in WWF. That's the big overwhelming problem with The Authority. There's no one who is there to counter them on the management side. As such, the company itself has become the villain and that's a dangerous place to be.

[willywonka666]

How does J.J. Have anything to do with this? He was a manager, plain and simple

[Hit Girl]

Nearly 20 years.