How Do You Define An "Old-School Manager"?

[ratetankmark]

I love old-school managers, people like Alfred Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Miss Elizabeth and all the rest but, when people say they want "Old School Manager's Back" what does that even mean as managers are meant to help their clients win, they'll always be like that regardless of what era they're in or if they're old school or new school, the closet thing to an old-school manager that I've seen was the amazing Larry Sweeney.

[Deleted]

Managers have been so de-pushed in wrestling that it pretty much doesn't even matter anymore. They're like cruiserweights or tag guys, except without all the, you know, prestige. *snicker*

They're accessories. No different that a robe or necklace. They might talk, but it's usually Charlie Brown's teacher stuff.

Damnit, they used to mean something. They sold half-asses as somebodies, talent as Gods, slyly built up the opponent and did little, almost imperceptible things to heighten each and every match; pulling or shoving heat the whole time.

[Germansuplex]

[Deleted]

I'd say a manager who actually does something to help their person win rather than, you know, just standing there like a doofus pulling their hair out while a guy's presently in a submission about to lose his title. So not a lot of those around these days.

[Deleted]

You don't even have to say "old-school", managers are managers no matter what the era. A man who shows a personal connection and investment into the success (or failure) of a client's career. Even if you're a lower than a snake's ballsack and only care about the finances, you at least show you want your charge to do well.

Face it, if you don't show you give a crap, why should I?

[Turd Ferguson]

Someone who gets heat by handling mic duties, and subtly interfering. Not just standing there doing nothing and having a hard time cutting a promo.


Also: having a stable that sometimes worked together and played the numbers game.

[Bad Moon]

First of all, it would have to make sense for the manager to be managing that guy. Not just in a booking sense ie. "this guy can't talk at all, let's stick him with a mouthpiece so he can actually promote himself and sell matches", a guy who has his own personal manager should be a big deal.

Look at Heyman and Axel. Now I love Heyman to death, the guy is and always was gold on the microphone, but Axel is a total loser, since his fluke IC title victory he hasn't accomplished dick. Why would Heyman, who's supposed to be this incredibly smart businessman stick around and manage a guy who can't win matches? Shouldn't he be trying to get in bed with Cena or Big Show or Henry, someone who's consistently successful and would make him lots of money?

[EyeofTyr]

[Reflecto]

Nov 29, 2013 8:56:35 GMT -5 Bad Moon said:

First of all, it would have to make sense for the manager to be managing that guy. Not just in a booking sense ie. "this guy can't talk at all, let's stick him with a mouthpiece so he can actually promote himself and sell matches", a guy who has his own personal manager should be a big deal.

Look at Heyman and Axel. Now I love Heyman to death, the guy is and always was gold on the microphone, but Axel is a total loser, since his fluke IC title victory he hasn't accomplished dick. Why would Heyman, who's supposed to be this incredibly smart businessman stick around and manage a guy who can't win matches? Shouldn't he be trying to get in bed with Cena or Big Show or Henry, someone who's consistently successful and would make him lots of money?

Because in Axel's case, the goal for Heyman was never "I want to make money off Curtis Axel", but rather "I want to prove I'm SMARTER than all of you people in the audience", with more than a hint of "Smaaaaaaaaaaaaart mark" involved. With those, it makes sense for Axel to be Heyman's client, because those two goals drive a good reason:

A- "I see something in Curtis Axel. Maybe you fans don't see it yet- maybe his win/loss record doesn't even show it yet- but there's SOMETHING there that I see in this guy that will make him a future superstar. If you fans can't see what I see in him? Well, that just proves why I'm Paul Heyman and you're just a common fan- if you were really as smart as you think, you'd see what I see in Axel too."

B- "Oh, you thought because I was such a huge fan of CM Punk, that being a 'Paul Heyman Guy' meant I was going to bring in every wrestler who even worked one match for ROH or SHIMMER and push them to a point where they win the WWE Title at Wrestlemania to a screaming crowd as John Cena dropped to his knees crying, begging for mercy and wailing to the gods above why he couldn't be as talented as this guy? That's so PRECIOUS!"

[MichaelMartini]

Alfred Hayes was a manager? I only remember him commentating. But I agree. I don't understand why they don't use managers. Athletes have agents, it's not like it's some corny wrestling thing they had to get rid of. I've been so disillusioned with the current product I've gone back to watching Saturday Night's Main Events on Youtube and managers were so important to the overall product. Now that Heyman is gone, we only have Zeb and he doesn't do anything except give promos mostly unrelated to wrestling.

[Amazing Kitsune]

The classic manager is:

Flashy
Dresses Well
Will use a mysterious powder, zany foreign object, or sex appeal to help her/his client
Predominately short, older, and roundish
Or slender and cuteish

[Blindkarevik]

See, I remember a manager being a guy with a stable of wrestlers. Each wrestler could have his own, separate, storyline going on if need be... and would really only come together when the storyline was "so-and-so wants to get his hands on the manager, so he has to go through each member of the stable in order to do so."

Back in the days of Slick, Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji... it was also cool when the managers would sell contracts to each other. Really made the managers look like they were actually in charge, rather than just the idea of a guy who wants money and titles but can't wrestle, himself.

[Deleted]

The classic manager:

- is probably a heel, if you want it to work.
- speaks for his client, because the wrestler can't really do a good job doing that himself;
- creates a group of clients who together are more impressive as a single force;
- draws heat for his client when they, perhaps, cannot do so by just being a guy taking on a face;
- walks down the aisle in front of or beside his client, not behind them;
- is called a manager by the other wrestling characters, ESPECIALLY the commentators.

[Chip]

Nov 29, 2013 7:08:52 GMT -5 @lesscra said:

Managers have been so de-pushed in wrestling that it pretty much doesn't even matter anymore. They're like cruiserweights or tag guys, except without all the, you know, prestige. *snicker*

It's kinda nice that they are seemingly giving the whole manager thing a minor shot. We went from having zero managers to having Heyman, Zeb, Ricardo and Sylvester. Granted two of them are seemingly out of action it's just nice that they existed.

[Professor Chaos]

Nov 29, 2013 14:23:04 GMT -5 Chip said:

Nov 29, 2013 7:08:52 GMT -5 @lesscra said:

Managers have been so de-pushed in wrestling that it pretty much doesn't even matter anymore. They're like cruiserweights or tag guys, except without all the, you know, prestige. *snicker*

It's kinda nice that they are seemingly giving the whole manager thing a minor shot. We went from having zero managers to having Heyman, Zeb, Ricardo and Sylvester. Granted two of them are seemingly out of action it's just nice that they existed.

Who is Sylvester?

[Chip]

Nov 29, 2013 15:17:09 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

Nov 29, 2013 14:23:04 GMT -5 Chip said:

It's kinda nice that they are seemingly giving the whole manager thing a minor shot. We went from having zero managers to having Heyman, Zeb, Ricardo and Sylvester. Granted two of them are seemingly out of action it's just nice that they existed.

Who is Sylvester?

Sylvester LeFort, he's a manager down in NXT.

[Deleted]

Nov 29, 2013 7:08:52 GMT -5 @lesscra said:

Managers have been so de-pushed in wrestling that it pretty much doesn't even matter anymore. They're like cruiserweights or tag guys, except without all the, you know, prestige. *snicker*

They're accessories. No different that a robe or necklace. They might talk, but it's usually Charlie Brown's teacher stuff.

Damnit, they used to mean something. They sold half-asses as somebodies, talent as Gods, slyly built up the opponent and did little, almost imperceptible things to heighten each and every match; pulling or shoving heat the whole time.

You summed that up so well I'm not even going to post in this thread.

[Sephiroth]

The thing is these days most people think the only raisin for managers to exist is to do the talking for a rookie who hasn't developed heir mic skills yet. But to me that is Ono one function. A manager adds more possibilities to a match-they can interfere or distract the ref. They can help keep the crowd pumped when the wrestlers he blown up and do a rest hold to catch their breath. They can also add a certain amount of prestige; if a recognized manager wants to take a particular talent under their wing it means this guy must have a lot of potential. I still think that Regal would make a great manager, I could also maybe see Road Dogg as a good tag team manager-if anyone know tag wrestling it is him. I also wish Flair would finally become a full time manager instead of humiliating himself trying to keep going in the ring.

[rnrk supports BLM]

An old-school manager is a manager who has so much presence that you automatically hate whoever their client is and want to see said client get the crap kicked out of them as a proxy for the manager even if you've never seen or cared about the wrestler before in your life.

[Sparkybob]

I always felt John Cena's dad should be Cena's manager.