Paul Ellering in WWF vs in NWA or AWA

[Sephiroth]

With all the comparisons between The Ascension and the Road Warriors, I found myself thinking about this one. As a kid, I really only knew the Road Warriors from their time as LOD in the WWF. And hence, I really only knew Paul Ellering as the guy in the suit. While I have looked up some footage from their runs in the AWA, NWA, and Japan, I don't think I've quite gotten the full flavor for how Ellering was portrayed any different in any of those promotions. The most I see is that he had a different hair style and wore different outfits. However, I have frequently heard that his portrayal in the WWF was far below other promotions. So what was the big difference? My guess is that the WWF tried to have him play it too straight instead of allowing him to ham it up a bit more with Hawk and Animal-and playing it straight would have been especially stupid once they had him start carrying around a freaking hand puppet. Am I right?

[willyjakes]

Fwiw Ellering was completely useless in the WWF. They didnt need him or his puppet. Granted he fit with the Road Warriors/LOD image of a general tough guy, but he added nothing to the team and most of the fans at that point had little clue who he was

[Deleted]

Dec 27, 2014 12:21:46 GMT -5 willyjakes said:

Fwiw Ellering was completely useless in the WWF. They didnt need him or his puppet. Granted he fit with the Road Warriors/LOD image of a general tough guy, but he added nothing to the team and most of the fans at that point had little clue who he was

I totally agree with this, and while I can see how he worked better in NWA/AWA, it's kind of interesting to think that this run was such an extreme misfire that it pretty much caused an entire generation of wresting fans to see him as useless to the Road Warriors.

[repomark]

As has been said, it is debatable how many of the WWF's fanbase knew who he was when he came in and it was also questionable why a team like the LOD would suddenly need a manager kayfabewise given they had already been WWF tag team champions without him.

In AWA/NWA he played a much more prominent role from an early stage and was therefore more of an intrinsic part of the unit. The Road Warriors dvd is well worth picking up as it goes into a lot of detail on this, as well as showing that Ellering was undertaking a lot of genuine managerial duties back stage to keep the warriors (especially Hawk) on track.

His calming influence on LOD was the reason WWF signed him in 92 (not so much his on screen ability), but it did not stop Hawk from straying unfortunately and ending their first WWF run far too early.

[Deleted]

Ellering's initial promo in WWF was fantastic. But it was probably too little too late.

[Capt Lunatic]

Knowing him from back in the day, it made perfect sense to me that he was coming in...then watching how he was used I was really baffled.

[Kevin Hamilton]

In NWA/AWA he was the guy holding the leash of two attack dogs. They played it like he was the mastermind that held these monsters in check/set em loose when it was time.

The WWF run they didn't play him like that at all, instead making him just an extraneous appendage to where you sort of wondered why he was even there.

It's a shame, cuz Paul was great.

[Mozenrath]

I have always been amused at how he was one of the few wrestling managers who actually DID manage his clients, since he genuinely did handle the Road Warriors' expenses and reservations. I can't imagine that was common.

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Dec 28, 2014 21:12:02 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I have always been amused at how he was one of the few wrestling managers who actually DID manage his clients, since he genuinely did handle the Road Warriors' expenses and reservations. I can't imagine that was common.

Lou Albano took care of The Samoan's finances when they were in gimmick.

[Mozenrath]

Dec 29, 2014 2:36:39 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Dec 28, 2014 21:12:02 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I have always been amused at how he was one of the few wrestling managers who actually DID manage his clients, since he genuinely did handle the Road Warriors' expenses and reservations. I can't imagine that was common.

Lou Albano took care of The Samoan's finances when they were in gimmick.

As in like helping them keep kayfabe?

[TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out]

Dec 29, 2014 2:57:25 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Dec 29, 2014 2:36:39 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Lou Albano took care of The Samoan's finances when they were in gimmick.

As in like helping them keep kayfabe?

Yeah, but he booked their hotel rooms and made sure they were paid and whatnot. I think Heenan would do the same for those he managed.

[Deleted]

The difference in WWF Ellering and NWA/AWA Ellering is the difference in WWF LOD and NWA/AWA Road Warriors.

NWA/AWA Road Warriors were sadistic, muscled up freaks who just wanted to indiscriminately bash people's faces in. Ellering was the handler who focused a couple of killing machines and turned them into dollar signs.

WWF Legion of Doom were eccentric, but good-natured muscle men who fought for championships and to make the "Little Doomers" happy. Bringing Ellering back was an attempt to give the LOD an edge that they were missing, but instead Ellering just lost his edge and they became Walt Disney's favorite gang of bikers.

[lildude8218]

Dec 29, 2014 11:41:29 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Dec 29, 2014 2:57:25 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

As in like helping them keep kayfabe?

Yeah, but he booked their hotel rooms and made sure they were paid and whatnot. I think Heenan would do the same for those he managed.

[Heenan] said that he did not like managing the Missing Link. He notes how Link once told him to get his boarding pass for him because his character didn’t speak. Heenan notes how he would have hated to have been an actual manager for people, comparing it to an adult babysitter.

[Mozenrath]

Dec 30, 2014 14:04:47 GMT -5 lildude8218 said:

Dec 29, 2014 11:41:29 GMT -5 TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out said:

Yeah, but he booked their hotel rooms and made sure they were paid and whatnot. I think Heenan would do the same for those he managed.

[Heenan] said that he did not like managing the Missing Link. He notes how Link once told him to get his boarding pass for him because his character didn’t speak. Heenan notes how he would have hated to have been an actual manager for people, comparing it to an adult babysitter.

Also reminds me of his mom saying she knew the business was a work, according to him, since she said no one in their right mind would hire him to manage them.