Good managers are few and far between in the current landscape of professional wrestling. The right manager can take a star from the bottom of the card to the WrestleMania main event with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Managers can often be the difference maker when it comes to getting a performer’s career off the ground and it’s a shame that they aren’t utilized more.
Managers are fun, managers are exciting and it would be nice to see more of them. WWE is a company that could use more managers at the moment and today we’re going to take a look at a few managers who could fit into the current landscape.
Zeb Colter
Alright, let’s just begin by stating the obvious. The Zeb Colter character was gold and releasing him wasn’t the best decision WWE has made recently, but they weren’t using him so obviously the release was justified. We all know Zeb has something special, so the question must be asked, why weren’t they using him?
Zeb Colter was a very effective manager and he successfully pulled Jack Swagger back from the brink of Parts Unknown a few years ago. Swagger and Colter teamed up in February of 2013 and by April of 2013 Swagger was challenging Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29, all because of the attention he was receiving thanks to his manager Zeb Colter.
Any manager that can take their client from obscurity to a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania in the span of a few short months is a manager that’s worth keeping around.
Who could Zeb manage?: Zeb Colter would be a great fit for The Vaudevillains. Zeb already has the awesome mustache and he’s always ranting about real Americans whereas The Vaudevillains are always ranting about real men. It seems like an alliance between The Vaudevillains and Zeb Colter could have been a perfect match.
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero was just one of those characters that fans loved to hate. She was always on the receiving end of deafening boos from the WWE fans, which means she was doing something right. Vickie was a heat magnet from the second she started working as a heel until the second she walked out the door.
There’s really not much you can do to make the fans like Vickie Guerrero and that’s the beauty of her character, she’s unlikeable. Vickie is unlikeable in the eyes of the WWE fans and that automatically makes anyone who works with her unlikeable by association. Have a heel that’s not getting the reaction you want from the audience? Have them engage in a little lip lock with Vickie Guerrero and they will instantly be hated.
Who could Vickie Guerrero manage?: People love to boo Vickie and people love to boo Sheamus. Pair Vickie with Sheamus for a little while, have them do the old lip lock and watch as everyone loses their minds.
Armando Alejandro Estrada
Umaga was a force to be reckoned with during his time in WWE. He wrestled in high profile WrestleMania matches, challenged for the WWE Championship and he managed to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. Umaga accomplished a lot during his run with the company and he barely ever spoke.
A lot of Umaga’s success can be attributed to his talented manager Armando Alejandro Estrada. He was a larger than life manager with a larger than life client and the combination worked. Estrada knew how to build up his client and make him sound unbeatable. He also knew how to piss off wrestling fans in the process which is just about all you can ask for from a heel manager.
Who could Armando Alejandro Estrada manage?: Epico and Primo will be returning shortly as The Shining Stars. Both guys are talented and they can get it done inside the ring, but we never get to see much in the way of personality from Epico and Primo. Armando Alejandro Estrada would be a perfect fit for this team because he’s loud and he could do all the talking while they do all the in ring work.
Maria
Maria Kanellis-Bennett is doing some great work on TNA Impact right now. She’s working as a manager for her husband Mike Bennett and she’s also the current commissioner of the TNA Knockouts Division. Over the past few years Maria has been able to reinvent herself and it’s paid off big time.
Maria has done a great job with her current heel character. The current incarnation of Maria is a far cry from the ditzy girl she portrayed on TV during her WWE days. She’s witty, she’s conniving, she’s intelligent and she’s making managers cool again. She’s not just an entertaining heel manager, or a good villain for the Knockouts division, she’s honestly the best heel on the show right now. She’s put in the time and work to develop her character and make the audience hate her.
Maria is doing something in 2016 that many people wouldn’t dare to do. She’s proving that managers are still relevant in the world of professional wrestling.
Who could Maria manage?: Honestly, just about anybody. She’s got this heel manager thing down. But Mike Bennett and Maria work well as a package, so if she ever returns to WWE it would be nice to see Bennett by her side.
