"Aligning yourself with Bobby "the Brain" Heenan is the most evil thing a professional wrestler could do, except for maybe slapping an old lady."
Many wrestlers in Professional Wrestling are accompanied by managers who are supposedly there to give them career guidance and manage their affairs. (And in some cases, managers have done this in real-life, such as Bobby Heenan and Paul Ellering.) Some managers such as Arnold Skaaland, Bob Backlund, and Cousin Slim of The Scufflin' Hillbillies were baby faces in their own right, but in most cases the manager's true role is to be hated and draw heat for their clients.
Managers often provide outside interference during a match, especially important matches, giving the Face an even greater challenge to overcome and allowing the Heel to win while preserving the Face's credibility. Managers often play the role of Dirty Coward or Jerk Jock, making it that much more satisfying when the Face gets their hands on them. Truly great managers are often more hated than their clients.
They also serve as obnoxious, over-the-top hype men for their clients. They are the mouthpiece for the Foreign Wrestling Heel, which typically means they be a Turncoat toward their own country (at least while representing their foreign client). And even for Heels who can speak for themselves, having a manager adds to the aura of arrogance, as the manager heaps praise on their clients and puts down the Face and the home crowd, providing Cheap Heat for their clients.
Heel Managers are often the unifying factor in a Power Stable and in some cases its leader. Turning on a manager or having the manager turn on their client is a common way to accomplish a Heel–Face Turn. The manager may ask the wrestler to do something that violates the wrestler's honor. Or the wrestler has lost one too many times, and the manager is done with them.
The Monday Night Wars marked a shift away from this trope, as the Corrupt Corporate Executive — Vince McMahon in WWE and Eric Bischoff in WCW — became the promotional Big Bad and would use their executive power to screw the Face. (This was in great part due to a certain real life incident.) Managers are still largely heels but don't draw as much heat as they once did.
See also WWE Managers and WCW Managers. Compare to Smooth-Talking Talent Agent.
Examples
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WWF/WWE Managers
- Captain Lou Albano for most of his career, as he served as the main Foil to Bruno Sammartino, the World Champion and top Face in the WWWF period. However, his Heel–Face Turn coincided with the birth of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era, as he went from antagonizing Cyndi Lauper to forming an alliance with her and Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper.
- Paul Bearer zig-zagged throughout his career, given that his main client, The Undertaker, was constantly on the Face–Heel Revolving Door. Bearer, however, also had Chronic Backstabbing Disorder whenever Undertaker was a Face too long, betraying Taker to manage Mankind and Kane.
- Freddie Blassie was one of the Three Wise Men of the WWWF Classic Era, and he managed many of the top Foreign Wrestling Heels, including The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Kamala. He also managed Hulk Hogan during his first heel run in the WWWF, prior to him becoming the company's — and the entire business's — top Face.
- Jim Cornette was the manager of Camp Cornette, the leading heel Power Stable during the latter part of the New Generation era. It included Vader, Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, and Yokozuna. Prior to that he was managing The Heavenly Bodies as a representative of SMW (which he owned, though no one said that on camera in either company) while at the same time acting as Yoko's "American spokesperson", i.e. mouthpiece.
- Zeb Colter (better known as Dutch Mantel) came to WWE in 2013 to manage Jack Swagger. Inverting the usual scenario of a manager promoting foreign heels, Colter and Swagger were openly xenophobic and jingoistic Americans who mostly feuded with foreign face wrestlers. Mantel (here called Uncle Zebekiah) also managed The Blu Brothers (aka The Harris twins) during their brief run with that gimmick in 1995.
- Ted DiBiase went from being a top heel during the latter part of WWF's Rock 'n' Wrestling era to managing and leading the top Heel Power Stable during the beginning part of the New Generation Era.
- Miss Elizabeth subverted this during her time in the WWF when she managed her real-life husband Randy Savage. Even though Savage was a heel, she was always treated like a face, and she was critical to Savage's first Heel–Face Turn. But when Savage turned heel again during his feud with Hulk Hogan, Elizabeth broke away from Savage. Their reunion at Wrestlemania VII led to Savage's second Heel–Face Turn.
- Paul Ellering managed The Road Warriors for most of his managerial career as a face, but would later turn against them in favor of The Disciples of Apocalypse. But more recently, he managed the Authors of Pain, a heel tag team in NXT.
- Mr. Fuji: unlike most of WWF's managers, Fuji wasn't much of a talker but rather brought a foreign heel heat to his clients, such as Don Muraco, Demolition, and Yokozuna. He was also a master of outside interference. When Fuji switched from managing to Demolition to The Powers of Pain, they together did a Face/Heel Double-Turn.
- Ernie Roth, known as The Grand Wizard, was the third of the Three Wise Men, the top heel managers of the classic WWWF era. Roth chose the name as an allusion to the Ku Klux Klan. The Wizard managed "Superstar" Billy Graham and Stan Stasiak to the WWWF World Heavyweight Title, Pat Patterson, Ken Patera and Don Muraco to the Intercontinental Heavyweight Title, and Mr. Fuji (before he became a manager) and Professor Toru Tanaka to two reigns as Tag Team Champions.
- Jimmy Hart was the Heel manager of several Tag Team champions: the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), The Nasty Boys, The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon), and Money Inc. ("The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster). Hart also managed the Honky Tonk Man during his record-setting Intercontinental Championship run.
- Bobby Heenan may be the greatest example of this trope. Heenan was practically the Big Bad of the Rock 'n' Wrestling era (especially after Roddy Piper turned face). André the Giant demonstrated his Face–Heel Turn prior to Wrestlemania III by taking on Heenan as a manager. Other members of the Heenan Family included Big John Studd, Paul Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Harley Race, Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, King Haku, and the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard). All those who had face turns during the WWF runs (Andre, Studd, Orndorff, Perfect) included them breaking from Heenan.
- Paul Heyman has provided a new twist on the role in his relationships with CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns. Punk flat out told Heyman that he wasn't Heyman's client but rather his best friend, so Heyman shouldn't interfere in his matches. Heyman soon after turned on Punk, but he seemed to take the message to heart. Heyman has less so "managed" either Lesner or Reigns but rather served as their mouthpiece and reversing the typical Even Evil Has Standards relationship by occasionally being more merciful than his clients. But this only serves to show how scary Lesnar and Reigns are.note
- Debra Marshall served as a Ms. Fanservice businesswoman helping Jeff Jarrett win matches by distracting opponents with her "puppies."
- Sensational Sherri managed several heels throughout her career. She managed Randy Savage after his Face–Heel Turn, in which she was essentially the Evil Counterpart to Miss Elizabeth. Once Savage turned face again, Sherri managed Ted DiBiase and then Shawn Michaels immediately following his heel turn.
- Arnold Skaaland subverted this as manager of Bob Backlund during his run as WWF champion when Backlund was a face. Skaaland's decision to throw in the towel during Backlund's title defense against The Iron Sheik served as the Start of Darkness for Backlund's heel turn to years later. Backlund attacked Skaaland as part of his turn.
- Slick, the "Doctor of Style," was officially the successor of Freddie Blassie, inheriting many of Blassie's clients when he retired, including The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Kamala. Slick also managed the Big Boss Man (who split from Slick when he turned face), The One Man Gang (who then became "Akeem, the African Dream"), Rick Martel, and Power and Glory (Hercules Hernandez and Paul Roma). Slick later had a Heel–Faith Turn and become Reverend Slick, mirroring his own real-life conversion.
- Sunny managed her on-screen brother and real-life boyfriend Skip, whose gimmicks were heel versions of Workout Fanservice, mocking fans for being out of shape while showing off their bodies. Sunny then managed a tag team of Skip and Zip, who later won the tag team championship. When they lost the championship, Sunny jumped to whoever held the belts: first the Godwins and then the Smoking Gunns. This proved to be the Start of Darkness for Billy Gunn's heel turn.
- Armando Estrada was a Cuban manager who debuted alongside Umaga, serving as his manager for the dominant years of Umaga's career. Estrada aided Umaga in many of his matches, often with underhanded tactics if he could. Estrada’s managering career ended after Umaga's famous match with Bobby Lashley when it was decided there were too many men at ringside for the match, but he worked with WWE for a few more years after that.
NWA/WCW Managers
- Jim Cornette was a nerdy, overweight motormouth who drove fans crazy with his nonstop yapping, and he also carried a loaded tennis racket that won many matches for his charges. He shot to fame managing The Midnight Express during their legendary feuds with The Rock 'n' Roll Express in Mid-South and JCP/WCW in the 1980s.note
- James J Dillon managed The Four Horsemen, the Trope Codifier of the heel Power Stable led by Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, during the height of their NWA and WCW runs.
- Miss Elizabeth did a Face–Heel Turn during her time in WCW, where she turned on Randy Savage and became a Heel valet, first to Ric Flair and then in the New World Order to Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Once Savage joined the NWO, Elizabeth returned to being his valet.
- Jimmy Hart entered WCW as a Face managing Hulk Hogan (who Hart towards the very end of his WWF run, having done a Heel–Face Turn there). But he eventually turned on Hogan and managed the Dungeon of Doom its dissolution. This included managing The Giant during his two WCW Heavyweight title runs.
- Paul E. Dangerously led the The Dangerous Alliance, which became the top heel Power Stable after the The Four Horsemen disbanded following Ric Flair's departure to WWF. It was composed of Rick Rude (the promotion's new top heel), Steve Austin, Madusa, Arn Anderson, Larry Zbyszko, and Bobby Eaton.
- Teddy Long managed Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed), the dominant heel tag team until they broke up. Long went on the manage the next dominant heel tag team, the Skyscrapers, which was alternately composed on Sid Vicious, "Mean" Marc Calaway, and Dan Spivey.
- Debra Marshall started off as Mongo's stuck up beauty queen wife on WCW, before her memorable run in WWE as a Ms. Fanservice businesswoman helping Jeff Jarrett win matches by distracting opponents with her "puppies."
- Sonny Onoo managed the Team New Japan, a Foreign Wrestling Heel Power Stable, against Team WCW at Starrcade 1995. He went to manage pretty much every wrestler from Japan who came to WCW, most notably Bull Nakano and Último Dragón.
- Sherri Martel briefly managed Ric Flair, the top promotional heel, when she first came to WCW, but then she moved on to manage Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) and helped them become the top heel tag team in WCW, winning several tag team championships. Harlem Heat became de facto faces in 1997 after firing Sherri.
ECW Managers
- Francine earned her heel reputation with the fans as a loose woman and an unscrupulous gold-digger. Twice in ECW she betrayed her man in title matches to help the heel win the belt, both times becoming the heel's new valet in the process. As she explained in interviews, her motivations could be summed up as, "No belt, no booty."
- Beulah McGillicutty started as a heel valet before joining up with Tommy Dreamer, which caused her to have a Heel–Face Turn.
- Inverted by Raven during his feud with the Sandman. Raven brainwashed Sandman's wife Lori and son Tyler, making them part of Raven's Nest with Lori as his "manager" during the feud.
- Bill Alfonso for Sabu and Rob Van Dam. Fonzie was the most obnoxious manager in the business, blasting his ear-splitting whistle nonstop and screaming at his team's opponents.
AEW Managers
- Tully Blanchard manages The Pinnacle, a heel Power Stable.
- Matt Hardy's heel turn in AEW coincided with him becoming the manager of Private Party. They later formed a Power Stable with the Blade and the Butcher with Hardy as the leader.
- Nyla Rose states in this interview
that Vickie Guerrero was brought in to be her manager in order to solidify her Face–Heel Turn. Until then, female wrestlers in AEW did not have managers.
- Jake Roberts, upon joining AEW, immediately announced he would be managing Lance Archer and soon established his top heel bona fides by orchestrating an attack on Brandi Rhodes, Chief Brand Officer of AEW, and placing a snake on her.
- Taz was a famous Wrestling Monster during almost all ECW and for a time during Attitude Era in WWE. Decades later, he retook his heel persona in AEW, being the manager and leader of his own heel faction, the "Team Taz", managing Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs and his own son, Hook. Taz dissolved the team in 2022 after Hobbs betrayed Starks.
- Don Callis is The Corrupter to The Elite, being the one who orchestrated Kenny Omega's Face–Heel Turn and eventually bringing the Young Bucks along for the ride.
Other Promotions
- Sir Oliver Humperdink managed "The House of Humperdink", a heel stable that crossed multiple promotions and in its various incarnations included Abdullah the Butcher, Bad News Allen, Bruiser Brody, Dory Funk Jr., "Superstar" Billy Graham, Hercules Hernandez, Paul Jones, Ivan Koloff, Don Muraco, Keiji Mutoh, Nord the Barbarian, The One Man Gang, "Outlaw" Ron Bass, Greg Valentine, Nikolai Volkoff.
- Paul Jones followed the example of his former manager Humperdink and formed the heel Power Stable, "Paul Jones's Army," which included some former members of the House of Humperdink: Abdullah the Butcher, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Hercules Hernandez, and Ivan Koloff, along with Rick Rude and The Powers of Pain. Jones also affected an Adolf Hitlarious image, wearing khakis and jackboots and sporting a toothbrush mustache.
- In Stampede Wrestling, Beulah McGillicutty was Brian Pillman's heel manager and on-screen sister.
Other Media
Anime & Manga
- Kinnikuman has several as a wrestling manga/anime:
- Doris Phlears and Sheik Seijin from the American Tour arc run the World Superman Council and the World Superman Federation respectively, which are competing organizations with the World Superman Alliance.
- Barracuda is Warsman's abusive manager and really Robin Mask training him up for revenge against Kinnikuman for beating him twice.
- Sunshine becomes this to the Nightmares in Ultimate Muscle. The same sequel sees Harabote Muscle/Vance McMadd and his two children become this to the Muscle League, as he and his son Ikemen have an Irrational Hatred of Mantaro and his daughter loves violent matches, and introduces Kuroe/Lord Flash as one for Kevin Mask. He's actually Warsman teaching Kevin, just as Robin taught him.
Live-Action TV
- In The Mighty Boosh episode "Killeroo", Vince serves as Howard's boxing manager for the episode, managing his training and introducing him in the ring. At the boxing match, he shows up in flashy, wrestling manager-esque Pimp Duds and plays a crucial role in fixing to fight to allow Howard to win through cheating.
Web Animation
- The wrestling Strong Bad Email has The Cheat as the manager for Strong Bad and Strong Mad's villainous tag-team duo under the name Mr. Cheatoyama, where he's a sinister Foreign Wrestling Heel with an evil mustache and a signature whisk. Probably an expy of Mr. Fuji.
