The role of a wrestling manager has evolved to the point of being something of a rarity in the modern wrestling landscape. While companies such as AEW attempted to employ the concept over the last few years, it’s had decidedly mixed results. As for WWE, outside of Paul Heyman, there are simply not many relevant managers to speak of.
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A manager’s role in pro wrestling can be vital to the potential success of a wrestler, primarily those who struggle a bit more with promo abilities. In fact, certain managers have been among the greatest individual talents in the entire business when it comes to promos.
10
Paul Bearer
Paul Was Great On The Mic, But Was Mildly Restricted Due To The Specificity Of His Character
- Paul was originally known as Percival Pringle, or just Percy Pringle
- He actually did work as a mortician, prior to playing the Paul Bearer character
- He’s best known fo his time managing The Undertaker, Mankind, and Kane
The real-life William Moody was a wrestling fan who was eager to get involved in the business. He would first find his footing as a manager in the Southeast territories, such as Florida, and later in Texas with WCCW. When he came to WWE in 1990, he was paired with The Undertaker as Paul Bearer, and the results were legendary. Paul was as competent on the mic as any manager we’ve ever seen, but his mortician gimmick forced him to adhere to a specific cadence and vocal style. All things considered, Paul more than warrants his spot on this list.
9
Gary Hart
Gary Hart Was More Physically Imposing Than Most Managers
- Gary Hart began his career as a wrestler
- He would eventually work as the primary booker for WCCW
- He is best known for his time with The Great Muta and The Great Kabuki
Gary Hart’s promo style was deliberate, cold, and threatening. Unlike most managers, Gary wouldn’t interfere much in his wrestler’s matches, instead, providing a stoic and menacing presence at ringside. His promo style perfectly suited his often eclectic and intimidating charges. His thick Chicago accent also added another layer to his performances on the mic. Gary is a manager that deserves to mentioned in these compilations, and by all accounts should be studied by anyone getting involved in the business. He simply had a brilliant mind for wrestling.
8
Don Callis
Don Has Been In The Business Much Longer Than Most Realize
- Don Callis is a native of Winnipeg, CN
- He started his career as a wrestler
- He currently works as a manager in AEW
It’s easy to forget just how well-tenured Don Callis actually is in the wrestling industry. He began his career all the way back in 1989, and has done just about everything there is to do in the business. He’s always shined as a manager though, which is his current role in AEW. Some of his best work took place in ECW, where he would portray the Cyrus The Virus character, a kayfabe representative of the the TNN network. Don has a brash, glib, and somewhat condescending delivery to his promos, that have always garnered he and his charges, the perfect amount of heat.
7
Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Was A Successful Musician Before Getting Involved In Wrestling
- Jimmy got his start in the Memphis territory
- He signed with WWE in 1985
- His most notable charges include The Hart Foundation, The Honky Tonk Man, and Hulk Hogan
One of the most prolific managers in wrestling history, the list of wrestlers that Jimmy Hart managed is deep. It was said that if WWE was uncertain about a particular talent, they would pair them with Jimmy. As for his promo style, Jimmy was often loud and high-strung, using his patented megaphone to maximum effect. He wasn’t known for lengthy promos, but rather short bursts of verbiage that hyped his wrestlers up. Jimmy knew that his job was to get over whomever he was managing, and he did so without fail.
6
JJ Dillon
JJ Was As Vital To The Success Of The Four Horsemen, As The Wrestlers In The Group
- JJ began his career in wrestling as a referee
- His inclusion in The Four Horsemen was due to him managing Tully Blanchard at the time of the group’s formation
- He would become an on-air authority figure in WCW, later in his career
If you were an original member of The Four Horsemen, you needed to be exceptional on the microphone. JJ more than held his own amongst some of the greatest talkers in the history of the business, always grounding the focus of the group as a whole.
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Logical, erudite, and with an underlying sense of treachery, JJ Dillon was more subtle than explosive. He was the perfect manager for The Four Horsemen, as he both looked and sounded the part. He had a sense of propriety about him that allowed his promos to breathe, earning his place on this list.
5
Paul Ellering
Paul Was A Powerlifter Prior To Getting Into The Wrestling Business
- Paul is best known for his time managing The Road Warriors
- His daughter, Rachael, pursued a career as a wrestler, and was featured in the Mae Young Classic
- Paul most recently managed The Authors Of Pain in WWE, before being released in February of 2025
Paul Ellering had all of the physical tools to become a successful pro wrestler himself, and he indeed was one before transitioning into being a manager. Truth be told, it was always going to require a strong physical presence to manage a team like The Road Warriors, and people forget how integral Paul was to their success. Paul’s vocabulary and menacing promo style was perfect for Hawk and Animal, and he always commanded the room when he spoke. With his trademark newspaper, Paul made it clear that he was an analytical man, and an intellectual. His promo abilities are somewhat underrated, but he more than earns his spot on this list.
4
Sensational Sherri
Sherri Opened Doors For Women To Become Bigger Stars In The Business
- Sherri also began her career as an in-ring performer
- She was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2006
- Sadly, Sherri passed away in 2007
Like many on this list, Sherri began her career as a wrestler, winning an early version of the WWE Women’s Championship. She would find her true calling as a wrestling manager though, guiding the careers of Randy Savage, and a young Shawn Michaels, just to name a few. Sherri’s promo style could veer from being earnest and slightly spirited, to being unbelievably animated and over-the-top. Her range as a performer rarely gets the credit it deserves. Sherri’s spot on this list is indicative of her originality, and ability to enhance the profile of whomever she was managing at the time.
3
Bobby Heenan
Bobby Is One Of The Greatest All-Round Talents The Business Has Ever Seen
- Bobby began his wrestling career in 1965
- He was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2004
- Sadly, Bobby would pass away in 2017
Universally considered to be the greatest wrestling manager of all time, Bobby Heenan could truly do it all. His promo abilities speak for themselves, as he understood the concept of what a wrestling manager is supposed to be. He elevated every wrestler he ever managed, and was as much responsible for the success of one of wrestling’s biggest events in history; WrestleMania 3, as any of the competitors involved in it. Bobby could be funny, arrogant, cowardly, and everything in between. His legacy continues to grow, well after he left us in 2017.
2
Jim Cornette
Jim Is One Of The Most Outspoken Figures To Ever Work In The Business
- Jim began his career in wrestling as a photographer
- He is best known for his work, managing The Midnight Express
- He hosts/co-hosts two of the most successful wrestling podcasts of all time
The verbal ability of Jim Cornette is something that has to be heard to be believed. His pacing is virtually unreal, and his high-pitched southern drawl gives him an inimitable promo style.
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Jim never fails to make any list that compiles wrestlings’s greatest managers of all time, and if not for one other person, he may very well have topped this list. Jim’s talents as a promo are unmatched in most cases, and he has maintained relevance in the industry, thanks to his highly successful podcasts. Jim used controversy and an undeniable passion for the wrestling business to ensure that he would always elicit a reaction from the audience, be it positive or negative.
1
Paul Heyman
Paul Has Often Claimed That He Is Not A Manager, But Rather An “Advocate”
- Like Jim Cornette, Paul got his start in wrestling as a photographer
- He once owned and operated the renegade promotion, ECW
- Paul was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2024
Paul Heyman has redefined the role of a wrestling manager in the 21st century. His speaking abilities are so incredible that he could have had an equally successful career as a politician, if he chose to. Felicitous, loquacious, and concise, Paul is just as adept at expressing every possible human emotion. His performances have become cinematic in the domain of the modern WWE zeitgeist, and he is as pivotal as any wrestler to the current success the company enjoys. When it comes to promo abilities, there could only be one who tops this list, and that ladies and gentlemen, is Paul Heyman.
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