WWE’s run, during the Golden Era, was unlike any other in history. The company went from a regional success to a global juggernaut. There larger-than-life wrestlers led charge as they broke into the mainstream and created an entity that would dwarf every other promotion.
Amazing characters that added that extra dimension to whichever charge was in their care. Below are the best of these managers.
His flashy clothes and cool swagger made him instantly recognizable. It set him aside from the giants that he was used to having in his stable.
As a heel manager, Slick had a knack for getting a great reaction. He knew exactly how to work the crowd and pile as much heat on himself and his wrestler.
His talent went a long way to getting men like Akeem, Butch Reed and Hercules over. He was the perfect mouthpiece for the men who didn’t have to talk as one of their strong points.
In an era where excess was the theme, it would have been hard for a more refined person to get lost in the shuffle. Luckily, Miss Elizabeth was such a class act that she began to get noticed by the audience.
She was easy on the eyes and always held herself with a certain degree of decorum. Against the big sweaty men, of the era, she stood out and became an overnight sensation.
Elizabeth was not a one-dimensional valet either. She would routinely help The Macho Man during his matches.
Her talents were just not in her looks. Elizabeth was a multi-dimensional talent that helped to convey the emotions of the match. She was a valuable piece of The Macho Man puzzle.
Leaping Lanny Poffo floundered when he first entered the Golden Era. He was more-or-less a jobber that didn’t get any response from the audience. Then he morphed into his Genius persona and became one of the most unlikeable managers of an era.
The Genius epitomized every quality that the fans hated. His entrance, with his graduation gown. The way that he used his intelligence to belittle everyone within earshot and let’s not forget the obnoxious poem readings before every contest.
He was the man that you loved to hate and the one you couldn’t wait to see get their comeuppance. The Genius was the perfect heel manager.
Is there anyone who wasn’t instantly annoyed when The Mouth of the South started on his frantic tirades? Jimmy Hart was the energetic heel manager whose annoying behavior got under the skin of just about everyone.
His high-pitched voice bore into the minds of everyone and drew the type of heat that some managers would only dream of.
Hart’s influence on the Golden Era cannot be understated. The wrestlers in his stable read a who’s who of WWE greats.
Men such as Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, The Honky Tonk Man, and Greg Valentine all had the privilege of having The Mouth of the South escort them to the ring. His outlandish clothes and obnoxious megaphones were perfect for his character and for those in his charge.
Sherri Martel was a great wrestler. In WWE she was part of a women’s division that didn’t get any traction, and therefore she didn’t get much attention from the audience.
That is until she became a valet and adopted her Sensational persona. A persona that would make her one of the most hated heels in company history.
As a former wrestler, Martel was someone who could pose a physical threat during a match. This was not something a lot of the managers of the era could do. It was a quality that gave her people a massive advantage.
Add to that audacious attire and mic skills to back it up and you have the most well-rounded manager on the roster.
WWE’s storytelling has heavily leaned on the character of the foreign menace. It’s an often-used trope that gets an immediate reaction from the crowd. When it works it can produce gold, such as the man known as Fuji.
As a wrestler, but more importantly, as a manager, Mr. Fuji was superb in his role. He had the foreign heel character down. He dressed the part, had the perfect sneer and his promos were awesome. Fuji would usually be given a wrestler who was not great on the stick.
Men such as The Barbarian, The Warlord, and The Berserker were weak in those areas and would benefit greatly from Fuji’s influence. His stable would have been nothing if he were not there to raise his talents.
Bobby Heenan was not only the best manager of his era, but he could also be on the short list of the greatest managers of all time. There was not a time when Heenan was performing that he was not at the top of the card.
His underhanded tactics were legendary, and no one could draw heat like Heenan.
Heenan’s greatness extended to everything that he was involved in. Countless main event programs would be nothing without him. He added so much to everything and everyone that was around him.
Heels drew that much more heat and faces got that much more of a reaction when they finally got their hands on him. Heenan is the measuring stick for all other managers in WWE.
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On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to 11 games, and a key part of the team's momentum is a player who is in the National League MVP race. The red-hot Brewers entered Tuesday night facing one of the biggest threats to their winning streak, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Milwaukee torched Skenes for two home runs and four earned runs in 4.0 innings pitched. Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn added extra damage in the sixth inning with a three-run home run that increased Milwaukee's lead to 12-0. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Vaughn is in the NL MVP race after his home run on Tuesday night. "Andrew Vaughn suddenly in top 10 NL MVP discussion with another 3-run HR, giving him 32 RBI since joining the Brewers," Nightengale posted on X. "He is the gift that keeps on giving from the White Sox. They are about to go 24-4 since his arrival." Vaughn has helped the Brewers overrun and then take a commanding lead on the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Following their 14-0 win Tuesday night, the Brewers extended their lead to 7.5 games over the Cubs for first place. Vaughn is turning out to be a steal for the Brewers, as Milwaukee only gave up veteran pitcher Aaron Civale and cash considerations for the first baseman on June 13. While Vaughn might have a case to be in the top 10, he has much work before he becomes a legitimate contender for the NL MVP. Per FanDuel, Los Angeles Dodgers star slugger Shohei Ohtani leads the race with -20000 odds. Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber is second with +1800 odds. Those two players have been more consistent this season, whereas Vaughn has come on strong since leaving Chicago.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
There’s no question the Milwaukee Brewers have gotten more than they expected from Andrew Vaughn, a player they acquired largely due to Aaron Civale’s trade request and Vaughn’s slow start with the Chicago White Sox. What looked like a change-of-scenery move has turned into a major win for Milwaukee. Since Vaughn debuted for the Brew Crew on July 7, replacing the injured Rhys Hoskins, Milwaukee has gone 24-4 and Vaughn has posted video game-like numbers. Over that stretch, he has the sixth highest batting average in MLB at .347, sixth best OPS at 1.055, and the second most RBI’s with 32. His incredible play has one MVP voter giving him an endorsement to be in top 10 consideration for the award at the end of the season. Milwaukee Brewers Andrew Vaughn receives wild MVP endorsement Baseball Columnist Bob Nightengale recently posted on X that Vaughn had inserted himself in the top 10 MVP discussions. As incredible as Vaughn has been over the past five weeks, it’s hard to justify that he is truly in consideration for MVP. His season numbers include a .243/.288/.421 slash line with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. While Vaughn has undeniably been a key contributor for the Brewers and exceeded expectations since arriving in Milwaukee, labeling him an MVP candidate is a stretch. He’s become a valuable everyday presence, but his performance doesn’t stack up with the league’s true MVP frontrunners.
Caleb Williams was considered the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a Super Bowl champion wasn't wild about the Chicago Bears quarterback. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Jon Greenberg shared excerpts from Seth Wickersham's new book, "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," set to release Sept. 9. He also interviewed the ESPN writer via a phone conversation. Citing a section of Wickersham's book, Greenberg noted Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton scouted Williams, despite the team not being in a position to take him. The process left him with concerns. Before the 2017 draft, Payton developed a formula to help calculate processing speed for QB prospects, a critical factor in NFL success. Unlike fellow second-year QB Bo Nix — whom the Broncos selected with pick No. 12 in 2024 — Williams scored poorly. Payton also felt the 2024 No. 1 pick left "too many completions on the field at USC," per Wickersham. Other coaches share similar sentiments about the former Southern California Trojans star. On Monday, The Athletic's Mike Sando released his annual QB tiers. The tiers are numbered one through five, with one being the best and five being the worst. Williams landed in Tier 3. A head coach told Sando that Williams' processing looked "alarming" when watching the tape. An offensive coordinator said the 23-year-old often holds the ball far too long, consequently taking too many sacks. During his rookie season, Williams took the most sacks (68 in 17 starts) in the NFL. To cut the 2022 Heisman winner slack, his offensive line was shaky. According to Pro Football Reference, the unit ranked sixth in the NFL in pressures allowed (160). After firing Matt Eberflus, the Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach. His marriage with the young QB seems to be off to a rocky start. Williams has reportedly looked inaccurate during training camp. Williams still has time to get the hang of his new playbook before the regular season starts in September. However, if his problems persist in year two, that would validate Payton's doubts about the QB.