The Role of Managers And Valets In WWE History

Though the professional wrestling world is primarily based upon the athletic ability of one, it equals charisma and how to deliver the right story. In WWE history, it’s the managers and valets who helped to put across the persona or even the story of wrestlers. These people acted as the story’s voice, strategizing and sometimes surprising interference to sway the results of the game. From unforgettable promos to stunning turnabouts, managers, and valets have indelibly left their mark on WWE history.

Origins and Evolution
In the early days of professional wrestling, managers were necessary in many ways since they became the voice for wrestlers who weren’t particularly compelling or confident promo speakers. The wrestling manager arose from the need to give character and story development some more depth and, thus, some more drama and tension.

Classic Era (1950s-1970s)
Popular managers helped define the characters of many wrestlers during this time. Names such as “Captain” Lou Albano, The Grand Wizard, and Freddie Blassie would add some flash and guile to their characteristics in work as managers. Many of these managers would oversee a stable of wrestlers, creating complexities in stories with feuds.

The 1980s Boom
The 1980s were the golden age of professional wrestling and, hence, the days when a manager got to be in the limelight even more. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Jimmy Hart, and Miss Elizabeth were some of the titans of the decade. The era was beginning to reflect some of the theatrics that coincide with professional wrestling; thus, most managers became as well-liked and recognized as the wrestlers during this era.

Iconic Managers and Their Effects:

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Perhaps the best manager now in the wrestling pages of history, Bobby Heenan was a wit, charismatic mind, and strategic mastermind that corner-stoned WWE programming. Referred to simply as “The Brain,” he managed a plethora of top stars, among them Andre the Giant, Mr. Perfect, and even Rick Rude. He was able to generate heat better than anyone of his time; he was the perfect antagonist in a plethora of storylines.

Jimmy Hart
“The Mouth of the South,” Jimmy Hart’s high-pitched voice and megaphone became his calling cards. Hart managed everyone from the Honky Tonk Man to the Hart Foundation. This often meant interfering in matches, hitting people with his megaphone, and cutting over-the-top promos that added to the character of his clients.

Miss Elizabeth
Unlike most of her male equivalents, Miss Elizabeth was classy with a bit of a streak. Elizabeth worked as the manager and love interest for “Macho Man” Randy Savage in one of the biggest storylines of the ’80s. Her presence had an emotional attachment, and dramatic storyline measures increased with her, things that happen in what is usually just a physical competition, mainly the WrestleMania VII match where Savage finally got back with her after a long-running feud.

The Manager-Wrestler Dynamic
It is in this delicate balance that the relationship between the manager and his wrestler is the most single-handedly deciding ingredient in the career of the wrestler. Managers very often have various essential functions:

Mouthpiece
Whereas many wrestlers are good in-ring performers but cannot cut decent promos, others specialize as managers and can do it very well, such as Paul Heyman. He has been able to string together some memorable speeches to help set up his clients. With Brock Lesnar, he is able, for instance, to be very articulate together with an intense promo that offsets the silent, beastly persona of Brock.

Strategist and Interference
Managers are usually predisposed in classic wrestling literature as masterminds behind the scenes, strategizing with tactics to the effect of enabling their clients to emerge victorious in matches. This may involve distracting the referees, offering foreign objects, or directly interfering in the matches. Classic examples include Heenan’s strategic mind games and Jimmy Hart’s frequent physical interferences.

Character Improvement
Managers create or develop the eccentricities of the wrestler’s identity. The iconic attitude of Mr. Fuji as a creepy manager for Yokozuna perpetuated his client’s image of a menacing wrestler. On her part, Sensational Sherri created an overtly flamboyant and aggressive style that was befitting the over-the-top characters she managed, such as “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

Memorable Valets and Their Contributions:
Though managers were undoubtedly in the spotlight most of the time, the valets—most often simply female companions who would accompany the wrestlers to the ring—also played significant roles in the history of WWE.

Miss Elizabeth
It wasn’t just handling Randy Savage that made her so influential. Elizabeth’s oftentimes emotional entanglement in storylines added a soapy wrestling element which brought audiences further into the action, becoming directly invested in her love and feuds.

Sunny
Sunny had gradually developed into one of World Wrestling Entertainment’s most favorite personalities by the mid-1990s. Serving as a valet to teams such as The Bodydonnas and The Smoking Gunns, her work elevated the profile of these teams, and at one point, she was one of the most downloaded women on the internet.

Trish Stratus and Lita
Before they were legends in the ring themselves, Trish Stratus and Lita established themselves as valets. Trish was managing Test & Albert under the moniker of T&A, while Lita was attached to The Hardy Boyz. In becoming active wrestlers from valets, they set a bridge for future female talent in proving the potential of females for multifacetedness and opening the way in women’s wrestling evolution.

Modern Age and the Changing Role
With the evolution of wrestling, so did that of the manager and valet roles. The traditional manager/traditional role decreased throughout the 2000s and 2010s, but a few key individuals remained to make real impacts.

Paul Heyman
In many ways, Paul Heyman is the model for being a manager in the modern era. His work, especially with Brock Lesnar but most recently with Roman Reigns, went a long way toward shaping those characters. Heyman’s promos, strategically conceived involvement, and ways of hammering home intense audience reactions truly keep alive and well this fighting manager tradition.

Zelina Vega
The most outstanding example of this in recent times is Zelina Vega’s work as the manager of Andrade. With promo skills for days and excellent interferences, character development for Andrade had been intense, and the pairing became one of the most scintillating acts in WWE history.

The Return of Valets and Mixed Roles
One other striking feature is the return of female managers and valets, many of whom now combine their managerial work with in-ring competition. From Lana, who went from simply managing Rusev to an active wrestler, to Scarlett Bordeaux, adding mystique to the persona of Karrion Kross—the changing nature of roles comes across clearly.

The Future of Managers and Valets in WWE
That said, as WWE is in a constant state of evolution, the concept of manager and valet is continuing to change, becoming more multifunction rather than managing and competing. Such multifunction characters are more dynamic and engrossing. With the development of social media and digital platforms, in a way, the managers and valets can even take up interacting with the audience and story advancement in new, more interactive ways than it ever could inside the ring.

Potential for Revival
Although WWE seems to be straying away from the traditional role of a manager, there is always the potential for one to come back into the fold when the company wants to tell new stories. Managers like Paul Heyman have proven that–when done well–there is still a major place for these characters in wrestling.

Integration into Contemporary Storytelling
Managers of the future and valets may now be used more strongly by WWE storytelling in multimedia threads, which tells the story of the characters and all manner of rivalries. The ability to draw attention to what they’re producing by communicating with fans, spreading it across the multimedia platform that is the WWE Network, and conversing in real time can enhance their influence.

Training and Development
This would have WWE’s Performance Center provide a platform for developing valets and managers into all-around performers in the future. With some work in promo skills, ring psychology, and character building, a manager’s services could be as adept and versatile as any wrestler’s.

Conclusion
From adding depth, drama, and intrigue to the wrestling storylines, managers and valets have been part of the success of WWE. From Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Miss Elizabeth to more recent times with Paul Heyman and Zelina Vega, such characters have driven the shaping of the narrative landscape of the WWE. Though their role evolved over the decades, what they gave to professional wrestling remains as essential today as ever. They would create characters and storylines that made WWE action as enjoyable outside the ring as inside the ring. There is no doubt that as WWE continues to evolve, the legacy of managers and valets will continue in one way or another, inspiring future wrestling talent and fans.