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Top Five Odd Manager/Wrestler Pairings

Posted: Jun 20th 2024 By: Brian Damage - RingTheDamnBell.Wordpress.com

Some managers and wrestlers fit perfectly as a pairing. I think of Jimmy Hart and HonkyTonk Man, Bobby Heenan and Paul Orndorff, Gary Hart and the Great Muta, Paul Bearer and the Undertaker, Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express are just a few examples of solid pairings. Then there are those that really made no sense or didn’t seem to right at all. Today’s Top Five, looks at odd pairings of a manager and wrestler that simply never looked or felt right.

Honorable Mentions: Paul Heyman/Ryback, Bobby Heenan and The Missing Link, Missy Hyatt and The Nasty Boyz, Terri Runnels and The Hardy Boyz, Sunny and The Godwinns, Slick and Kamala

Luscious Johnny V and Demolition

Luscious Johnny V was more of a comedic heel manager. He never fit the proper mold of what the tag team of Demolition were supposed to be. Johnny V would crack a joke or two during promos when he Demolition needed a manager that was serious and all business. WWF management agreed and Valiant was gone and the better fitting Mr. Fuji was in.

Sunshine and The Great Kabuki

To me, Sunshine was a very underrated manager/valet in professional wrestling. She had good ring presence and could showcase an intensity that was believable. With all that said, her leading the Great Kabuki for a brief time in World Class Championship Wrestling never seemed right for me as a fan. Gary Hart was really the perfect manager for Kabuki, whether a heel or a face.

The Coach and The Beverly Brothers

John Tolos was actually a great talker and could have been a decent manager in the WWF. He was just saddled with a horrible coach gimmick. Coach managing Mr. Perfect and the Beverly Brothers made zero sense. In the case of the Beverly Brothers, before their matches, he would have the team do push-ups while he annoyingly blew a whistle. I think Vince McMahon and company agreed and Tolos was soon replaced with the more suitable ‘Genius’ Lanny Poffo.

Jim Cornette and Mantaur

Jim Cornette was never really suited as a manager who led wrestlers with silly/goofy gimmicks. Cornette’s brief alliance with the half man, half bull or whatever Mantaur was supposed to be never seemed right at all. The partnership did not last very long and Cornette selected Mantaur as the very worst wrestler he ever had the dishonor of managing. While Mike Halac wasn’t a bad wrestler, he was simply packaged with a very bad gimmick and not even a Jim Cornette could save it.

Sunny and The Legion of Doom

Sunny was an attempt to make the Legion of Doom seem younger and more hip for a new generation of wrestling fans. In this particular case, what ain’t broke, don’t need to be fixed. Sunny and her LOD 2000 outfit may have been appealing to the eyes, but nobody could ever replace Precious Paul Ellering as manager to Hawk and Animal…no matter how much you try to repackage them.