Stokely Hathaway getting released from WWE and joining AEW isn’t as big as CM Punk or Bryan Danielson coming on board, but it reminds us of a familiar story. WWE has dropped the ball with quite a few talented managers throughout the years. Previous eras saw WWE utilizing managers like Paul Bearer, Jim Cornette, Mr. Fuji and others to help the talents they represented.
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Unfortunately, Vince McMahon fell out of love with the manager role and stopped investing that much effort into it. Some names like Paul Heyman and Lana have been able to break out, but there are more instances of talented performers in the role not getting a fair chance. The following managers showed how WWE can drop the ball with impressive talents ready to contribute.
10 Stokely Hathaway
Most wrestlers and fans to get a true look at Stokely Hathaway’s work love his managing skills. An argument can be made he’s the best manager in the game, since Paul Heyman works with names that require little help on his part.
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WWE not finding a way to get the best out of Stokely and struggling to find a role in NXT for years was a huge mistake. Hathaway is already benefiting AEW by fitting better with Jade Cargill than “Smart” Mark Sterling did. The Jade/Stokely act has an untapped potential for both performers to continue thriving.
9 Scarlett Bordeaux
Another recent instance of WWE failing to get the most out of a manager was Scarlett Bordeaux. The NXT stint managing her boyfriend Karrion Kross was polarizing, but there is no arguing that Scarlett was among the reasons for his stronger moments.
Bordeaux was on the independent circuit for many years and often did well in the managing role. Even if WWE wasn’t high on Kross on the main roster, another wrestler benefiting from having Scarlett at their side would have been the move. Bordeaux's current social media presence shows she still has a strong fan base.
8 Paul Ellering
WWE never got the best out of Paul Ellering despite his reputation as a legendary manager in the business. The Road Warriors and Ellering were outstanding together, but WWE struggled to book them well with a manager when hiring all three names. Ellering even had a silly gimmick having of ventriloquist dummy to ruin it all.
There were a few more stints with the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors, but WWE preferred them without Ellering at their side. Another scenario unfolded in the same manner when Triple H booked Ellering in NXT to help the Authors of Pain over. WWE removed Ellering from the act when calling up the tag team with no reason for it.
7 Luna Vachon
Luna Vachon was among the most underrated wrestling personalities in the business. WWE didn’t have too many women on the roster when hiring Vachon in the ‘90s. Bam Bam Bigelow got over as a credible heel with the terrifying portrayal by Luna adding to the act.
Unfortunately, WWE split them up when wanting to give Bam Bam a bigger push. Vachon helped Goldust reinvent his character years later, but she was once again treated like an expendable character. WWE would have benefited by pushing Luna stronger as a manager, since they rarely had women’s matches.
6 Tennessee Lee
WWE having Tennessee Lee on the roster saw him managing Jeff Jarrett and a few other wrestlers in the ‘90s during a short stint there. Most fans remember Lee more for his WCW tenure as Colonel Robert Parker for his stints with Steve Austin, Harlem Heat and others.
The move to WWE ended up hurting his career and taking him out of the spotlight when it went poorly. Lee could have easily been a strong heel personality helping heel wrestlers if WWE realized his potential and booked him stronger.
5 Johnny Polo
Most fans of the ‘90s will recognize the greatness of Raven following his stints in ECW, WCW and WWE. The early portion of the decade was a forgotten time in his career before he came up with the Raven character to get over in ECW.
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WWE utilized him with the name of Johnny Polo as a manager and color commentator. Polo was outstanding at playing the snarky heel that almost always had a funny one-liner. WWE didn’t view him as a credible personality and released him to inspire the Raven gimmick change.
4 Maria Kanellis
WWE had Maria Kanellis on their roster at two drastically different stages of her career. Maria was part of the original Diva Search and landed a contract with various roles. WWE mostly booked her as a face, but Kanellis didn’t have a strong chance at managing.
The eventual release led to Maria getting over on the heel side for the first time as a superb manager for Ring of Honor, New Japan and Impact Wrestling. WWE seemed to give up on her and Mike Bennett after she got pregnant, even though she wanted to return.
3 Armando Estrada
The transition of Jamal becoming Umaga gave WWE a new monster heel gimmick. Umaga got over a lot faster and more effectively than anyone expected when seeing the new character. One huge reason for that was the manager presence of Armando Alejandro Estrada.
WWE didn’t want Umaga to speak for the betterment of his monster gimmick, so a charismatic heel manager was necessary. Estrada cut good promos and played the role to perfection, but WWE split them up too soon. No other opportunities ever came for Armando despite his home run in his one fair chance to get over.
2 The Jackyl
Don Callis joined WWE as a wrestler in the ‘90s, but he ended up having his strongest success as a manager. The Jackyl was the name given to Callis when tasked with managing big man Kurrgan and the rest of the Truth Commission faction.
Promos and guest commentary spots often showed the strength of Callis as a talker. WWE unfortunately never paired him with wrestlers that had a real chance to get over. The Jackyl could have been a much bigger star and helped other talents if paired with the right talents.
1 Summer Rae
WWE viewed Summer Rae as a top prospect in NXT due to her natural charisma, athleticism and great look. Injuries and a lack of progression in the ring led to Summer showcasing more as a manager on the main roster than during her limited time in a wrestling capacity.
Rae showed flashes of brilliance as a great manager working with Fandango and Rusev. Neither angle lasted long enough to cement her status in WWE. Other stints with Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze showed WWE never had enough faith in her. Summer could have become one of the best managers in the game with the right direction and opportunity.
