A manager's job is meant to add another dimension and depth to their wrester's careers. However, sometimes their choice of approach can in-return destroy both their careers and that of their clients.
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Managers have to be secure enough in their own gimmick to be able to compliment and properly shape a wrestler's future. Sadly, whether it is lack of care, overall lack of experience or awkward pairings, sometimes managers make the absolute worst decisions. Without further ado, here are some of the dumbest approaches and decisions made by managers.
10 Vince Russo: Transforming Goldberg
Over the course of a wrestler's career, there are many character changes, heel turns, and defining moments. It is a managers job to determine when these shifts need to take place. It is also their responsibility to understand what does and does not work for their wrestlers.
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In this case, Russo worked tirelessly to turn Bill Goldberg into a heel. Some wrestlers are just better as babyfaces and that was the case for Goldberg. Russo's mistake ended up creating a lot of confusion around Goldbergs career.
9 Kim Chee: Overall Silence
The worst decision that Kim Chee made was when he stuck around after Harvey Whippleman came in as the main manager for Kamala. It was the industry's mistake to try and pair two barely talking individuals together, but it was Kim Chee's mistake to stay around when Whippleman was added to the show.
This addition resulted in Kim Chee awkwardly standing off to the side while Whippleman and Kamala ran the show. It was a terrible decision for his career to stand around as an obviously second tier manager.
8 Bruno Lauer: Harvey Whippleman
The only noticeable element that Whippleman brought to the table was the massive size difference between him and his wrestlers, such as Kamala, Sid Justice, and Giant Gonzalez. The worst decision that he made was spending more time talking on the mic than actually helping out any of his wrestlers.
There wasn't much he offered as a manager. Whippleman basically spent the majority of his career trying to develop a gimmick centered around being a short angry man. He invested more time on the mic than actually developing any of their careers.
7 Daivari: Voice For The Voiceless
Since Khali couldn't actually speak for himself (very well), it forced Daivari to do the majority of the talking for him. This was obviously an awkward dynamic that just didn't work. Daivari ended up flopping as a manager and went back to wrestling for a while. It ultimately was too much for him to be both the voice for himself and Khali, regardless of them both being heels.
Some will argue that Daivari would have been utilized better as a wrestler opposed to working as a manager. However, the dumbest mistake he ever made for his career would be switching from Muhammad Hassan to Khali.
6 Estrada: Took The Spotlight
A good manager is one that can find a balance between stealing the stage and being too far out of the light. It's about building a duo with whoever they are managing and bringing an extra layer to their wrestler's character.
Sadly, Estrada and Umaga couldn't find the balance they needed to ensure that Umaga would be the heel that the industry needed him to be. Estrada got caught up in the attention he was getting, neglected their direction as a duo and decided to be more of a face than a heel. Ultimately he was then detrimental to Umaga career.
5 DiBiase: The Undertaker Feud
How do you tell a veteran of the ring that its time to hang up the gear and call it a day? It seems no one mustered up the courage to tell Dibiase that his blunders in his managerial career was ruining the legacy he had forged in his wrestling career.
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The rookie mistake Dibiase made as a manager, which ultimately had fans questioning his credibility, was the overly hyped but relatively fruitless Undertaker Vs. Undertaker feud. DiBiase got Brian Lee to dress up as The Undertaker and face the real one at SummerSlam 1994. Hardcore fans found the match to be more of a marketing scheme than an actual storyline since the fake Undertaker never made another appearance.
4 Arnold Skaaland: Throwing In The Towel
Arnold Skaaland is a bit of a paradox in the sense that he was able to carry two of WWE's biggest stars dury the peak of their careers (Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund) but still ends up as one of the worst managers to grace the ring. His TV game was lacking as he had nearly no charisma and repeated the same ordeal every time.
The biggest mistake that he made however, was his inability to put on a good attitude ended up costing the two wrestlers many promos. He also ended a match for Backlund by throwing in the towel, costing him his title. It is still a mystery how he was able to keep these two on top, it definitely wasn't his charisma.
3 Paul Heyman: Worse Than Perfect
Paul Heyman is arguably one of the greatest managers in the history of WWE. However, that doesn't mean that he hasn't made a few blunders along the way. For example; his failed attempt at kick-starting Curtis Axel's career.
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Since Heyman had such a great reputation they paired the two up in hopes of launching Axel's career. Sadly, Heyman was disinterested and chose not to put in the effort to push Axel to the top. He was then sent back to manager Lesnar. This ended up not being received well by fans and his choice to neglect Axel gained him far more criticism than anticipated.
2 Marlena: No Effort Whatsoever
Some of the best managers spawn out of successful real life relationships. For example; Miss. Elizabeth was a beloved character and successful manager for Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, as she added to the storyline and helped move their careers forward. Of course, Elizabeth was famously known as the wife of The Macho Man. However, this same dynamic didn't work as well for Goldust and his then wife.
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Sadly, Marlena's time managing Goldust was nothing but a bad match and ultimately hurt his career. She added no real character or input to his gimmick, which just resulted in her being more eye candy than managerial talent. The worst decision that she made was after she realized she was getting fame, she sought to bring more attention to herself and not Goldust, consequently damaging his career.
1 Sharmell: The Queen
There isn't much to say about "Queen" Sharmell since the majority of her managerial career she just played the damsel in distress. Sometimes it's not a single decision that ruins a managers credibility but it's their choice of approach that crushes their reputation.
While Sharmell was the manager for King Booker she basically acted hysterically until her "King" could come and save her. This obviously got tiresome after awhile and instead of rebranding, she stayed with the tired act.
