30 Day Wrestling Challenge - Day 8 Favourite Manager

WSBF

Apr 26, 20203 min read

Over the years, wrestling managers have been utilized as coaches, sex symbols, mouthpieces and much more.

But who are our favourites? Let's find out!

BRUM - LARRY SWEENEY

My favourite manager is Larry Sweeney.

Post-Heenan, "Sweet 'n' Sour" Larry Sweeney was the quintessential obnoxious heel manager.

Don't get me wrong, he could wrestle too, but I'll always remember him for his managerial repertoire. Like all good heel managers, he assembled himself a great little faction too in "Sweet 'n' Sour Inc".

I think the thing I'll remember most about Sweeney though is the laugh. It's like a cross between Million Dollar Man & Mr Perfect and it makes you want to punch him in the face. It was great.

But because the world is shit, we'll never get to see how good he could have become.

I miss watching a lot of people in wrestling who left us too soon. There are very few of them I miss as much as Larry Sweeney.

ROSS CASEY - BOBBY HEENAN

This is probably a little obvious of an answer from me today, but sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself.

To be a WWF fan in the mid to late 1980s was to loathe Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. This loudmouth managed the best, yet he and his dastardly Heenan Family stable still took the underhanded low road whenever possible. The most obnoxious heel is the one that’s good enough to win it legitimately but still cuts corners to make situations easier on his guys.

He is simply the greatest manager of all-time in my eyes. He even convinced me a few days ago when watching Ultimate Warrior's first defence of his WWF Championship, that Haku would beat him, 30 years after the fact. He was that damn good.

Then in the 90s, in WCW he became more of a wise owl as a commentator full-time rather than being a manager. He came across neither heel nor face, just pointing out the facts of life in the world of wrestling. Heenan was the first to proclaim he was right all along after Hogan turned “Hollywood” and formed the New World Order.

Instead of cheering for Hogan, who was finally a villain, Heenan instead reminded audiences that he always knew Hogan was a liar and a cheat.

His genuine friendship with Gorilla Monsoon was a treasure to hear in the booth and possibly more so in their studio format and I defy anyone not to choke up hearing him discuss Monsoon's death on Nitro, or lamenting the fact Gorilla wasn't there the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

A weasel of a manager, a diamond of a man. Thank you for the memories, Brain.

30 DAY CHALLENGE

DAY 1 - FAVOURITE MALE WRESTLER

DAY 2 - FAVOURITE FEMALE WRESTLER

DAY 3 - FAVOURITE MOMENT YOU'VE SEEN LIVE

DAY 4 - FAVOURITE TAG TEAM

DAY 5 - YOUR FIRST WRESTLING MEMORY

DAY 6 - FAVOURITE FACTION

DAY 7 - FAVOURITE PROMOTION

DAY 8 - FAVOURITE MANAGER

DAY 9 - FAVOURITE COMMENTARY TEAM

DAY 10 - FAVOURITE ENTRANCE THEME