WWE's 25 Worst Managers, Valets and Other Seconds Ever

The traditional manager has been all but phased out in today's WWE. 

Taking a look at some of these stinkers, you can imagine why Vince McMahon has steered away from that direction. 

A manager or valet may serve as a mouthpiece for a less vocally skilled wrestler, legitimize their gimmick or simply provide someone beautiful to ogle.

These 25 men and women do none of those things or do them poorly.

From the goofy to the boring, this list may make you nostalgic for the managerial greats like the Grand Wizard and Bobby Heenan or make you glad we've abandoned that aspect of wrestling.

25. Johnny Polo

When you factor in that Scott Levy went on to become the infinitely more entertaining Raven, the Johnny Polo idea looks even worse.

Levy did his best to rise above his ridiculous polo outfit and restrictive gimmick, but no amount of talent and charisma could save him. 

His promos showed glimpses of his charisma and the WWE liked his verbal skills enough to put him on commentary.  The misuse of his talents during his first WWE run was arguably worse than WCW saddling him with the Scotty Flamingo gimmick. 

Wrestlers managed: Adam Bomb, the Quebec Brothers

24. Oliver Humperdink

During his WWE tenure, Humperdink managed Bam Bam Bigelow who consistently outshone him on the mic.  Despite his colorful outfits and bedazzled specter, he was generally drab. 

With miniscule stage presence, he added little to promos or matches other than have his coat glitter in the spotlight.

A manager in NWA, WCW and various other promotions over his career, Humperdink's WWE career was brief and forgettable. 

The poor man's Cpt. Lou Albano didn't make the biggest mark.   

Wrestlers managed: Bam Bam Bigelow, Paul Orndorff

23. Marlena

One would think Dustin Rhodes real-life wife would have more chemistry with him, but their onscreen relationship was often tepid.

Goldust's character probably needed a normal person like her to offset his bizarreness, but Marlena didn't offer anything special.

She smoked cigars, had sexually suggestive conversations with Goldust and that's about it.  When she tried to sound sultry it came off more like disinterested. 

When she went on to manage other wrestlers as Terri Runnels, she seemed out of place. 

Wrestlers managed: Goldust, Val Venis, Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz, D’Lo Brown, the Radicalz

22. Harvey Wippleman

The main thing that Wippleman provided was a contrast in size, creating a striking visual when his little scrawny self stood next to one of his giant clients.

His mic skills were decent but not special.  With his surprisingly gravely voice, Wippleman spoke for many of his clients. 

His character had little direction.  I’m not sure if WWE was going for "angry little man" for Wippleman, but that’s all that came across.

Wrestlers managed: Big Bully Busick, Sid Justice, Kamala, Giant Gonzalez, Adam Bomb, the Brooklyn Brawler

21. Bob Backlund

The legendary former world champ, Bob Backlund was basically made into a clown during the later stages of his career.

As the Sultan (later Rikishi) or Kurt Angle’s manager, WWE had him go with a wacky Howdy Doody type gimmick, bouncing around with a goofy grin.    

Backlund put every bit of energy into his character, but the fans weren't interested.  A toned down version of the character might have worked given time.    

Wrestlers managed: Kurt Angle, the Sultan

20. Frenchy Martin

Dino Bravo's right hand man was most famous for carrying out a sign that read, "USA is not ok."

While having a undistinguished career as a manager with WWE, Martin was actually an accomplished wrestler in both Canada and Puerto Rico.  WWE's choice to take him out of the ring and slap him with a series of French cliché accessories was definitely a poor one.

At ringside, Martin did the usual distraction and interference but he neither made a name for himself nor elevated Dino Bravo's status. 

Wrestlers managed: Dino Bravo

19. Daivari

When with Muhammad Hassan, Daivari served as more of a quiet sidekick than manager.  Hassan handled himself quite well on the mic and usually Daivari just stood next to him.

While managing the Great Khali, he was given a little more to work with.

His pairing with Angle always felt awkward and forced.  It's no wonder then that their relationship ended so quickly.     

Daivari was a far better wrestler than manager and things usually only got interesting when he was physically involved. 

Wrestlers managed: Kurt Angle, Muhammad Hassan, Mark Henry, the Great Khali

18. Armando Estrada

In a typical WWE bizarre decision, a wrestler of Palestinian descent named Hazem Ali eventually got stuck with a tired, clichéd Cuban gimmick.  How far can a character based on cigars and excessively rolled r's go?

Umaga’s slick businessman handler, Estrada was somewhat over with the crowd only in that they'd cheer his trademark laugh and r rolling.   

The monster heel contrasted with a guy in a suit has been done too often and this wasn't a particular compelling version of that dynamic either.

Wrestlers managed: Tyson Kidd, Umaga

17. Yamaguchi San

The leader of the Kaientai stable is most famous for attempting to castrate Val Venis, telling him, "I choppy choppy your pee pee."

WWE and wrestling in general is no stranger to racial stereotypes, so it's not exactly shocking to have Yamaguchi lay on the accent so thick. 

Yamaguchi was asked to be a living cartoon and given very little opportunities.  Other than the Val Venis feud, Yamaguchi and the Kaientai stable did very little in WWE. 

In the end, Yamaguchi was a retread of Mr. Fuji who never got a chance to develop.

Wrestlers managed: Kaientai

16. Ranjin Singh

Less versatile than Daivari and less physically intimidating than Jinder Mahal, Ranjin Singh was Great Khali's worst manager. 

His primary job was translating for his kayfabe brother, Khali.  Translation very rarely makes for compelling television. 

While I suppose I can buy that one brother is over seven feet tall while the other is shorter than my wife, it's less believable that one brother speaks perfect English while the other speaks none. 

When someone is more well-known for their sideburns than anything they've ever done or said, it's a sign than interest in him won't last. 

Wrestlers managed: the Great Khali

15. Orlando Jordan

Had JBL been Orlando Jordan's manager and not vice versa, things would have been lot better for Jordan.

Hired as JBL's Chief of Staff, he was asked mostly to stand around with a grin on his face.

We did not see any of Jordan's personality during his managerial run and he had no presence whatsoever.  You have to attribute some of this to Jordan not having any lines or actions to deliver, but a lack of charisma didn't help him either. 

Wrestlers managed: JBL

14. Sharmell

Made worse when Booker T won the King of the Ring and the two of them began to put on airs, Sharmell was always one of the least compelling valets.

In bits with Kurt Angle, Boogey Man and Goldust, she basically played the squealing girl in the horror movie that needs to be saved.   

Usually modern female valets are asked to do nothing but be attractive, and she did that fine, it's just that when asked to do anything else her acting was contrived and she was often annoying.

Wrestlers managed: Booker T

13. Momma Benjamin

In one of many attempts to spice up Shelton Benjamin's character, WWE paired with him stand-up comedian Thea Vidale who portrayed his moo-moo wearing mother.

While there were some funny moments backstage with Momma Benjamin, her character only served to make Benjamin look weak.

While someone like the Warlord got the magic touch of Bobby Heenan, Benjamin was made to look like an ineffectual momma's boy. 

The failure of the character was the character itself not Vidale's performance. 

Wrestlers managed: Shelton Benjamin

12. Cherry Pie

How far did WWE think they could take a '50s style poodle skirt wearing, gum chewing bubbly ditz character?

Instead of giving her a persona, they gave her an era. 

So it’s no surprise that Cherry was usually just a well-endowed piece of eye candy during Deuce 'N' Domino matches.  Having such a limited character prevented her from managing anyone else. 

How silly would it be to have Cherry Pie accompany most any other wrestler to the ring?

Wrestles managed: Deuce 'N' Domino

11. Babu

As Tiger Ali Singh's manservant, Babu was made into a subservient buffoon. 

He did as Singh told, mostly making a fool of himself, getting the fans to chuckle now and again. 

The single note of the character not surprisingly quickly grew tiresome.  Babu didn't speak and was given only a caricature to work with.  

A more two dimensional version of Ricardo Rodriguez, a less compelling version of Virgil, Babu fell flat time and time again. 

Wrestlers managed: Tiger Ali Singh

10. Kim Chee

The Kim Chee character most certainly fit with Kamala thematically, but why pair a non-talking character with a character who barely speaks?

That move forced them to hire a second manager like Harvey Wippleman to serve as both men's mouthpiece.  Essentially the Kim Chee character wasted Steve Lombardi's talents forcing him to stand around and not do much at all. 

Naming him after the Korean spicy fermented cabbage dish was an odd choice as well. 

Wrestlers managed: Kamala

9. Coach

John Tolos was actually a decently successful wrestler earning himself a spot in the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. 

As Coach, Mr. Perfect's manager, he had the unenviable task of replacing the legendary Bobby Heenan.  Going from the Brain to the Coach was one of the biggest downgrades in wrestling history.   

The silly gimmick effectively hid all of Tolos' talents, having him overuse a whistle during matches and wear a shirt with "coach" printed on it to avoid confusion.

During promos, he did little but get in Mr. Perfect's way.  

Wrestlers managed: The Beverly Brothers, Mr. Perfect

8. Mini Boogeyman

The little person sidekick assigned to the Boogeyman didn't stick around long. 

His existence came about when Boogeyman feuded with Finlay and Hornswoggle.  Boogeyman "needed" a little person wrestler to back him up.

Hornswoggle is bad enough, but at least he's provided some comic relief over the years.  Mini Boogeyman was paired with a character who was supposed to be scary. 

He only succeeded in making Boogeyman seem more ridiculous. 

Wrestlers managed: Boogeyman

7. Nicole Bass

Why stick one of the most muscular women WWE's ever seen in a managerial role?  With the build she had and adequate mic skills at best, Nicole Bass would have been far more suited to kicking butt.

Dressing her in skimpy outfits despite her robust masculinity only served to make all but a select few uncomfortable. 

When she did get a shot in the ring it was usually either a pose down or an evening gown match or some silly junk that no-talent Divas should be doing.  Stiff, uncharismatic and not the easiest on the eyes, Bass as a valet was a bad idea from the get go.

Wrestlers managed: Val Venis, Sable

6. Hiroko Suzuki

Kenzo Suzuki's real-life wife served as her valet in 2004.  Her brief stay with WWE was unmemorable.

Rather than being given a persona to work with, Suzuki was one part Japanese accent, one part cardboard-flat Geisha caricature. 

Besides catfighting with Torrie Wilson and tearing each other’s clothes off, Suzuki didn't do much of anything with WWE.

Released in 2005 along with a host of other wrestlers, Suzuki now remains just a footnote in WWE history. 

Wrestlers managed: Kenzo Suzuki, Rene Dupree

5. The Ho Train

Unlike a true manager, the Godfather's ho train offered nothing in the mic or character department.  They served as a one note aspect of Godfather's gimmick and perhaps some eye candy depending on the lady.

A collection of white women dancing awkwardly around a kayfabe pimp was sure to make some people uncomfortable. 

His collection of nondescript valets certainly strengthened his character, but the concept was extremely degrading.  Though because it happened during the Attitude Era, a time of raucous debauchery all around, it didn't stand out as particularly offensive. 

Wrestlers managed: The Godfather

4. Vickie Guerrero

One of the last remaining true managers is unfortunately one of the worst. 

With a grating ambulance siren of a voice, Vickie can ruin a match by squealing at ringside.  She's been involved in various storylines which have ranged from dreadful to intriguing, but hasn't offered anything in the way of charisma or uniqueness. 

Truly you could replace her with just about anybody and not lose anything.

Wrestlers managed: Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Big Show, Edge, Tyson Kidd, Laycool, Eric Escobar, Raquel Diaz, Kaitlyn

3. Oscar

Oscar served as the hypeman for the atrociously dressed Men on a Mission in the early '90s.  His primary job was to rap as the two purple clad wrestlers entered. 

Some of the highlights of his lyrical work includes, "Slam 'em, bang 'em, then he pin 'em, pick 'em up and then he'll skin 'em."

Though Oscar's raps were cheesy and cloying, they were also mildly entertaining.  Oscar didn't bring much else to the table though. 

If he wasn't going to wrestle or do any mic work why not just bring in a real rapper?  How much cooler would it have been to have Biz Markie instead?

Wrestlers managed: Men on a Mission

2. The Genius

Randy Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo had a distinctly different career path.  As a wrestler, he often worked as a jobber.

As the Genius, he was an annoying, ineffective manager playing a snooty intellectual who read poetry and wore a graduation cap and gown.

Poffo did a fine job with what he was given.  The concept was just too silly. 

Pairing him with Mr. Perfect was a poor idea as it just hampered both of them.  Perfect would do his usual top-notch promo work but there'd be an ineffectual buffoon prancing behind him. 

Wrestlers managed: Mr. Perfect, Beverly Brothers

1. Sapphire

If you were to pair someone with Dusty Rhodes, you'd think the best choice would be someone easier to understand than the famously incomprehensible American Dream. 

Instead Rhodes was paired with the rambunctious and awkward Sapphire who spoke even less clearly.

Bad dancing and yellow polka dots highlighted a brief career.  Sapphire always looked out of place especially next to the immensely talented Sherri Martel, consistently wearing a deer in the headlights expression. 

Wrestlers managed: Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase