Pro Wrestling Managers: The 50 Most Insane Manager Moments in Wrestling History

A pro wrestling manager's main goal is to assist a wrestler in the process of getting over and connecting with the audience.

Wrestling managers are valuable on the strength of their charisma and ability to connect with fans, and while their main objective is to highlight the positives of certain performers, in many cases the manager becomes the key performer and is thrust into the spotlight. 

There is a noted history of insane manager moments, spanning across the many eras, generations and promotions. 

Given the countless amount of over-the-top managerial moments, an argument can very easily be made in favor of yet another golden age of managers in mainstream pro wrestling. 

50. Jimmy Hart Sings 'Eat Your Heart Out, Rick Springfield'

Jimmy Hart is definitely in the discussion as one of the all-time great managers, but he is also one hell of a singer as well. 

Hart showed off his vocal chops in a very entertaining rendition of "Eat Your Heart Out, Rick Springfield" during the 1986 Slammy Awards.

49. Michael Cole Eats His Words with Barbecue Sauce Added

Michael Cole received his comeuppance for a string of brilliant heel behavior at WWE Over the Limit in 2011. 

Following a quick loss to Jerry Lawler, Cole took a Sharp shooter from WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, and was drenched in barbecue sauce. 

48. Bill Goldberg Answers Teddy Long's Whiteboy Challenge

Theodore Long is heavily neutered these days, but when he gets good material to work with the man is virtually unstoppable. 

While playing a militant manager of up-and-coming ethnic star Rodney Mack, Theodore Long instituted the 5-minute white boy challenge as he challenged any Caucasian male to avoid defeat at the hands of his prospect in under five minutes. 

The first man to not only achieve such a feat, but to beat Mack as well was Bill Goldberg, who was technically Jewish.

47. Chyna Debuts, Roughs Up Marlena

Chyna was unlike anything anyone had ever seen in pro wrestling.  Her memorable debut came as the enlarged woman played a "fan" who assaulted Marlena as Triple H and Goldust were about to come to blows.

Chyna would go on to manage Triple H and then have one of the most successful female careers in the company's history.

46. Shelton Banjamin's Mama Debuts

Following a nice, long, inexplicable losing streak on RAW, former WWE Star Shelton Benjamin returned to his locker room a dejected and defeated man. 

To his surprise, his newest manager would temporarily revive his career in the WWE.  That manager turned out to be his mama.

45. Al Wilson Marries Dawn Marie

In one of the few pro wrestling weddings that went off without a hitch, Torrie Wilson's father Al Wilson married Dawn Marie on SmackDown. 

44. Nidia Gets Misted by Tajiri

Former Tough Enough contestant Nidia received her biggest push as the girlfriend of celebrated redneck Jamie Noble.  The arc of their relationship climaxed with an inter-gender match between the two, after a feud was sparked when Tajiri spit mist into Nidia's face. 

The misting of Nidia made it easier for Noble to take advantage of his blinded girlfriend in order to help him win matches.

43. Bobby Heenan Says a Bad Word on Live Television

Bobby "the Brain" Heenan is one of the greatest managers of all time, if not the greatest.  One of Heenan's more out-of-control moments came spontaneously when Brian Pillman accosted the legendary manager while Heenan was on commentary.

With Heenan being legit surprised by the actions of Pillman, Heenan immediately responded by cursing on live television.

42. Chavo "Classic" Wins WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Mexican wrestling veteran Chavo "Classic" Guerrero was brought into the WWE to manage is son Chavo Guerrro Jr. 

However Chavo Classic would eventually become involved in the WWE Cruiserweight Championship picture, eventually becoming the oldest WWE Cruiserweight champion in history when he defeated Spike Dudley and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Triple Threat match.

41. Anything ECW Announcer Joel Gernter Said

Joel Gertner was one of the better non-wrestling personalities not only in ECW, but in wrestling.  With live crowds constantly eating out of his hands and hanging onto every word he said, Gertner had them from "Well, well, well..."

One of Gernters' better promos was in Canada during the short-lived ECW television program on TNN. 

40. Mr. Fuji and Hillbilly Jim Battle in a Tuxedo Match

Hillbilly Jim and Mr. Fuji will always be revered as two of the more colorful characters in WWE, so when the two became embroiled in a feud there was no doubt that it was going to at least be interesting. 

Fuji and Hillbilly Jim's competed in a Tuxedo match, with the winner being the first man to successfully remove all articles of the other individuals' tuxedo.  The match wasn't pretty, but the two tried their best to be entertaining.

39. Flair, Evolution, Eugene, and a Bounce House

WWE got some significant mileage out of the Eugene character, and one of his brighter moments came against the elite heel stable otherwise known as Evolution. 

This segment, featuring Evoluion and the stables' manager in Ric Flair was one of the more entertaining interactions Eugene had with Evolution.  

38. Hornswoggle Blows Up the Ring

Hornswoggle is one of the more prominent non-wrestlers/managers in wrestling today, although he is known more of an occasional wrestler in his present form. 

Coach has also been known for his managerial ways, and when the two got together for a feud, their strife featured over-the-top actions such as this instance when Hornswoggle blew up the WWE ring with coach still in it.

37. Nicole Bass vs. Debra McMichael in an Evening Gown Match

Nicole Bass had a brief run in the WWE during the attitude era as she was involved in a love triangle featuring Val Venis and Debra McMichael. 

Bass' feud with McMichael came to a head when the amazonian woman participated in a very physical evening gown match with the former beauty queen.

36. Lou Albano Lies About Pro Wrestling

Legendary pro wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano made quite the fool of himself and may not endeared himself to his wrestling brethren with this sham of a lie detector stunt he agreed to participate in on national television.

35. Vickie Guerrero Takes a Tombstone Piledriver

Who knew Vickie Guerrero would pan out into such a gamer/elite manager upon her early days with WWE where she was kept on staff simply as a means to support the late Eddie Guerrero's family. 

One of Guerrero's greatest hits early on in her managerial career featured the top heel taking a devastating tombstone piledriver like a champ. 

34. ECW's Francine Takes the "Total Elimination"

A rather controversial staple of ECW that made the cult-promotion what it was, was the man-on-woman violence that always seemed to pop bloodthirsty crowds. 

The poster child for this type of abuse featured a Total Elimination finisher on ECW pioneer Francine by ECW tag-team the eliminators.

33. Vickie Guerrero Loses a Pig Slop Match to Santina Marella

With the WWE under the impression that Vickie Guerrero was to take time away from wrestling in order to have the audacity to spend time with family, the company put forth its best efforts to embarrass the top heel manager.

As part of said efforts, Guerrero was featured in a pig slop match against Santina Marella where she was made to virtually bathe in a sea of pig filth. 

32. Mae Young Takes a Power Bomb off the Stage from Dudley Boyz

Mae Young is one of the toughest women in WWE history, if not one of the toughest all-around individuals. 

In one of her feats that defied logic, the WWE's resident senior citizen took a crazy bump when she was power bombed off the stage by Bubba Ray Dudley. 

31. Shane McMahon Goes Coast to Coast on Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 23

During a memorable WrestleMania 23 contest between Bobby Lashley and Umaga, that decided whether Donald Trump or Mr. McMahon would have his head shaved, Shane McMahon made his presence felt in a managerial role when he brilliantly executed his coast-to-coast maneuver on Bobby Lashley. 

Unfortunately, this was not enough as Lashley would go on to earn the victory, forcing McMahon to have his head shaved.

30. Ed Ferrara as "Oklahoma"

In a stunt that was truly a black eye for the Monday Night Wars, former WCW Executive Ed Ferrara mimicked WWE Hall-of-Famer in mean-spirited fashion with his "Oklahoma" TV character. 

The act was universally seen as in poor taste, and was chastised in many pro wrestling circles, but how is this any different from the constant bullying in which Jim Ross is subject to these days? 

29. Paul Ellering, Legion of Doom Ride into SummerSlam on Motorcycles

Paul Ellering was one of the more hands-off managers with the Legion of Doom, but he enjoyed a legendary moment with his tag-team protegees when he accompanied the tag-team to the ring via Harley Davidsons during SummerSlam in 1992.

28. Chris Jericho, Apes Leave Stephanie McMahon Pie-Faced

The tale of Stephanie McMahon's WWE TV career simply cannot be told without the inclusion of her feud against Chris Jericho. 

One of Jericho's finest moments came with help from characters from the Planet of the Apes franchise, when Jericho and the apes literally left Stephanie pie-faced.  

27. Ariel's Lap Dance on Joey Styles

Ariel was one of the greatest WWE Managers that never was as the sexy vampire valet to equally wasted prospect Kevin Thorn. 

Ariel took a strange liking to ECW announcer Joey Styles, and during one broadcast she even gave the animated announcer a very suggestive lap dance.

26. Serena Deeb Shaves Her Head in the Name of CM Punk

Showing her devotion to the straight-edge lifestyle, former anti-diva Serena Deeb shaved her head at the behest of CM Punk, who was orchestrating a Straight Edge movement in the WWE and was in need of followers.

25. Luna Vachon and Sensational Sheri Brawl

One of the original WWE Diva feuds came between Luna Vachon and Sensational Sheri.  One of the most pivotal points of this feud came during a backstage beatdown of Sensational Sheri at the hands of Luna. 

24. James Mitchell Reveals Himself as Abyss' Father

Jim Mitchell was always talented as the sinister heel manager, and his program with Abyss, while over-the-top at times, was no different.  The program took an odd turn when Mitchell revealed himself as Abyss' father, a la Paul Bearer and Kane. 

23. Daffney Chokeslammed Through Barbed-Wire Table

Daffney is the definition of a gamer, and without a doubt has taken some of the craziest spots for a female in TNA history.

This particular spot could be considered a waste, as the TNA cameras failed to capture the entire stunt of Abyss choke slamming Daffney through a barbed-wired table. 

22. Eric Bischoff Has His Head Shaved by Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen

Eric Bischoff has had his head shaved multiple times throughout his wrestling career in multiple national wrestling promotions. 

However it was in WCW where he perfected the art, and in 1999 Bischoff received one of the ultimate forms of comeuppance for the first time.

21. Kennedy Slams Hornswoggle off of a Ladder at WrestleMania 23

Hornswoggle cut his teeth on WWE TV as the miniature manager of Finlay.  During WrestleMania 23, as Hornswoggle tried to help Finlay win that years' Money in the Bank Match, he received a WrestleMania-sized Samoan slam from atop a ladder from Mr. Kennedy.

20. Snitsky Accidentally Causes Lita to Lose Her Baby

In a storyline truly borne out of poor taste, Lita's pregnancy was killed off when newcomer Gene Snitsky caused Kane to inadvertently bump Lita, which lead to Kane's (kayfabe) wife's miscarriage.

Snitsky went on to coin the term "it wasn't my fault."

19. Jim Ross Introduces Fake Razor Ramon and Diesel

Jim Ross was given the opportunity to speak his mind about frustrations with the WWE during the mid-nineties, and as a result he became the manager of fake Diesel and Razor Ramon characters that flopped terribly. 

In reality, this was likely another example of Vince McMahon taking his frustrations out on Ross as the WWE (then known as the WWF) was getting killed in the ratings by WCW Nitro. 

18. Sable's Potato Sack "Wardrobe Malfunction"

Before the pasties, Sable showed off her goods on RAW after her overbearing husband Marc Mero attempted to subdue the WWE Diva legend with a potato sack. 

Sable rebelled, like only she could, by showing off a hot, black latex number she was wearing underneath.

17. Skandor Akbar Burns Mike Graham

The late General Skandor Akbar was a fixture in Mid-South wrestling during the territory days, and one of his more infamous moments featured the burning of fellow Mid-South mainstay Mike Graham.

16. Sandman's Wife Takes a Piledriver Through a Table from Rhyno to Continue the

To continue the theme of man-on-woman violence in ECW, the Sandman's wife became embroiled in a feud between Sandman and Rhyno.  For her troubles, she took a piledriver through a table. 

15. Tommy Dreamer Spanks Kelly Kelly on ECW TV

During the early days of Kelly Kelly, the postergirl for the WWE was more similar to her suggested real-life persona which is that of a partygirl. 

During a particularly entertaining segment of WWE's ECW program in the Hammerstein Ballroom, Kelly Kelly, then a manager for Test, received an aggressive spanking from ECW legend Tommy Dreamer much to the fan's delight. 

14. Goldust Leaves Marlena During Interview on RAW

The evolution of Goldust's character was certainly something to behold.  Once the homo-erotic bizarre character of Goldust began to grow stale, the WWE took a more real-life approach to the character of Dustin Runnels with this interview that featured a heated argument between Rhodes and his then real-life wife Marlena (who was also Rhodes' valet while he played the Goldust character.)

The segment ended with Runnels storming out of the room, effectively leaving his wife.

13. Paul Bearer Lit on Fire by the Undertaker

In an act that served as somewhat of a catalyst for Paul Bearer's character evolution, which was very little outside of a makeover that turned his hair red, the Undertaker set fire to his former longtime manager. 

As a result, Bearer's signature black hair and mustache would be no more as Bearer donned a new-look featuring red hair and no mustache. 

12. ECW's Francine Takes a Piledriver

Tommy Dreamers pile driver on Francine back in ECW was a double-win for the historically bloodthirsty ECW faithful as 1. They got to see a woman take a crazy bump and 2. They were the beneficiaries of a wardrobe malfunction.

11. Rico Orchestrates a Civil Union Between Chuck and Billy

Rico wasn't much of a wrestler, but he was certainly a better manager than grappler.  His most memorable moment came while managing the ambiguously gay duo of Chuck and Billy, whose hints of homo erotica peaked during a civil union on SmackDown orchestrated by Rico himself. 

Of course, the civil union went array. 

10. Chyna Turns on Triple H After an "I Quit" Match Against the Rock

Chyna was the longtime valet of Triple H, but that all changed during an episode of RAW in 1999 when Chyna turned on Triple H after he sacrificed a WWE title opportunity during an "I Quit" match against the Rock.

9. Paul Bearer Turns on the Undertaker During Boiler Room Brawl at SummerSlam

In a heel-turn that was heard round the world, longtime manager of the Undertaker Paul Bearer turned on his Phenom during a Boiler Room Brawl against Mankind. 

After Bearer struck Taker with the Urn, he would go on to join forces with the likes of Taker's bitter enemies Mankind and Kane.

8. Mae Young Becomes the Unlikely Winner of Miss Royal Rumble 2000

During Mae Young's relationship with Mark Henry, the horny, ageless wonder became the unlikely winner of the Miss Royal Rumble contest of 2000 despite being the oldest (and most unsightly) participant.

7. Mae Young Gives Birth to a Hand

Current World Champion Mark Henry was the proud papa of the rather disgusting hand fetus.  The angle was a blowoff of a storyline pregnancy for the elder stateswoman of the WWE, and remains one of the most infamous moments of the Attitude Era.

6. ECW's Strip Poker Episode Takes It to the Extreme

The WWE really tried to preserve ECW in its truest form at the inception of the program's relaunch, and a telling example of this fact was the strip poker tournament that was shot during ECW TV.  As Joey Styles would say, "Oh My God!"

5. Miss Liz Receives a Scary Wedding Gift from Jake "the Snake" Roberts

The first couple of pro wrestling had their wedding engagement party ruined when Jake the Snake Roberts crashed the ceremony with a rather mean-spirited gift. 

Upon opening a mysterious box, Miss Liz received a snake, striking fear into WWE's 80's sweetheart and spearheading a very high-profile feud between Roberts and Savage.

4. Paul Bearer Engulfed in Cement by the Undertaker

Paul Bearer is simply a glutton for punishment.  The longtime manager of the Undertaker was betrayed by his former proteje following a victorious effort on the Undertaker's behalf against the Dudley Boyz. 

Instead of saving his manager from being engulfed in cement, the Undertaker took a shockingly different route as he facilitated the demise of Paul Bearer until the legendary manager would miraculously return in 2010. 

3. Bill Alfonso's Bloody Brawl with Beulah McGillicutty

Bill Alfonso will always be known for his ubiquitous whistle, and scratchy, screaming voice.  Despite a managerial career that rendered him a poor man's Jimmy Hart in ECW, Alfonso will likely forever be remembered for the gallons of blood he lost during a match against fellow ECW-original Beulah McGillicutty.

2. Sable Shows off Pasties During Bikini Contest

In many peoples' minds, this may have been the greatest managerial/valet moment of all time.  Sable, the oppressed valet of then real-life husband Marc Mero, rebelled against her husband and the WWE's oppressive ways with a display that will go down in WWE history as one of the sexiest moments ever. 

During a bikini contest, Sable revealed to the world that she would not be held down by anyone's oppression as she revealed her bikini selection to be nothing more than pasties in the shape of a hand to go along with a skimpy underwear.  Who ever assisted in printing those pasties on Sable is one lucky individual. 

1. Edge and Lita Participate in a Live Sex Show

In perhaps the finest hour for the term "sex sells," Lita and Edge got together to pop one of the highest RAW ratings ever as the two celebrated Edge's WWE title win with a live sex show.  

The show pulled no punches, with the cameras inadvertently showing Lita's exposed breasts at one point, but John Cena broke up any further sexual acts before the two could officially consummate Edge's big win. 

To read about more WWE rivalries, see Big Nasty's latest B/R video entry. Follow Big Nasty on Twitter @ThisIsNasty.