Kurt Angle and 3 other WWE legends who could return to manage current stars
Kurt Angle recently made headlines when he suggested on his podcast that he would be open to a WWE return as a manager of Chad Gable, who is currently a heel on Monday Night RAW. Angle, whom Gable has often been compared to due to the duo's stylistic similarities and shared amateur background, got fans excited by his suggestion, with many vehemently in favor of the potential pairing.
The Olympian duo is one of several dream combinations between superstars and legends that fans would love to see on-screen. These partnerships often help younger superstars get to the next level by sharing in the legends' star power and wisdom. WWE would be missing a great opportunity by not uniting these two former Olympians, and could even do the same with other icons.
After Kurt Angle's virally popular pitch, here are three other legends who could return to manage current WWE Superstars on-screen.
#3. JBL would be the perfect mouthpiece for WWE Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Grayson Waller
JBL is one of the most annoying, despised, and snobbish heels in WWE history. The 57-year-old's blue-blooded character managed to connect with the audience in a way few had seen before or have been able to replicate since. So strong was that connection that it got him a 280-day world title reign and helped launch the likes of John Cena to the main event.
Two cocky heels slowly making their mark in the Stamford-based company are Austin Theory and Grayson Waller. The current WWE Tag Team Champions are doing solid work but need a spark to ignite a higher level of connection with the audience. Having JBL in their corner would do just that, and also help him put his failed run as Baron Corbin's manager behind him.
The trio were pictured together after Night One of the 2024 WWE Draft, and judging by fan reception, the audience is ready for the potential link-up.
#2. Rikishi could have an important role to play in The Bloodline storyline as The Usos' manager
Ever since The Usos became major players in The Bloodline storyline, the WWE Universe has been clamoring for Rikishi to return and interact with them. At various stages of their dominance with, secession from and Civil War among the faction, fans have fantasy-booked the WWE Hall of Famer to return in multiple roles. Whether as a Special Guest Referee, enforcer, or mediator, The Usos' father has not shown.
The Samoan Stinker has stayed active on social media, though, often commenting on the various stages of The Bloodline's story. Since Jimmy Uso has been kicked out of the group by Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga and could reunite with Jey Uso, might it be time for Rikishi to step in? Could he take Sikoa's side and oust Paul Heyman for his loyalty to Roman Reigns?
Even if it were for just a few weeks leading up to a huge match, it would be a very popular move if the Stamford-based promotion decided to pull the trigger on it.
#1. MVP could add more WWE talent to his partnership with Omos
Since returning to WWE in 2020, MVP has established himself as one of the premier managers in the entire company. Specifically, he has excelled at showcasing black talent, managing Bobby Lashley to world title gold, the rest of the Hurt Business to tag team silverware, and Omos to big matches against Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins.
His current run with The Nigerian Giant has become a stop-start of late, with the duo appearing sporadically in the past 12 months. It would help both performers' momentum if the 50-year-old added one or two full-time stars to his clientele. Rising stars like Carmelo Hayes or a heel Jade Cargill would hugely benefit from MVP's promo skills, in turn helping Omos' relevance when he shows up.
There was a time when MVP had a client roster arguably as impressive as Paul Heyman's, and that could once more ring true.