WWE News: Triple H addresses the recent signings of Stokley Hathaway and Robbie E and the futures of managers
What's the story?
One of the most overlooked aspects recently in WWE has been the use and importance of the manager.
WWE recently signed both Stokley Hathaway and Robbie E to NXT, and each man recently debuted at NXT Live Events as managers. 411Mania.com covered Triple H's thoughts on managers during his WrestleMania/TakeOver: New York conference call.
In case you missed it . . .
Other than Paul Heyman, an advocate, and the likes of Zelina Vega, Lana, and Maria Kanellis, there aren't any throwback managers in WWE.
WWE signed Hathaway and Robbie E in one of its recent batches of recruits to the Performance Center, and each man has already debuted at NXT Live Events as advocates/managers.
The heart of the matter
'The Golden Age of Managers' was nearly 25-30 years ago when the likes of Slick, Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fu, Harvey Whippleman and even a young Paul Heyman all had clients which they 'represented'.
Over the last few years, outside of a Zelina Vega or Lana and mostly Paul Heyman as the advocate for Brock Lesnar, there are very few credible managers in WWE and NXT.
WWE might have noticed that problem since not every superstar should talk or some should talk less (Natalya, Tamina, Apollo Crews, Heavy Machinery).
With the recent additions of Hathaway and Robbie E to the roster, Triple H was asked about their potential and the future o managers in the business.
The Game answered 'that different talent causes changes in the business and that he thinks managers are making a come back'.
Robbie E was an active performer with TNA/Impact and is a former TNA Tag Team Champion and former X-Division Champion.
Triple H mentioned that 'Stokley and Robbie E have more to offer than just being good talkers', perhaps alluding to each man's former in-ring skills.
Hathaway debuted as Court Moore as an advocate for the enormous Babatunde Aiyegbusi while Robbie E debuted under his real name, Robert Strauss, as the manager for Saurav Gurjar and Rinku Singh. He said that he was building a brand with international talent.
What's next?
Personally, I am all for adding more managers to the business and mainly WWE as a whole. That doesn't mean every other wrestler needs a manager, but several superstars could be helped out by having someone else speak for them.
Natalya often gets mic time, but unless it was about her father, her delivery is strange and she doesn't seem natural at all.
And guys like Apollo Crews and Ricochet don't seem all that comfortable on the mic but that is more than made up for with the fantastic athletic ability.
Managers help bridge the gap between language barriers also, so I wouldn't be surprised if more are signed in the coming years.