Posted in: The Eyes of a Monkey (US vs UK)The Eyes of a Monkey # 65: The Role of GM
By Doc Monk
Jun 14, 2009 - 12:11:07 PM
The Eyes of a Monkey # 65: The Role of GM
General Manager General Knowledge
General Managers have existed in wrestling since I can remember watching as a kid. Though they have been called Commissioners or even Presidents in the past, the position was still ultimately the same. The idea is basically just to have an authoritative figure for television purposes. That's just the thing though, what other purpose do these fake positions of power serve? That's why I'm here today, not just for you the reader; but also for myself. On paper even I have to admit that the idea seems beyond pointless, but to just so quickly leave it at that seems a bit on the harsh side. So in order to better understand the position and it's purpose or lack thereof, I've decided to evaluate it. With that in mind let's hop in the van and take a trip down memory lane. Yeah, I'm aware that may have been the 12th lamest line ever featured in an "Eyes" column but humor me.
The Hammerhead
My earliest memory of an authority figure in the WWE, Jack Tunney was the big decision maker in the 80's and early 90's. At least that's what we were lead to believe. In all reality Tunney had little to no backstage pull and was merely used as on screen talent much like a manager, or other non-wrestling talent. That's not to say he hasn't been involved in some memorable moments though. From "stripping" Ted Dibiase of the World title that he bought, to holding up the World title following a controversial set of matches featuring the Undertaker and Hulk Hogan. It was actually the latter that made Tunney somewhat of an enemy of mine as a kid. I was pumped when Undertaker won the belt and to have his reign become so short because of a decision that Jack made, really made him my mortal enemy.
Sure looking back I know it was all predetermined and scripted now, but as a kid you can't help but buy into the hype. While I knew the outcomes of all wrestling matches were all fake I still couldn't help but believe a little of the backstage going ons. I knew that Undertaker was scripted to beat Hogan, but that didn't stop me from being angry when Tunney made his decision to force a rematch. While in reality Jack had zero say in the manner, it was the one aspect of wrestling I fell for. I guess that's the point though, some people are able to suspend their belief enough to let themselves buy into the story for what it is. Then you have those who actually don't know any better, and as a kid I fell into that category.
Looking at that, did Tunney serve a purpose as far as being an on screen figurehead? On one hand the grown up in me wants to say no. He was a bland personality and really had a role that could have been filled by anyone. However, the kid in me just remembers growing up being bitter at 90% of the "decisions" that he made. Which brings me to my conclusion: when Tunney was put in his position it was meant to elicit a reaction. Sometimes the reaction may be good and sometimes it may be bad but any reaction is better than no reaction. So did Tunney garner a reaction from not only me but also the fans? I'd be a liar if I said no.
The Gorilla
When Tunney was phased out in 1995, his replacement would be Gorilla Monsoon. On one hand it was a shame to see the commentating team of Heenan and Moonsoon split after so many great matches called, but on the other it put somebody into the authority position that I not only respected but liked. For years I was a fan of the back and forth banter between Gorilla and Heenan so I was curious how he would do in the position. Plus as a kid it was definite upgrade in terms of going from someone who always rubbed me the wrong way to someone who always rubbed me the right way. Yes homo.
The biggest memory I have of Gorilla in this position was during the debut of Vader. After his win over Savio Vega (hi Deg), Vader would go on a rampage attacking all in his path. Gorilla realizing he was pretty tough being a former wrestler himself decided to put an end to Vader's wrath. He wound up getting a Vader bomb for his efforts in one of the more shocking moments during the early days leading to the Attitude Era.
While it was common for guys like Stone Cold to beat up the boss in later years, nobody had ever beat up an authority figure the way Vader had. To put it into perspective, imagine watching David Stern delivering a speech at a press conference only to be attacked and beat down by Dwight Howard. Better yet, imagine Barrack Obama delivering an address only to be clotheslined by one of his own Secret Service members. Sounds a bit much, but in retrospect it was unlike anything I had seen at the time.
Much like Tunney before him, Gorilla was good at drawing a reaction from the fan. The main difference in Gorilla's case was the fact that you actually cared about his well being and the character he portrayed. Even being quite older at the time Monsoon was in charge, I still was caught off guard by the beating. Then again wouldn't that have been the point of the segment? So for the second time in a row I have to say I bought into the production hook, line, and sinker.
The Sarge
Unfortunately for Monsoon, his real life health problems would force him out of his role and in 1997 a new man took over. That man was none other than Sgt. Slaughter. That's right, the same guy who shot a bazooka in Hulk Hogan's face at the conclusion of Wrestlemania VII was now in charge of the whole show. To his defense, Hulk Hogan fucking sucked and deserved to be shot in the face (no homo this time). That still didn't help Slaughter's major flaw, he was about as boring as watching a picture that Jeff Hardy painted, dry. You see what I did there, Jeff Hardy is boring and so is watching paint dry. No imagine how boring things are when the two paths cross.
That's the thing about Slaughter, his run as commissioner was pretty uneventful outside of his feud with Degeneration X. The problem with that feud, was that I felt that Slaughter's role could have been played by anyone. The idea of Slaughter feuding with these Degenerates was that as a former drill sergeant he'd make them respect him. Outside of coining the phrase "Degenerates" he really didn't accomplish anything though. Week in and week out he just came off looking weak. He even went as far to job to Triple H during this time to try and help move the feud over. In the end though, Degeneration X was simply too big for their authoritative counterpart.
As a GM your job is simple; make the fans care enough to love or hate you. If you aren't a good speaker, then you need to make up for it by being an above average worker. You simply need to have something redeeming about yourself, and unfortunately I just felt that Slaughter was the equivalent of a transitional champion in terms of calling the shots. Following Sarge's very brief term, he would turn over the reigns to HBK oddly enough as a way to keep the semi retired Michaels on television. Unfortunately we never really got to witness the full potential of this due to Shawn's demons that caused his appearances to be sporadic to say the least. It would be another authority figure who would reveal himself turning this time that is truly worth mentioning though.
The Boss
Stone Cold's KOTR victory and eventual World title reign would be two of the things that helped kick the Attitude Era into high gear but it would be Austin's feud with the boss that would really take things to a new level. It hadn't been long since Vince stepped out from behind the commentating booth and broke character during the Bret Hart feud, and let everyone know he was the true boss of the WWE. The “Montreal Screwjob” would make Vince the ultimate heel and would set up the eventual collision with Austin. On one side you had the ultimate anti-hero and badass and on the other you had the evil boss. It was television at it's finest and television that practically wrote itself.
The premise the entire feud revolved around was as simple as can be, it simply relied on your average Joe being able to relate to the thought of wanting to hit their boss. So when you already had a blue collar character they could relate to in Austin, against the guy they loved to hate how could you go wrong. Having been around the business for so much of his life, Vince knew how to work the character of the "asshole authority figure" and played it perfectly. Maybe even too well, they do say the most believable characters to play are those closest to your true identity.
In fact, being the boss it's almost unfair to assess how Vince played a boss. Still you simply can't deny the endless entertainment caused by watching Vince get his ass handed to him week in and week out. Sure the scenarios almost always played out the same as did the result, but that didn't stop countless numbers of people from tuning in every week. Vince became the first of the authority figures to actually try and garner heel heat on purpose and it would open the door for changes in the way that the position was perceived.
With that being said, to call Vince's portrayal of an asshole boss anything less than successful would be a huge discredit to Vince's role in the Attitude Era. I'd even say it could be argued that nobody has been able to get the same negative reactions that Vince got during this time.
The Madman
While Vince McMahon brought the first true heel persona to the position Mick would do the polar opposite. While previous figures of authority were meant to be impartial and were out to make the right decision, Mick Foley was more about pleasing the fans. He was constantly guilty of showing extreme bias especially towards the likes of Kurt Angle and the duo of Edge and Christian, furthering playing up his role to the fan. Then there was of course the "cheap pops", something that Foley made famous.
As far as ground breaking decisions, I don't really recall Foley making many if any. That wasn't the point of his character though. While Vince always gave the advantage to the heels in an effort to take down the head face in Austin, Foley tried to do the same for the good guys. He would often put the heels in less than favorable situations to sway things back in the faces favor.
Again I'm left with the same conclusion, while Foley didn't really contribute much in the way of big decisions he was by far one of the most entertaining people in the spot. He also helped finalize the heel/face authority split showing that you can have biased officials for either side. So while Foley's decision making didn't turn heads, he actually became one of the more entertaining parts of the show during his tenure. How can you not call that a success.
The Brit
Regal was a true trailblazer in his position. He drank the piss of an American and kissed the ass of an American, and managed to join the losing side of the Alliance/WWE war. Typically fucking Brit behavior.
The Nature Boy
When the Alliance crumbled Ric Flair would become an on-screen talent with the explanation that Shane and Steph sold their shares of the WWE to him making him co-owner of the company with Vince McMahon. Not only would this be a big deal because it would mark the return of Flair to wrestling following the fall of WCW, but it would also plant the seeds for the first major Authority vs Authority feud pitting Flair vs Vince McMahon. Looking back this would actually be the feud that would plant the seeds for the General Manager role as we know it today. Much like they brands are split now, during the feud Flair would control Raw and Vince would control Smackdown in a move to give them equal power.
Flair's position was mainly used as a catalyst for his feud with Vince as well as a way to get the Hall of Famer onto television but it all made for good programming. I mean you took one of the best workers of all-time and put him in a feud with the guy who can just be a heat magnet when he wants to be, how could it go wrong. Eventually Vince would get the best of Flair via Brock Lesnar interference and regain complete control of his company. This would also led to the role of General Manager becoming what we know it as now.
Seems like I'm starting to see a theme here. With each role it becomes less about making "important decisions" and more about just making entertaining television. Something that when Flair is on screen is more than capable of doing.
Easy E
The most shocking pick to date and one of the first true people to be put into the official "General Manager" position. The scene of Vince McMahon hugging Eric Bischoff on Raw will forever been burned into my brain as one of those moments I thought I'd never see. For years these two went back and forth during the Monday Night Wars and even before that Eric Bischoff had unsuccessfully auditioned to be a WWE announcer. Never mind the dirty tactics that Bischoff was known for, including announcing Raw spoilers before the show went on the air. Now here he was, ironically as the figurehead of the show that he has bashed years prior.
As General Manager he continued to play up the heel personality that he had become famous for in his late WCW days. His character would be an improvement over some people who had filled the position before, as even through his extreme bias toward heels he still was able to make unbiased decisions from time to time. Though awarding Triple H the world title for nothing was not one of them. With new concepts like the Elimination Chamber as well as Raw Roulette, Bischoff tried to bring a fresher more involved approach to the character. Instead of simply using the character to continue feuds they actually featured Eric in several segments throughout each broadcast.
Not that Bischoff wasn't involved in a major feud, it was more structured in the way the Flair/Vince feud was. The main difference here would be that Eric and Stephanie (we'll get to her in a second) had more of a competitive feud as opposed to one that was building towards a big payoff bout.
In terms of the role he played, to this day nobody has played it better. Also to his credit, he lasted longer than anybody else in that role even though he was featured in more segments than any of his counterparts. So yeah, chalk up another one in the success column.
The Boss's Daughter
No stranger to authority, Steph had been part of the McMahon-Helmsley era as well as being the "owner" of ECW. Neither of these roles is the reason she's on this list though. While Bischoff was appointed as the evil face of Raw, Stephanie was appointed as his counterpart; the "good girl" of Smackdown. While Eric was the type of personality who Vince could relate to, and was often supportive of his evil schemes, Stephanie would go a different route. Instead of concentrating on making decisions for her own enjoyment, her character was one that made decisions with the best interest of the Brand in mind. However, her ideas were often considered brash and would conflict with Vince's thought of where the company should go. The biggest such instance came when Stephanie brought Hulk Hogan back to the WWE.
As if a General Manager vs General Manager feud wasn't enough, Stephanie's decisions and lack of support for Vince's desire to bang Sable would lead to the first Daughter vs Father match. While the thought of an inter-gender "I Quit" match between father and child seems a bit crazy on the surface, much like a bad car accident you couldn't help but be enthralled with what you were witnessing. Losing this match would be her last appearance on television for some time and paved the way for the revolving door that would become Smackdown General Managers.
Again, much like Bischoff you couldn't deny the entertainment value in Steph's character. Clearly she had taken after Vince rather than Linda "Don't Call Me Stone Face" McMahon, and demanded your attention every time she appeared on the show. Yet another win for entertainment value.
In Conclusion
When you ask the importance of General Managers it seems like a tricky question with a complex answer but it really isn't. You see, as I've mentioned throughout this column they don't need to serve the same duties as a true General Manager nor do they carry the same responsibilities. No they simply need to be able to entertain. That's what it boils down to at the end of the day. Are they able to generate a reaction from the audience, good or bad? Don't get it wrong though, can't just any Joe take on that role. While wrestlers have the benefit of covering up for their lack of speaking skills with wrestling ability a general manager does not. They are burdened with the task of having to get over with only the use of a microphone.
Not only must they get themselves over but they also need to generate interest in the storyline and matches and generate a character for themselves. So while some may call Vickie Guerrero a pointless character, few can deny the true heat she generated. At the end of the day that's what it is all about, making the fans give a shit. After all, if some guy on the Internet is willing to take the time to bash them then they must be doing something right. As a character looking to make somebody care, the simplest thing to remember is; if you didn't care you simply wouldn't care. The fact that I just wrote this and you just read this, means somebody did something right. Except for Mike Adamle, fuck that guy.
So when and if Ric Flair or random guy # 38 are announced the new General Manager of Raw, is it really pointless? No, because the point is simply to entertain. Like it or not, WWE is about more than just wrestling (thus the "E") and you shouldn't look at the General Manager as simply a person who takes time away from matches. Instead look at them as a protagonist whom adds different elements to the overall broadcast. That's the job they play, and the importance lies within their role to connect the dots of the various segments of the show.
Well that's going to about wrap this edition up, I know I could have touched on a few areas a bit more but for a change I was actually restricted a bit with the word count (that's new for me). Rather than just skip around and only do the "best of the best" so to speak, I decided to take an unbiased look at the position and see what conclusion I came to. Therefore some of the newer guys got left out, but those are the breaks sometimes. So I guess all that's left to say is: I'll see you guys in the trenches.
As always I am the Monkey, and you've just seen the world through my eyes.
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