For decades, pro wrestling managers have served to elevate talents and create memorable moments, usually embarrassing fashion. In the 80s, managers were commonplace in WWE, with nearly every performer coming to the ring with some kind of charge, like Mr. Fuji or Jimmy Hart, by their side. As time has passed, the role has become less common, with Vince McMahon and WWE deciding to showcase talents independently, with rare exceptions like the pairings of Paul Heyman with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.
At the moment, Heyman is arguably the only regular WWE main roster manager since MVP has become something of an infrequent presence on-screen. However, another managerial character is waiting in the WWE NXT wings, Mr. Stone. Stone is currently aligned with Von Wagner but has previously seconded current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green and Aliyah, among others. The manager role is somewhat new to Stone compared to the twenty years he spent outside of WWE as an in-ring competitor known as Robbie E.
In a Haus of Wrestling exclusive interview, I asked Stone if he initially signed with WWE under the impression he would be used as a manager.
“I know there were some ideas for roles for me, but I didn’t know what the roles were,” he explained. “And then when I got here within the first month, it was kind of like, ‘Do you have interest in that?’ And I was like, ‘You came to the right guy.’ Because, again, we all know wrestling isn’t ballet, right? It’s very physical. And for someone who’s doing it, as long as I have, my body’s beat up.
“I mean, to still get to be an on-air character, and not, I mean, I still do get beat up a lot, but not have to get beat up as much all the time. It’s great. And plus, you know, managers are kind of a new thing back in wrestling now these past few years. They’re few and far between. Let’s be real, less competition. Everybody’s trying to be a wrestler. Everyone’s trying to be the World Champion. This is kind of a spot where I’m not in competition with everybody else. So, it’s kind of cool. But also I think I’m a perfect fit for it. I really embrace it. And I enjoy it.”
As referenced, McMahon primarily phased out the role of managers through the 90s, and they have only occasionally been brought back into rotation ever since. It was just last year, though, that McMahon began his temporary retirement in the wake of a slew of allegations. While he was gone, Paul “Triple H” Levesque assumed the Chief Content Officer role and began to make some changes to the WWE formula. While we haven’t seen Stone or other managers infused into the main roster product yet, it’s entirely possible we will.
Stone has been with NXT for over four years and had the chance to work directly under Levesque before the former DX leader’s advancement up the creative ladder to Raw and Smackdown. Shawn Michaels is currently in charge of NXT, but I wanted to know what Levesque’s thoughts on the role of managers are considering his considerable creative sway.
“I think he maybe just liked it as a child, or when he was younger, and just kind of felt, ‘Hey, this is a kind of a cool thing to bring back,'” he said. “I mean, at one point, he didn’t even tell me when I first started, throughout maybe when I was doing the stuff feuding with Rhea Ripley or Shotzi.
“At some point, he kind of said I was a modern-day Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan. And obviously, that was a huge compliment that I really appreciated. But you could tell he just, you know, whether, when he was younger, or whatever, he liked those managers and thought it was just a cool thing to bring back.”
Mr. Stone can be seen every Tuesday night at 8/7c on USA as part of WWE NXT
My entire conversation with Mr. Stone can be found in video form on Premier Streaming Network and on the Haus of Wrestling podcast feed.
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