For The Record 5.31.09: Lawyers As Managers, Mr. Kennedy, SummerSlam

Posted by Kristopher Rodriguez on 05.31.2009

This week’s column will be a bit scattered. We’ll discuss lawyers acting as managers, the release of Mr. Kennedy, and whether or not SummerSlam should be given Wrestlemania treatment.

Let's get started…

Lawyers as Managers

In today's wrestling world, managers are scarcely used. And that's unfortunate. A manager can serve as a mouthpiece for those with limited promo skills. Heel managers can help undeserving wrestlers win matches by distracting referees or attacking unsuspecting competitors. Managers can also remind the audience of their client's strengths and attributes. There are several grapplers today, including Vladimir Kozlov, Ricky Ortiz, Shelton Benjamin, Zack Ryder, Kofi Kingston, Mike Knox, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jethro Holliday, and even Evan Bourne, who would benefit from managers.

Unfortunately, they can no longer enlist the services of such notorious managers as Bobby Heenan, Mr. Fuji, The Grand Wizard, Freddie Blassie, Jimmy Hart, Sensational Sherri, Jim Cornette, Bill Alfonso, and even Paul Heyman.

Today's faces can no longer call onTeddy Long (GM of Smackdown) to coach them. They can't hire the most successful manager in wrestling history, Arnald Skaaland, to take them to new heights. Gone today are managers who will manage their wrestler's affairs after the cameras are rolling, such as Paul Ellering.

Today's wrestling world has very few managers. There's Ranjin Singh, Tony Atlas, Natalya Neidhart, and Sharmell (Booker T's wife), but by and large the role of manager has diminished since the Attitude Era.

Today's top level wrestlers need to be able to compete at a high level, articulate clearly, and get over without a sidekick. In a sense, the absence of managers has forced many wrestlers to become more well-rounded. However, in another regard, it has stalled the pushes of talented wrestlers who could use the heat of managers to get over with live crowds. A competitor like Vladimir Kozlov would probably be world champion by now if he had Paul Heyman putting him over.

Is it time for a new generation of wrestling managers? Not necessarily. However, there are ways of integrating characters into a wrestling program that can help other wrestlers get heat.

Take for example the lawyer-manager dynamic. I think WWE and TNA are missing the ball by not having an attorney representing on-air talent. Some wrestlers that never got the opportunities they deserved could call upon an attorney. The attorney could allege that company officials are creating an unjust working environment for his client. They could use their legal power to leverage certain opportunities for underutilized talent.

A lawyer manager could accompany a wrestler to the ring and make sure the referees are doing their jobs. Controversial finishes could be challenged by whiny lawyers. Such situations could help garner massive heat for some heels.

An attorney might be used to keep the hands of general managers and company officials tied. Clarence Mason was great at doing that. In fact, for those of you who watch WWE Classics on Demand, take a look at Raw from 10/2/95. One night after Shawn Michaels and Diesel won the Tag Team Championship from Yokozuna and the British Bulldog, Clarence Mason manipulated Gorilla Monsoon to strip Michaels and Diesel of the tag titles because Diesel pinned a non-participant (Owen Hart). It was a bogus, yet brilliant way for a lawyer-manager to use his powers as an attorney to get his way.

We also need not look back much further than a few months ago. The week after Randy Orton kicked Vince McMahon in the head, he brought out his attorneys and claimed that he had IED (intermittent explosive disorder). He thus claimed that he wasn't responsible for his actions and he had his attorneys to back him up. The very presence of the attorneys escalated the storyline and provided Orton with leverage. Attorneys can have a very powerful effect.

Lawyers are disliked by much of the general population. Today's lawyers are viewed as overly litigious, opportunistic, and unscrupulous. They are naturals for attaining heat. And a few good on-screen lawyers would do a great deal for the likes of Brian Kendrick, Shelton Benjamin, and Zack Ryder.

Today's wrestling world doesn't need a bunch of managers. But it would be helpful to a handful of superstars to give them somebody to advocate on their behalf. Having a lawyer-manager is one way to go, but there are certainly other ways as well.

Kennedy's Release

Note: This article was submitted at around 2:00 PM on Saturday. My thoughts on Kennedy's release could change depending on how the story develops.

Mr. Kennedy was released from WWE on Friday. I for one was quite surprised. WWE has always tried to push Kennedy to the top. He won Money in the Bank in 2007 and was likely primed for a world title run. But an untimely injury derailed that push. He was also rumored to be Vince McMahon's "illegitimate son", but that storyline was scrapped because of wellness issues. He then went down with another injury in 2008, and yet WWE still had him star in Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia during his hiatus. And even as recently as last week, WWE seemed prepared to put Kennedy in a title program with Randy Orton.

Despite all of that, Kennedy was released. There are rumors that he was let go because of a botched suplex on Orton from last week's Raw. If his release was based in part on his in-ring mistake, I wonder if he was partially blamed for John Cena's torn pectoral injury in 2007. Maybe WWE fears that Kennedy puts main eventers in jeopardy. However, firing Kennedy because of an imperfect suplex still seems petty. Accidents happen all the time in wrestling. Nobody is perfect. Just ask Triple H.



Some will speculate that Kennedy's wrist injury was the final straw. Kennedy has been plagued by injuries for the past two years. However, firing a wrestler because of a wrist injury also seems petty. They've been trying to push Kennedy to the moon for years. I doubt that a minor wrist problem would make all of that come to a screeching halt. There's definitely more to this story than meets to eye.

Regardless, Kennedy will probably end up in TNA. And to be honest, I think that would be awesome. TNA has put on some pretty decent shows as of late. They seem to be hitting their strides, and that's good to see. I think Mick Foley can take a lot of credit for that. He's given the show a different tone since he seized the TNA Championship. But he's also been joined by the laudable efforts of Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Eric Young, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Sting. Even the TNA Knockout Division is on an upswing. The addition of Kennedy (or whatever name he'll take) would probably be a ratings boost for TNA.

What I find interesting is that TNA consistently earns higher ratings than ECW and WWE Superstars. And with Smackdown's numbers tanking, TNA might eventually sneak up on Smackdown and make WWE sweat a little. A wrestler of Kennedy's stature might generate some interest in TNA. Letting Kennedy go might end up being a mistake for WWE in the long-term.

SummerSlam as Another Wrestlemania?

In closing, I just thought I'd throw something out there. Wrestlemania always generates major revenue for WWE. What I've always wondered is why WWE doesn't put on an extra mega-event per year. Yes, there are many logistical issues to consider when planning an event as big as Wrestlemania. Running a Wrestlemania event seems to be a stressful endeavor. With all of that said, WWE would probably make a ton of money by hyping SummerSlam as a second mega-card.

Wrestlemanias have been held in stadium structures for the past three events. Those events have been very lucrative for WWE and the host cities. Because of Wrestlemania's success, city officials across the country are begging WWE to hold their cornerstone event in their stadiums.

Given all the success WWE has had with Wrestlemanias, it only seems natural that they would want to build up a second mega-card show to drive up revenues. SummerSlam would probably be the appropriate show. We've seen how successful a SummerSlam mega-event can be. Look back to SummerSlam 1992 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. There were over 80,000 fans in attendance that night. It was an amazing event that is still fondly remembered by old school fans to this day. WWE could put on events of a similar caliber every summer.

It would also benefit the eastern states if SummerSlam became a stadium event. Since Wrestlemania is usually held in late March/early April, the big eastern cities are probably not even on WWE's radar. Weather is very unpredictable in the east, with blizzards occurring as late as April on some years. WWE can't risk holding their cornerstone pay-per-view event in cities that could be covered with snow and ice. However…

Summer generally brings good weather to all 50 states. WWE could hold a major stadium, mega-event show in areas that would generally have a 0% chance of hosting Wrestlemania.

Anyway, just thought I'd offer that viewpoint. Have a good weekend. Summer is fast approaching.