WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin knows a thing or two about the professional wrestling business. Just ask his six WWE World Titles. “The Texas Rattlesnake” recently discussed some of the current goings on in the wrestling world with MLW’s Court Bauer on hid podcast, The Steve Austin Show. During the conversation Austin pointed out that in today’s product there’s a lack of great managers out there.
Back in the day managers such as Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Paul Heyman, Jim Cornette and Paul Bearer were featured in top roles on TV. Austin compared a great manager to being the salt and pepper on a good steak. He’s disappointed to see such a big piece of the landscape of pro wrestling no longer prominently featured:
“You just don’t see [managers] anymore,” said Austin. “To me, they were the salt and pepper on a great steak. Such colorful, flamboyant personalities, either that mouthpiece, or that dressing, or whatever it needs to be to enhance that talent further, or be the crutch, or be an addition to, and just make that person a superstar.
“The way I grew up watching wrestling when I was seven or eight years old, and going through the territories, and having my share of managers. Whether I liked them or not, or wanted them to be with me, I learned a lot from them. To me, they’re part of the landscape that is pro wrestling.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MOyvhbDx5A
H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions