On the ARN podcast, Arn Anderson was asked for his “Manager Mount Rushmore” and specifically whether his own manager, JJ Dillon, belonged in that conversation. Anderson confirmed that Dillon absolutely belongs, praising him for being the consummate professional who understood his role perfectly.
JJ Dillon’s Greatness
“Gotta remember. JJ, didn’t I mean when it was his term to talk, whereas articulate, he was intelligent, followed the story that we were telling. You know, he’s just incredible. He never tried to outshine us. You know, that’s a mistake that some managers make. They try to get their shit in. Other than him doing the holy gully up on the apron. It’s the only thing that he normally did. And, yeah, he belongs up there. He belongs.”
He began his career in the early 1970s, starting as a referee before becoming a wrestler and, most famously, a manager. He had an extensive in-ring career, even challenging Tito Santana for the WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden in 1984.
Dillon is best remembered as the manager for the iconic NWA faction, The Four Horsemen, which included members like Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, and Ole Anderson. In February 1989, he left WCW to become a front-office executive for the WWF (now WWE), where he worked until 1997. He later returned to WCW as an on-camera commissioner from 1997 to 1998, and again in 1999. For his contributions to the business, Dillon was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ARN with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the podcast every week at AdFreeShows.com.
