5 RAW General Managers and why WWE had to let them go

#3 John Laurinaitis

Johnny Ace’s transition from working behind the scenes to playing a character on camera stemmed from the infamous “pipe-bomb” promo that CM Punk delivered back in 2011.

Laurinaitis' raspy voice was a far cry from the rich baritone voice his predecessors possessed, and the fact that his character was a mere extension of his personality made it easy for him to deliver the goods on a weekly basis.

During his 9 month stint as the RAW General Manager, Laurinaitis probed and prodded at the fans’ patience, often tooting his own horn. He coined the term “People Power” in the company, giving the fans the illusion of choice.

Laurinaitis was relieved of his on-screen duties in June 2012 after Vince McMahon gave him a job evaluation. Laurinaitis reportedly expressed his desire to work fewer dates and claimed that he was getting burnt out from all the travel and performing as an on-screen authority figure. Laurinaitis was then demoted from his corporate role as the EVP of Talent Relations and was given the role of a producer in the company.