5 Most Impactful WWE Managers of 2021

#2 WWE’s MVP of the Hurt Business

When WWE brought back MVP a few years ago, it looked to be a bit of a nostalgia grab on their part. MVP came back for a few matches, performed well and many thought would be on his way. Instead, MVP has helped to save the career of Bobby Lashley.

MVP in his prime as a wrestler, was a solid worker and also solid on the mic. He cut an effective promo that helped make his mid-card matches feel special. Bobby Lashley also wrestled in the WWE during MVP’s initial run. Lashley has a look that Vince McMahon has always coveted. He looks like a million bucks and he’s athletic.

Unfortunately, despite a massive push then that included a feature Wrestlemania matchup involving Umaga, Donald Trump, McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin and then a run as ECW champion, Lashley never took off with the WWE Universe. He soon departed and dabbled in mixed martial arts as well as wrestling in other federations.

So, for a time, there was a push from WWE’s faithful to bring him back, until they got him back. Once again, Lashley was underwhelming and looked like he’d sink into mediocrity once again. Then along came MVP. With MVP handling the mic duties, Lashley’s eventual ascension to the WWE Championship felt right.

MVP’s motivation, crowd work and work at ringside all helped elevate Lashley to his highest point as a professional wrestler. He continues to be looked upon as a threat and has even performed admirably on the mic in a few of his opportunities, with the help of MVP.

Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin have not quite reached the same heights in WWE while under the tutelage of MVP. This is more of a case of WWE dropping the ball with the Hurt Business. Now that the group is reformed, hopefully WWE will let MVP go and push them as a dangerous tag team as they should be.

#1 Paul Heyman

Any list of great modern managers should begin and end with Paul Heyman. The Advocate has proven to be the perfect voice for Brock Lesnar and now, in a slightly different role, the perfect sounding board for Roman Reigns. Heyman is second to none on the mic and easily articulates the purpose of the wrestlers that he serves.

The Bloodline wouldn’t be the same without Heyman’s backstage vignettes or his work to further the cause of Roman Reigns as the true head of the table. He has elevated both Jimmy and Jey Uso just with his interaction with them.

If the WWE were ever to fully commit to having a manager with a stable under him, similar to Bobby Heenan, JJ Dillon or Jimmy Hart from the past, Heyman would be the perfect choice. He could elevate the wrestlers we talked about earlier and make them out to be as big a deal as the WWE wants each wrestler to be. He tells an excellent story and knows how to put over both his wrestlers and the opponents they face.

As Wrestlemania season draws near, WWE will undoubtedly utilize Heyman to create buzz and help develop whatever storylines they need pushed as the show of shows approaches. He will excel at it because he is the best manager in the game today.