Wrestling Manager Trios That Changed the Game in 3 Eras

Description

Old-school wrestling fans savor the wild antics of heel wrestling managers. Now mostly out of vogue, they once created joyful chaos. And for three of wrestling’s most flourishing eras, the best came in threes! Wrestling Managers: The Triumvirate of Terror What, might you ask, is a triumvirate? Always best to ask an expert, so here it is, straight from Miriam-Webster: “A group or association of three.” Under their “Did You Know?” section, they add, “The first triumvirate of the Roman Republic, which consisted of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, was simply an alliance or partnership, not a formal institution of the government.” Of course, by now, you are asking, “What the heck does this have to do with wrestling?” The then World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF/WWF) was ruled by trios of evil wrestling managers on three separate occasions. These triumvirates of terror, trickery, and tumult were ever-present in the “E” for over 20 years. On each occasion, the terrible trio cornered the heel market and, in general, made life miserable for the reigning babyface champion and the other scientific wrestlers in the promotion. Jump with us into the wrestling time machine, and take a stroll along Memory Lane, AKA Triumvirate Terrace (just three blocks Northeast of Parts Unknown). Triumvirate I: Wrestling Managers Bobby Davis, Wild Red Berry, and Homer O’Dell The WWWF followed a very simple but highly successful formula; bring in a heel from one of the regional territories, pair him with a manager, and then build him up to near invincibility. The desired outcome of this process (nearly always attained) was the main event, a title match against Bruno Sammartino, in front of a packed crowd at the mecca of wrestling, Madison Square Garden. In many cases, this led to a second and sometimes even a third (called the blowoff) sold-out encounter at MSG. The heel would then leave the WWWF or slide down the card slightly. Enter the next heel, and the process was repeated again and again, and we could keep going because that is exactly what Vince McMahon Sr. did. Some of these heels were repackaged upon entry into the WWWF. For example, Bob Orton Sr. (known simply as Bob Orton before Junior started wrestling) was repackaged as Rocky Fitzpatrick. In addition, John Quinn, a journeyman territory wrestler, was introduced as Virgil The Kentucky Butcher. The formula included a series of TV squash matches against prelim wrestlers, followed by a win at MSG over the reigning number two babyface. In the early days, this was Dominic DeNucci, Antonio Pugliese (Bruno’s “cousin”), or Edouard Carpentier. Occasionally, a televised beatdown of Bruno’s (and later Bob Backlund’s) manager, Arnold Skaaland, was included to move the heat needle a bit higher. Let’s take a brief look at each of these members of the first triumvirate: