Your lovable group of misfit wrestling readers is back again, this time to talk about one of the most beloved and reviled figures in professional wrestling--managers.

Existing somewhere in the hinterlands between a sports agent, a boxing trainer, and a hip-hop hypeman, the manager is an extension of a wrestler’s character. The manager eloquently speaks for his or her client, instigates feuds, illegally intervenes when the ref is not looking, and generally serves as a catalyst for chaos. 

We kick it off by trying to define the somewhat nebulous role of the manager. "What would you say...you do here?" Dave talks about the manager as an extension of a wrestler's character, and Chris suggests that being a manager is an act of care--speaking on the mic to help develop a character and make it work. Noell sees the role as one of crowd interaction, getting the viewers hyped up about the narrative happenings.

As part of this question, we talk about a range of managers, including "Classy" Freddie Blassie, "Captain" Lou Albano, Don Callis, Gary Hart, Jimmy Hart, Woman (Nancy Benoit), and Reginald (the Sommelier). On Jimmy Hart, Chris notes how you always believed he was working for his client--to the point where he would be wearing a blazer with his client's face airbrushed on the back!--and strove to be "punchable" as would Noell put it. We also talk about how Nancy Benoit is believed to be the first female manager (versus other roles like a valet or handler).

Noell's History Corner takes us back once again to the beginning, to the period at the infancy of modern wrestling known as The Pioneer Era (c. 1898-1942). We discuss Billy Sandow (the namesake of the former Damien Sandow) and his role as an early manager, doing  real-world work like making sure his clients, including Ed "The Strangler" Lewis, got paid. In the 1930s, Frank Smith, who managed Jim Browning, was also a writer for The Chicago Tribune. 

We close up the show with our favorite moments that were built around a manager's performance. Dave takes us back to Bob Backlund and the baggage created when his manager threw in the towel on him. Noell brings us to a favorite moment, when the star-bedecked Miss Elizabeth runs into the ring to save the Macho Man from Sensational Sherri's ire and reignite their romance. And Chris brings us to the second greatest betrayal of all time, which involved the Undertaker and Paul Bearer. 

We hope we managed to pull off a good episode for you, and we would love to hear from you on Twitter or via email with your picks for best manager!