----Managers are not a main focus of wrestling in most of the major promotions. WWE has totally eliminated even using them. This area continues to use guys and girls to manage ringside. Memphis Wrestling was always popular for their managers including Downtown Bruno, Jimmy Hart, Paul E Dangerously and Jimmy Cornette. Since I was one of those guys that managed in this area for five years, I always take note of what the managers are doing around the ring and on the mic. Before I get heat for not mentioning guys like Brian Thompson, Hollywood Jimmy or Garry White in this piece, let it be said that I think those three guys are tops in the area also. But, I just wanted to take some time talking about two of the current best managers in the area and they both work for DCW – Jimmy Tidewell and Rashard Devon.
----As I have stated before, Tidewell is considered a good “hand”. If you didn’t know he was a worker, you probably would wonder what he was doing backstage. He is quite and usually just spends time getting over the angle he wants to do. He is not the kind of the guy that will go into long detail of what is going to happen. On the stuff I have did with him, it is just pretty much, “ok..here is what they want out of us” and nothing else said. Even though I do consider Thompson and Hollywood good talkers, I think I will go out on a limb here and say that Tidewell is the best talker in the area. Why?? There is so much seriousness in his delivery that he is so believable. He doesn’t do many bumps and usually when he says something is going to happen, well it happens. That style reminds me of the Paul E Dangerously character. Paul was a little bit louder, but his character was that if he said something, then it was going to happen and he was not going down. Paul said in an interview with I believe Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter that he was taught to be a manager by the Grand Wizard. His belief was to not bump, make things happen that you say and then in the final stage – babyface sends you packing with a big bump. Tidewell has followed that pattern being a top manager in NBW and jumping to TLCW at one time. At the time his move was considered big news. His character is effective and fans believe in him. If you see him take a major bump and they lay him out or something, then take that as a hint that he is taking time off or going off to another promotion.
----As much as Tidewell is a Paul E Dangerously like character, Rashard Devon is the total opposite. Rashard will admit he is not the best manager on the mic. He relies on comedy and gimmicks to get over this character. Does it work?? Yes, from the moment he comes out with his own personal theme song, the fans are giving him hell. He takes more bumps than any manager in the area even working a match this past weekend at Spring Breakout and getting electrocuted. His character is probably closer to Jimmy Hart than anyone. He does not talk as much, but he will take a beating, a punch, get his pants ripped off and even poop in his pants. Well, at least make the fans think that. Does he lose any of his heat because of all of this? He does not and it is always surprising to see how the fans reacted to him. I have seen two incidents where the fans come over the railing. They hate this guy and they love to watch him get his ass kicked. He maintains his heat by coming back over and over. Much like Jimmy Hart would have “the greatest day of my life” every time after a big beating; Rashard comes out smiling and doing more week after week. I think maybe the fans hate that more than anything. My dad always said, “Be nice to those that don’t like you. They hate that more than anything.” The Rashard Devon character thrives on that. No matter what you do to him – he is coming back and pissing you off.
----The exposure of their characters are not much different in DCW, but when Rashard Devon works MCW then he does becomes the Jimmy Hart of that promotion by going out with all the heels much like Hart had his First Family. I did the same thing during the MSWA days until Miles Long sit me down and said, “If you are going to be the top heel manager against me, then you are only going out once.” He felt that it killed my heat going out with so many people and felt I should be grouped either just with the person he was against [Christian Jacobs at the time]. Miles believed if I was with someone else, they had to be one of the top heels. Tidewell is grouped with just the top heels and follows that philosophy of little is more. His character is that he is “above” all the others [Jimmy Cornette mama money like] in the crowd. Rashard on the other hand comes off as one of the people in the crowd that made himself better – he is now in wrestling and they are sitting ringside. This is much like the Downtown Bruno character that always claimed to be from the street. A great talker Bruno would piss you off making you think – why is this little twerp on TV managing?? The main common factor these two guys do have though is getting heat and keeping it.
----Although these two guys are not seen on TV every week, they continue to draw on the tradition that guys like Jimmy Hart, Downtown Bruno, Jimmy Cornette and Paul E Dangerously brought to this area. It is good to see the art of managing is alive and well.
Photos by Brian Tramel
Upper left: Jimmy Tidewell with Dustin Starr
Lower right: Rashard Devon and Bishop
