WWE was never all about piledrivers, dropkicks, and title belts. While there have always been the biggest stars in the game, their success was to a certain extent attributable to the people who worked alongside them or were behind them, the managers and valets, characters that could be a star’s career, bring more depth to the storyline, or simply add more spectacle to the event. Whereas some were masterminds, others were just scene-stealers, and some were there mainly to distract. Love them or hate them, they did a lot to shape our way of remembering wrestling. Let’s take a look at 10 of the most memorable managers and valets whose careers we are going to review from the past to the ones that we hardly noticed, but for completely different reasons.
10. Sable – The Breakout Star
Once Sable was brought into the picture at ringside alongside Marc Mero, the idea seemed quite simple; she was going to be the focus of his show. Instead, her fame went sky-high and almost immediately took over his. It did not really matter whether Sable’s presence was a mere gesture or about supporting Mero in matches; rather, she was the crowd-puller. After that, she grabbed the spotlight as one of the most famous Divas in the history of WWE in her time. Ruling that the valet can sometimes be the main event.
9. Kimberly Page – From Nitro Girl to Ringside Player
Kimberly Page was the WCW Nitro Girls’ first diva, who brought energy and excitement to Monday Nitro with her dance routines. Subsequently, she became the valet of her husband, Diamond Dallas Page. Though she didn’t completely change her husband’s character, she gave the fans a peek into his private life and was part of the show’s emotional storylines. Her role was more of a fragile one than powerful, yet she added the element of suspense to DDP’s ascent.
8. Debra McMichael – The Queen of Distractions
Debra didn’t need to do much to provoke the crowd into a reaction. As the valet to Jeff Jarrett, her presence was frequently utilized as a ringside distraction, whether it was a smile, what she wore, or getting involved at exactly the right time. Although she wasn’t heavily invested in storylines outside of her appearance, Debra became a familiar face of the late ’90s boom in wrestling.
7. Miss Elizabeth – Much Loved but Limited
Miss Elizabeth had a very warm and loving relationship with the fans, and this feeling was especially obvious when she was next to “Macho Man” Randy Savage. She was one of the WWE characters who, although being one of the most volatile and challenging for the promotion, managed to make a great combination with one of wrestling’s most magnificent personalities. However, if you get rid of all the sentiment, it is still very obvious that the career of Savage has gone on to flourish either way. The wonders of Elizabeth were more of a stellar quality and an impact on people’s feelings rather than a direct influence on the unfolding of events.
6. Torrie Wilson – A Star WCW Didn’t Fully Use
Torrie Wilson had the charisma to be a difference-maker, but WCW never quite knew what to do with its women. Her gig as Billy Kidman’s valet primarily highlighted her star power instead of his. People were captivated by her from the get-go, but she was never given a chance to become a true difference-maker in-ring something that she later showed she was capable of doing when WWE was willing to give her more space.
5. Marlena – Goldust’s Ideal Counterbalance
Goldust’s arrival was among the riskiest and most divisive gimmicks of the ’90s for WWE. Bring in Marlena, sitting in her director’s chair at ringsi, de puffing a cigar, bringing class and intrigue to his routine. Her presence mellowed some of the anti-Goldust sentiment and positioned him as more than a mere divisive character. Marlena’s appearance brought class to Goldust and added depth to his character at a pivotal moment.
4. Sunny – The First “Diva” Manager
Before “Diva” as a term was coined, Sunny had already set the standard. In her first term, she was not only spectacular to look at; she visibly produced attention and credibility for tag teams like The Bodydonnas and The Smoking Gunns, even taking them as far as title success. Although her later career was more about personality than management, Sunny’s skill in showcasing the talents of the people she was with made her invaluable during the mid-’90s.
3. Lita – From Ringside to Ring Legend
Despite eventually becoming a Hall of Famer and a trailblazer of the WWE Women’s division, Lita started as a valet for Ese Rios. Not satisfied with merely standing at ringside, she would impulsively get involved, execute daring moves, and even facilitate his victories. The fans soon recognized that she had a far greater future, and her transition from valet to superstar is one of the best success stories in wrestling.
2. Chyna – The Enforcer Who Remade the Rules
The moment Chyna appeared as Triple H’s mighty bodyguard, she created a new norm for a female valet. It was not her role to charm; rather, she was to dominate. The combination of Chyna’s power and physique with the persona of Triple H’s villain made D-Generation X the talk of the town. On top of that, she demolished barriers by showing that women could be strong characters in the male-dominated world.
1. Sensational Sherri – The Gold Standard
It is Sensational Sherri Martel, a manager who could do anything, who first comes to mind when the conversation is about the greatest ones. Sherri was the spark of every superstar she teamed with, whether it was “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, or Shawn Michaels on his way up. She could deliver promos with great effect, sneak in and perform an intervention if needed, and play a part in the storyline like no one else could. More than just part of the supporting cast, Sherri was often the factor that separated the good from the legendary. Sherri set the example for a manager or a valet to be: clever, ruthless, and absolutely indispensable.
Although managers and valets may not be the ones trading blows, WWE’s storytelling formula wouldn’t be the same without them. They had the power to ruffle feathers, intensify character traits, or just keep the viewers hooked. Irrespective of whether they were masterminds, enforcers, or pure spectacle, these 10 left their fingerprints all over wrestling history.