Professional wrestling authority figures

This list brings together authority figures – people who hold on-screen power – in professional wrestling promotions or brands within North America. The North American wrestling industry portrays authority figures as responsible for making matches, providing rules and generally keeping law and order both in and outside of the ring. The role can vary according to disposition. A face authority figure, e.g. Theodore Long, tends to give what the fans want and favors fellow face-wrestlers. Heel authority figures tend to run their shows out of their own self-interest: Eric Bischoff exemplifies this type.

WWE authority figures

See also: WWE

From its founding in 1963 to 1997, WWE/WWF looked to a President as an authority figure: the President had booking power and controlled all wrestlers. However, in 1997, the Commissioner replaced the President, with Sgt. Slaughter serving as the first WWF Commissioner. During the Attitude Era (1997-2002), not only the Commissioner, but also Vince McMahon (through his position as WWF Chairman under his evil character "Mr. McMahon") had booking power. McMahon usually used his power in order to haze his kayfabe nemesis, Stone Cold Steve Austin. When Shawn Michaels served as Commissioner, he could overrule McMahon, but he exercised his booking power only sporadically, and was working with an "Iron-Clad" contract where he couldn't be fired. When Mick Foley acquired the position, he took full reign until he was fired from the position.

Upon splitting the WWE into two separate brands in the WWE Brand Extension of 2002, on-screen co-owners Vince McMahon and Ric Flair proceeded to draft WWE wrestlers into two separate rosters. Flair took ownership of Raw, while McMahon controlled SmackDown. After McMahon regained control of the entire company, he removed Flair from control of Raw, relinquished his own position and appointed separate General Managers to control the different brands.

On July 18, 2011, Triple H came to Raw and told Vince McMahon that the Board of Directors (kayfabe) revoked his "day-to-day operation power" and named him to manage it instead.[1] After that, Triple H became the WWE's Chief Operating Officer who had the booking power in WWE on both Raw and SmackDown brands until the Board stripped him of his power, and named John Laurinaitis the Interim General Manager of Raw.

Presidents and Commissioners

1 While Mick Foley was Commissioner in 2000, he was the ultimate on-screen authority, overriding everyone else.

Corporate offices

From 1996 onwards, The corporate roles of Vince McMahon and his wife Linda were gradually acknowledged in WWF programmes and were subsequently included in storylines. The following list gives the development of corporate offices as portrayed in storylines and should not be confused with their counterparts in the actual structure in WWE, Inc. and its predecessors.

1 In real life, Linda McMahon served on the board of directors for the WWF's parent company from 1980; Vince McMahon appointed her to the position of CEO in 1994 during the WWF steroid scandal.

2 Kayfabe-appointed CEO by Linda McMahon; subsequently lost his position back to Mr. McMahon in a ladder match at King of the Ring.

3Linda McMahon gained control after her husband Vince McMahon was barred from appearing on WWF television after Fully Loaded.

4 Triple H relieved Vince McMahon from his operative duties and became Chief Operating Officer (COO). Vince McMahon however remained Chairman and occasionally appeared as such on WWE programmes.

5 Theodore Long announced that Triple H had given him the power to book Raw when necessary. This arrangement ended when John Laurinaitis became Interim General Manager of Raw.[2]

Raw authorities

Founder

Owner

General Manager (GM)

Notes

1 Bischoff was briefly fired from the general manager position on February 10, 2003. He would be rehired by Vince McMahon later that night.

2 Austin and Foley served as Co-General Managers with Bischoff during their respective tenures in 2003.

3 On February 23, 2009, the Board of Directors named Vickie Guerrero Interim General Manager when Stephanie McMahon took a leave of absence. She became permanent GM on April 6, 2009.

4 From July 18, 2011 when Triple H became the WWE's COO, the Anonymous Raw General Manager had not appeared and used any booking power on Raw, but the podium still appeared on Raw every week until Hell in a Cell on October 2, 2011. On July 9, 2012, Santino Marella claimed the Anonymous Raw GM was under the ring, and found Hornswoggle there, leading some to believe that Hornswoggle was the Anonymous Raw GM that night (or possibly all along). However, WWE never verified this, with staffers still thinking it could be others, including women. The Anonymous Raw General Manager returned the December 1, 2014 to host a Cyber Monday.[4]

5 On October 10, 2011, Vince McMahon returned to Raw and announced that Triple H was relieved of his booking duties by the Board of Directors and that John Laurainatis was the Interim General Manager. He became General Manager on April 1, 2012.

6 Guerrero was given the title of Managing Supervisor by the Board of Directors when she regained control of Raw on October 22, 2012.

7 At the end of the November 24, 2014 episode of Raw, it was announced that there was a new general manager for the next week who has preferred to remain anonymous. Rumors have been spread about the gender of the Anonymous Raw GM while another rumor suggests that it may be Hornswoggle again.[4]

SmackDown authorities

See also: WWE SmackDown

Founder

Owner

General Manager (GM)

Saturday Morning Slam authority figures

Owner

General Manager (GM)

NXT authority figures

Founder

Chief Operating Officer

Vince McMahon (2010-2011) Triple H (2011-Present)

Owner

Triple H (February 29, 2012 – Present)

Co-owner

Vince McMahon(February 29, 2012 – Present)

Host

Match coordinator

General Manager (GM)

ECW brand authorities

See also: ECW (WWE)

Founder

Owner

Co owner

General Manager (GM)

1 On April 7, 2009, the board of directors named Tiffany Interim General Manager when Theodore Long announced his return to SmackDown as General Manager following Vickie Guerrero's appointment as General Manager of Raw. She became permanent General Manager on June 30, 2009.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling authority figures

Director of Authority

The Director of Authority operated as the on-screen authority-figure for the company

NWA Championship Committee

TNA Wrestling also maintained a championship committee – established in 2004 to help the Director of Authority to book matches and to keep contenders in proper order. The Committee members also served as guest judges for TNA Impact! when broadcast by Fox Sports Net, as all matches had a time limit and if the match went to time, a judge had to make the call as to who had won (somewhat as in boxing). by June 2005 the committee was dropped and only Larry Zbyszko made appearances for the company.

The committee consisted of:

Management Director

President

1 Dixie Carter has been legitimately TNA President since 2003 after Panda Energy International became majority shareholder of TNA. However, Jerry Jarrett continued to appear till 2003 as President and Jeff Jarett was recognised on screen from 2004 till 2009 when Dixie began to have the on-screen role.

2Hulk Hogan was (storyline) President from October 2010 to October 2011 after Carter unkowingly signed her power away to him in a contract. Carter was re-established as on-screen President following Sting defeating Hogan at Bound For Glory.

Vice President

On Screen Executive

General Manager (GM)

TNA Investor

1MVP was also the Director of Wrestling Operations but lost his position on June 26, 2014. The investor storyline was dropped after that.

Director of Wrestling Operations

1As a result of the outcome of the Lethal Lockdown match at Lockdown, MVP partly took control of TNA as the (storyline) Director of Wrestling Operations.

2As a result of a decision made by TNA's board of directors, on June 20, 2014 (but aired on June 26, 2014 edition of Impact Wrestling), MVP was stripped of his executive title, with Kurt Angle announced as MVP's replacement as the Executive Director of Wrestling Operations.

Knockouts Division Commissioner

Xplosion Commissioner

Executive Producer

Representative of the TNA Board of Directors

1Made the announcement on the June 26, 2014 edition of Impact Wrestling that MVP was stripped of his title as Director of Wrestling Operations, then later on announced Kurt Angle as MVP's replacement as Executive Director of Wrestling Operations.

Ring of Honor authority figures

See also: Ring of Honor

IWA authority figures

World Championship Wrestling authority figures

Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions and launched World Championship Wrestling in 1988. The company went through a series of Vice Presidents and bookers, ranging from those with little wrestling experience to those entrenched in the old territorial methods of promotion, until Eric Bischoff took control in 1994. His tenure saw the creation of WCW Monday Nitro, the start of the Monday Night Wars, and the formation of the New World Order. Declining ratings saw Bischoff ousted in 1999, and former WWF writer Vince Russo was hired in an attempt to salvage the company. WCW was purchased by the WWF in March 2001, however the company was featured prominently on WWF television as part of the Invasion storyline for the remainder of the year.

Owner

1 Shane McMahon owned WCW as part of the Invasion storyline with the rights actually owned by WWE most notably Vince McMahon .

Executive Vice President

President

1 Flair became on-screen president after defeating Eric Bischoff in a match on Nitro.

2 Sting became on-screen president after defeating Ric Flair in a match on Nitro, then several weeks later gave up the position for WCW to name a new president.

Commissioner

1Regal served as commissioner during the Invasion storyline.

Miscellaneous figures

1 Upon arriving in WCW, Russo and Ferrara introduced "The Powers That Be", a mysterious on-screen presence that controlled the company.

Extreme Championship Wrestling authority figures

1 Stephanie McMahon owned ECW as part of the Invasion storyline with the rights actually owned by WWE most notably Vince McMahon.

See also

Notes and references

  1. http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2011-07-18/mcmahon-relieved-of-duties "Game" changer for McMahon
  2. http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/wwe-news/wwe-raw-results-9-5-2011.php Theodore Long came out to announce the 8 man tag team match on that night, and also his booking power.
  3. "The Raw General Managers Timeline". Retrieved 2013-02-05.
  4. 1 2 Benigno, Anthony (December 1, 2014). "The Anonymous Raw General Manager returned". Retrieved December 2, 2014. The familiar “da ding” of the Anonymous Raw General Manager certainly didn’t inspire confidence in a fair shake for the WWE Universe when Daniel Bryan’s tenure running Raw came to an end last week. The sinister laptop wasted no time in stirring up trouble when he (she? Hornswoggle?) took over the reins of the red brand.
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