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Professional wrestling authority figures

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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 tends to give what the fans want and favors fellow face-wrestlers: note for example Theodore Long. Heel authority figures tend to run their shows out of their own self-interest: Vince McMahon's Mr. McMahon gimmick exemplifies this type.

[edit] WWE authority figures

See also: WWE

In the past, WWE's authority figure was presented by the President, who had booking power and controlled all wrestlers. However, in 1997, the President was replaced by the Commissioner, which Sgt. Slaughter served as the first WWE (or WWF at that time) Commissioner. During the "Attitude" era of WWE, not only the Commissioner had the booking power, Vince McMahon also had some booking power as well through his Chairman position under his evil character "Mr.McMahon". McMahon usually used his power in order to haze his (kayfabe) nemesis, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

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 strpped him of his power, and named John Laurinaitis the Interim Raw General Manager.

[edit] Chairman

[edit] Chief Executive Officer

1 Kayfabe-appointed CEO by Linda McMahon; subsequently lost power in a Ladder match at King of the Ring.

2 Linda McMahon gained control after her husband Vince McMahon was barred from appearing on WWF television after Fully Loaded. In real life, Linda McMahon served on the board of directors for WWE from 1980; Vince McMahon appointed her to the position of CEO in 1994 during the WWF steroid scandal.

[edit] President

  • Willie Gilzenberg (1963– November 15, 1978)
  • Hisashi Shinma (1978–1984)
  • Jack Tunney (September 1984 - July 12, 1995)
  • Gorilla Monsoon (July 12, 1995 – August 3, 1997) (interim from July 12, 1995 to March 31, 1996, when he officially became President)
  • Roddy Piper - Interim President (1996) (substitution for an injured Gorilla Monsoon)

[edit] Chief Operating Officer

1 Triple H had all booking power on Raw and SmackDown until being stripped of it by the Board of Directors on October 10, 2011.

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

[edit] Commissioners

  • Sgt. Slaughter (August 4, 1997 - November 23, 1998)
  • Shawn Michaels (November 23, 1998 - June 26, 2000)
  • Mick Foley (June 26, 2000 - December 18, 2000)
    • Debra - Lt. Commissioner - (October 30, 2000 - March 5, 2001)
  • William Regal (March 8, 2001 - October 11, 2001)
  • Mick Foley (October 11, 2001 - November 19, 2001)

[edit] Raw brand authorities

See also: WWE Raw and List of WWE Raw guest stars

[edit] Owners

1 Shane McMahon made occasional appearances all throughout this time and had booking power.

[edit] General Managers

  • Eric Bischoff (July 15, 2002 - February 10, 2003), (February 10, 2003 - December 5, 2005)
    • Chief Morley - Chief of Staff (November 25, 2002 - May 5, 2003)
    • Steve Austin - Co-General Manager/Sheriff (April 28, 2003 - April 17, 2004)
    • Mick Foley - Co-General Manager (December 1, 2003 - December 15, 2003)
  • Vince McMahon - Interim General Manager (December 12, 2005 - May 29, 2006)
  • Jonathan Coachman - Executive Assistant/Interim General Manager (May 29, 2006 - August 6, 2007)
  • William Regal (August 6, 2007 - May 19, 2008)
  • Mike Adamle (July 28, 2008 - November 3, 2008)
  • Stephanie McMahon (November 24, 2008 - April 6, 2009)
  • Vickie Guerrero (April 6, 2009 - June 8, 2009), (May 10, 2010)
  • Bret Hart (May 24, 2010 - June 14, 2010)
  • Anonymous General Manager (June 21, 2010 - October 2, 2011) 1
    • Michael Cole - Official Spokesman (June 21, 2010 - October 2, 2011)
  • John Laurinaitis - Interim General Manager (October 10, 2011 - present)

1 From July 18, 2011 when Triple H became the WWE's Chief Operating Officer, the Anonymous General Manager had not appeared and used any booking power on Raw, but the General Manager's podium still apperaed on Raw every week until Hell in a Cell on October 2, 2011. 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.

[edit] SmackDown brand authorities

See also: WWE SmackDown

[edit] Owners

[edit] General Managers

[edit] ECW brand authorities

See also: ECW (WWE)

[edit] Owners

[edit] General Managers

  • Paul Heyman (under the title of ECW Representative) (June 13, 2006 - December 4, 2006)
  • Armando Estrada (August 14, 2007 - June 3, 2008)
  • Theodore Long (June 3, 2008 - April 7, 2009)
    • Tiffany - Assistant General Manager (June 10, 2008 - April 7, 2009)
  • Tiffany (June 30, 2009 - February 16, 2010) 1

1 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.

[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling authority figures

See also: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

[edit] Directors of Authority

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

[edit] NWA Championship Committee

TNA Wrestling also maintains a championship committee — established in 2004 to help the Director of Authority to book matches and 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, the judge had to make the call as to who had won (somewhat as in boxing).

The committee consisted of:

  • Dusty Rhodes (founder, original member, November 2004 - June 2005)
  • Harley Race (original member, November 2004 - ???)
  • Terry Funk (original member, November 2004 - March 2005)
    • Funk never appeared on-screen in TNA
  • Roddy Piper (replacement for Funk, March 2005 - ???)
  • Larry Zbyszko (original member, November 2004 - 2006)

[edit] Management Director

[edit] President

  • Dixie Carter (April 19, 2009 - October 14, 2010), (November 25, 2010 - March 3, 2011) (October 16, 2011 - Present) 1
    • Mick Foley - Executive Shareholder (October 23, 2008 - January 4, 2010)
    • Hulk Hogan - Managing Partner (January 4, 2010 - October 14, 2010)
    • Sting - General Manager (October 20, 2011 - Present)
  • Hulk Hogan - (October 14, 2010 - November 25, 2010), (March 3, 2011 – October 16, 2011)
    • Mick Foley - Network Consultant (May 3, 2011 - June 2, 2011)

1 Dixie Carter is legitimately TNA President since 2003 after Panda Energy International became majority shareholder of TNA. However, she began to have an on-screen role on 2009, which is around the same time that Panda Energy acquired Jeff Jarrett's stake in the company.

[edit] Executive Producer

[edit] Knockouts Division Commissioner

[edit] Xplosion Commissioner

[edit] Ring of Honor authority figures

See also: Ring of Honor

[edit] ROH Ambassador

[edit] Executive Producer

[edit] 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 annouce the 8 man tag team match on that night, and also his booking power.
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