On the eve of the WWE Draft, during which the entire history of World Wrestling Entertainment will once again be shaken up, Monday Night RAW commissioner Stephanie McMahon and Smackdown! commissioner Shane McMahon announced who will be their respective general managers.
For RAW (which Stephanie is commissioner of), she announced that “The Hardcore Legend” and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley will be the new general manager of RAW. As for Smackdown, Shane announced that beloved retired wrestler Daniel Bryan will be the new general manager.
Both received massive responses from the Providence, Rhode Island crowd.
Foley, 51, is a four-time World Heavyweight Champion (he won three WWF/WWE Championships, and one TNA World Heavyweight Championship), an 11-time world tag team champion (eight WWF Tag Team Championships, two ECW World Tag Team Championships, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship), a one-time TNA Legends Champion, and the inaugural WWF Hardcore Champion.
He was notable for wrestling under various personas that were reflected in his wrestling moves and attire, His three personas were: Dude Love, Mankind, and Cactus Jack. Foley’s most recent appearance prior to Monday night was at Wrestlemania 32, when he — along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels — attacked the “League of Nations”. Foley is also a worldwide best-selling author of children’s books and autobiographies.
As for Bryan, in WWE he held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship three times and the World Heavyweight Championship once, in addition to being a one-time United States Champion, a one-time Intercontinental Champion, and a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion as part of Team Hell No (with Kane).
He was also the 2011 SmackDown Money in the Bank winner and the 2013 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner. He is the 26th Triple Crown Champion and the 15th Grand Slam Champion in WWE history and headlined several major pay-per-view events, including SummerSlam in 2013 and WrestleMania XXX. Bryan established himself as the “underdog” fighting against the big authority, just as Foley did during the Attitude ERA.
With the general manager’s revealed, all that’s left is for the rosters to be split.
Smackdown LIVE! airs tonight on the USA Network at 8:00 CST.
