MVP isn't done with his in-ring career, but he has made a successful transtion from full-time wrestler to top tier manager, leading the Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) in AEW.
A handful of wrestlers have transitioned into successful managers, including Bobby Heenan, JJ Dillon, and Prince Nana.
Speaking to Donnie DaSilva and Jimmy Korderas on Huge Pop!, MVP discussed the wrestler to manager transition and who might be able to successfuly do what he has done.
"There are lots of guys that are wrestlers, who have the gift of gab, who are really good at talking. If they chose to transition into the position of a manager, I think there are several guys who could do it, they're just still wrestling. Maybe a lot of guys don't want to necessarily step aside into that role. They want to continue to wrestle. With IMPACT, and Bobby, when the opportunity came, 'What if we put the title on him and you step aside,' I saw the dynamic and how well it could work. I didn't have an ego in the situation, and this is an ego-driven business. For a lot of guys, maybe it's hard to step out of the limelight and transfer that to someone else. There are lots of guys, I think, that at some point in their career, if they wanted to, could do it. I just don't know if they are at that point where they are ready to do it, or a lot of guys, by the time they want to make that transition from wrestler to manager, maybe they're just done with the business at that point.
"You couldn't imagine a 65-year-old Stone Cold being a mouthpiece for somebody. It doesn't fit. This probably falls into the category of 'made so much money you couldn't do it,' but somebody like Seth Rollins could do it. He's a guy who could really get somebody over and be a manager later in his career if he wanted to do it. A guy like MJF, later in his career, he'd be magnificent at it if he got to a point where he said, 'I'm ready to transition from being a wrestler to a mouthpiece to get someone else over.' His career is in its infancy. That's something you couldn't even talk about for another 20-25 years. There are lots of guys that could do it, but there are a number of factors the preclude them from doing it."
Benjamin & Lashley are the reigning AEW Tag Team Champions.
Elsewhere during the interview, MVP revealed advice he has given to Will Ospreay. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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