Wrestling / Harvey Wippleman

Bruno Lauer (b. 1965) is an American Professional Wrestling manager/referee/official from Memphis, TN best known for his work in WWE as Harvey Wippleman. He debuted in the 1980s working in various Southern promotions as Downtown Bruno. He arrived in WWE in 1991 as Dr. Harvey Wippleman. While he ultimately became the manager of jobbers, he had a few significant moments, namely his feuds with the Undertaker and with announcer Howard Finkel. By late 1995-early 1996, he stopped being an active manager and worked as a referee and behind the scenes as a road agent. He has made the occasional cameo here and there. As for his in-ring achievements, he was the last ever NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Champion and is the only man to both manage a wrestler (Bertha Faye) to the WWE Women's Title and, later, win it himself.

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"Wrestling with the tropes":

• Almighty Janitor: Despite being the manager of jobbers, and not winning most of his small handful of matches himself, he's always had a job.
• Arch-Enemy: Howard Finkel, The Undertaker
• Beard of Evil: In 1992.
• Biography: His 2008 autobiography Wrestling with the Truth.
• Creepy Crossdresser: Disguised himself as "Harvina" to defeat the Kat for the WWE Women's Title.
• Gimmick Matches: He had a series of Tuxedo matches with Howard Finkel in 1994 and 1995, all but one of which he lost.
• Grievous Harm with a Body: Was the body giving the harm when Chyna threw him into the crowd when he tried to separate her and Marlena during the March 10th, 1997 episode of Raw.
• Fireballs: Threw one while disguised as a cameraman that allowed Yokozuna to defeat Hulk Hogan, which then escalated in Yokozuna banzai dropping Hulk Hogan out of the WWF for nine years (Hogan still wrestled elsewhere, obviously, but since WWE rarely acknowledges other companies it declared Hulkamania dead)
• Hammy Herald: For Kamala in 1992.
• Jerkass: He and Big Bully Busick would harass ring announcer Mike McGuirk, leading to Sid Justice making the save.
• Jobber/Butt-Monkey: He managed several and he took a lot of abuse as well. He was even a Butt Monkey behind the scenes, as Mick Foley recounted seeing Bruno targeted with several pranks which seemed more cruel than funny: these included Brickhouse Brown threatening to shoot him for telling racist jokes before revealing the gun wasn't loaded, and Sid Vicious setting Bruno up to be interviewed for a job with WCW but Ric Flair berating Bruno for drinking so early in the day, which left Bruno in tears thinking he'd messed up his big chance before Sid let him in on the 'joke'. As Mick noted, Sid did eventually help Bruno get a job with the WWE (the promotion he'd always wanted to work for) and he's still there now.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Until he dropped the "Dr." in late 1992-early 1993.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He was originally going to be called Henry Herman, after Pee-Wee Herman, with him wearing a similar suit. He even received "Pee Wee" chants when he made his earliest appearances.
• Power Stable:
  • (old school Memphis): The Stud Stable, led by Robert Fuller
    • The Commission, led by Brickhouse Brown
  • (in Power Pro Wrestling): The Syndicate.
• Small Name, Big Ego: As a manager.
• Would Hit a Girl/I Was Beaten by a Girl: As mentioned above under Creepy Crossdresser. Jacqueline Squashed him in about 30 seconds though. His sexist comments before the match, to a woman who is both an excellent wrestler and a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, qualify as Bullying a Dragon/Too Dumb to Live.
  • Ivory defeated him at a house show on October 1, 2000.