It was never just a joke fest with Heenan's commentary either. [13] According to Heenan, he moved his family to Atlanta after being told by GCW promoter Ole Anderson that he could work for the promotion as long as he wanted, only to release him less than a year later. [6], His first memoir, Bobby The Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All, was released by Triumph Books on September 1, 2002, with a foreword from Hulk Hogan. The task of traveling with the big man saw Heenan sometimes having to help or protect him with the infamous drinking stories of getting hammered after shows. Fans couldn't know at the time that they wouldn't see "The Brain" back in the WWE for nearly a decade or know that they when he finally did return, throat cancer would have started to eat away at him. American professional wrestling commentator and manager (19442017), American Wrestling Association (19691979). As a kid, it was exhilarating to think that one of the biggest, baddest and coolest villains was coming to the other side. He died on September 17, 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. It had been reported that Heenan had been. We wanted to see him fall on his face, made a fool of and he made his suffering, no matter how minor, monumentally entertaining. Bobby Heenan managed Andre the Giant in WWE, but that wasnt the only time they spent working together. Pro wrestling historian George Schire praised his in-ring ability, commenting: "Bobby was a good athlete flipping over the ropes, he could do it all. He showed that even weakened by cancer, he was still the same guyquick-witted, sardonic, brilliant. Most wrestlers voiced support of Heenan over Warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure. In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. All the heat he'd drawn over the years makes the moment that much better as fans were eager to watch him make a fool of himself, if not fall completely off the animal. [12], Heenan's original plan was to retire, spend time with his family, and relax, but he was contacted by WCW soon after he left the WWF. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. Studd challenged Andr to a US$15,000 bodyslam match at the first WrestleMania, with the stipulation being that Andr would have to retire had he lost. Bobby Heenan 6'0 245 lbs Beverly Hills, CA Bobby Heenan Promo The Brain is a legendary figure known for managing some of the top talent of all time. [13], On the January 23, 1996 episode of Clash of the Champions XXXII, during a match between Eddie Guerrero and Brian Pillman, Pillman left the ring and grabbed Heenan, (who had a history of neck problems,) by the collar, causing him to blurt out: "What the fuck are you doing?" His cause of death was organ failure due to complications from the throat cancer that had been in remission since 2004. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Andre the Giant in 1987. [12] He was later frequently paired with Tony Schiavone. The Bobby Heenan Show- It was Vince's idea. I think Ole Anderson is a piece of sh**. Bruce Prichard, Jimmy Hart share their favorite Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan memories. Right out there and back.". He was the best ever at what he did. Bobby The Brain Heenan, one of the most prolific managers and commentators in wrestling history, died at the age of 73 on Sunday. Dennis Miller gave us a taste of that on his talk show in 2004. The history of Heenan sees the following wrestlers loved or hated by him. I just want to let all the wonderful humanoids out there know how grateful I am for the good wishes. Perfect played well off Heenan, even if he was just laughing at Heenan's jokes. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. Heenan finally managed his first champion in the WWF when "Ravishing" Rick Rude upset The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, a match Heenan ensured Rude would win by holding Warrior's leg down so he could not break the pin. Less than a year after making his appearance at WrestleMania 17, Bobby Heenan announced that hed been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002. But on this instance, he kept asking the couple to back up, until they backed up right into the fountain, and thats when Bobby took the picture. Few wrestlers received as many public insults from Bobby Heenan as the Ultimate Warrior did. [31], At the following pay-per-view, Bash at the Beach, Heenan reacted incredulously when his old rival Hulk Hogan walked out during the main event match between The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) and Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage by shouting "Whose side is he on? Bobby Heenan had his start in the Indianapolis based World Wrestling Association, over twenty years before Vince McMahon let everyone in on wrestling being entertainment. Heenan left WWE in 1993 with thoughts of retirement. Heenan first appeared in the Twin Cities in 1967, where he briefly was the manager for Larry Hennig (Curt's father) and Harley Race. It was a special night when Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham and Sgt. [6] Broadcaster Peter Rosenberg considers Heenan a personal hero and describes him as the best commentator, manager and bad guy in WWE history. In his in-ring debut at Madison Square Garden in November 1984, he cleanly pinned Salvatore Bellomo. "Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby . He took up managing the team of Nick Bockwinkel and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, a duo which won a third AWA World Tag Team Championship under his leadership. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. Perfect or Andre the Giant or as a broadcast journalist with Gorilla Monsoon, Heenan surely entertained you like no other. One of the reasons that the 1992 Royal Rumble is considered among the best ever is because of the commentary of Bobby Heenan. The two had drastically different approaches to wrestling and the unspoken heat added to Heenans heelwork. Heenan helped usher in a fresh perspective on storytelling that . But Pillman didnt get the memo, or just didnt care. Ray Stevens breaks Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's trophy, December 25, 1976. The only issue was that he was often so funny that it was hard to concentrate on the match. [42], In January 2002, Heenan announced that he had throat cancer. In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. Heenan showed off at the WrestleMania IX opening ceremonies that he is also quite proficient at slapstick. [6], After being derided by announcers for his first five years in the WWF (mostly by Gorilla Monsoon) for never managing a champion, WrestleMania V was promoted (mostly by Jesse Ventura and later Gorilla Monsoon) as Heenan's quest, and best chance since WrestleMania III to manage a champion. As the years went by, his role in WCW got smaller and smaller and was released in November 2000, just a few months before Vince McMahon bought the company. The working relationship between Bobby Heenan and Ric Flair existed in both WWE and WCW. Related: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Brian Pillman. Bobby Heenan died of organ failure caused by throat cancer. Flair has spoken glowingly about Heenan throughout the years and made it clear that he was the best manager of all time. Heres what you need to know about the life and death of Heenan: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan dies at age 73- When It Was Cool article- #BobbyHeenan https://t.co/dyzDGRJVFd pic.twitter.com/WcOmdAE7i5, WhenItWasCool.com (@WIWCool) September 17, 2017, According to Pro Wrestling Sheets Ryan Satin, Heenans daughter told his close friends on Facebook that he was surrounded by family members as he passed. Heenan quickly made it much funnier by feigning the same goof. Few people can make getting hurt look so funny. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. I proudly displayed it for many years but it's time to move on (and by my kids Xmas gifts). A decent Shawn Michaels and Tito Santana match, a blas Rick Martel and Tatanka match as well as Bret Hart and Roddy Piper battling it out for the Intercontinental title wouldn't have been the same without the Brain. Known for his quick wit and comedic ability, Heenan also served as a color commentator and is remembered for his on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoon. Bobby Heenan reminded everyone how entertaining he was by sharing details of his career, including thanking Harley Race for their time working together. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. [16] After the Busters had lost the titles back to Demolition a few months later,[16] he led the Colossal Connection (Andr and Haku) to win the Tag Team Championship when they defeated Demolition. Though he nominally managed Flair, Heenan's former protg Mr. Weasel!" [43] In December 2007, Heenan had reconstructive surgery on his jaw, after the first surgery was unsuccessful. Videos by OutKick. Ware. As a commentator and a manager, Heenan made both friends and enemies! Heenan had a preference for wrestlers like Flair who would work longer matches in the ring and talk even louder than him on the microphone. His comedic ability was praised by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, who wrote that Heenan could have been a successful television actor. One of the more subdued promos in Heenan's career saw him calmly rattle off a number of choice insults. Dennis Miller gave us a taste of that on his talk show in 2004. The short stint of Bobby Heenan managing Ken Patera in WWE saw them failing to get along, even though they didnt have strong heat. Nobody else had us simultaneously rooting against them and loving them like "The Brain.". He lost the autograph but would make a lifetime memory. Heenan flopping around the ring in a weasel suit is one of the most iconic images in wrestling history. [12] Instead, Heenan managed Big John Studd (whom Heenan was best friends with in the AWA) in his feud against Andr the Giant. Best Brain line: "You even did a column in here. In 2002, he announced in a statement that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and would be undergoing extensive rehabilitation. Some unintentional comedy from Bobby Heenan came about during Lex Luger's WWE debut. RELATED: 10 Funniest Quotes From Bobby The Brain Heenan. Together they had a daughter, Jessica. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. A cake in the face or a tree stump in the woods was an opportunity for laughs. On SpikeTV", "Pro wrestling icon Bobby Heenan dies at 72", "GameSpy: Showdown: Legends of Wrestling", "Pro wrestling commentator Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan, legendary pro wrestling manager, dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan breaks hip and shoulder, fractures pelvis", "WWE Hall of Famer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan reportedly hospitalized", "Bobby Heenan: Remembering the greatest and explaining why he is widely regarded as the greatest at what he did", "Mooneyham: Gone but not forgotten, professional wrestling lost memorable names in 2017", "Triple H: Bobby Heenan Wasn't Just a Manager, One of the Greatest Wrestlers Ever", "Jim Ross on Bobby Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Heenan&oldid=1127575056, Professional wrestling managers and valets, The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling) members, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 13:57. At WrestleMania 20, Heenan made a return to the commentators table with Okerlund. Eventually, he got his start as a pro in Dick the Bruiser's . Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) September 17, 2017, The WWE released a statement acknowledging his death, saying it extends its condolences to Heenans family, friends and fans.. [23] His final in ring match came on August 2, 1991, at a house show in Long Island, New York, where he defeated Mr. The legacy of Bobby Heenan sees him as arguably the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. as loud as they'd chant for any wrestler. If the late, great Gorilla Monsoon couldnt shut me up, cancer isnt going to either.. Heenan made a recovery from the throat cancer, but lost large amounts of weight, and his voice and appearance changed dramatically. He has to hold back laughter several times. Others had closer bonds with him and loved the time working together. [12] He also had two grandchildren. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon started poaching just about every single promotions top stars to bring to WWE and Bobby Heenan made the jump in 1984. Heenan's maniacal laughter at his own jokes and the amount of fun he's having cement this segment as a classic. Bobby Heenan is the type of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the night. [6][3], In 1965, Heenan became a regular in William Afflis' (known by his in-ring persona Dick the Bruiser) Indianapolis-based WWA promotion under the moniker "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan. With a career spanning more than four decades, Bobby Heenan was the The Brain behind some of the most prolific Superstars in sports-entertainment history. He was on the call when Hulk Hogan famously turned heel in the summer of 1996, hilariously making sure to let people know that he knew that Hogan was always a horrible human being. It made him calm. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. Heenan was so good on Prime Time, in fact, that the WWF decided to experiment in 1989 by taking the last half hour of the two-hour show and turning it into The Bobby Heenan Show, a talk show where . Bobby "The Brain" Heenan -- a former wrestler, manager, announcer and WWE Hall of Famer -- has died . During a big showdown between Verne Gagne and Nick Bockwinkel, Heenan hopped onto the apron to interfere on Bockwinkels behalf. During his short tenure in GCW, Heenan managed a stable of wrestlers that included the likes of Killer Karl Kox, Masked Superstar, Ernie Ladd and Blackjack Lanza. [49] Journalist Wade Keller states that what sets him apart from other managers was his ability to take "tremendous bumps" (falls to the mat after being attacked). There are many things fans might not know about Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. But Heenan's ignorance and stinginess along with, of course, his comic timing make this a fun watch. Heenan appeared on TNA several times, once accompanying members of the 2005 World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox. He also replaced Ventura to team up with Monsoon on the syndicated All-Star Wrestling, which was replaced in the fall of 1986 with Wrestling Challenge. In particular, Heenan was credited with making Blackjack Lanza one of the top wrestling villains in the country. [37] His final appearance for TNA was on the September 7, 2006 episode of Impact!, when he appeared to make a bid to manage "free agent" Robert Roode. GO, Gene Okerlund (@TheGeneOkerlund) April 14, 2015. Then, as a lifelong fan of the wrestling, he eventually met future wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser, who would christen him Pretty Boy Bobby Heenan. Didnt care during Lex Luger 's WWE debut but Pillman didnt get the memo, or just didnt care been. 'D chant for any wrestler professional wrestling commentator and manager ( 19442017 ) american... 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