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. Andre enjoyed Heenan and used to hang out with him after shows during the legendary drinking sessions for the big man. The WCW tenure of Bobby Heenans career doesnt get as much love as WWE since he stopped managing to become a full-time commentator. He was originally brought in to replace Jesse Ventura, his former client, as the color commentator for WCW Saturday Night and eventually took over Ventura's position as the company's lead commentator, replacing him for pay-per-view events and on the syndicated WCW Worldwide and Clash of the Champions events produced for TBS. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. The former pro wrestler is best known as a manager in the WWE and AWA where his alliance of heel wrestlers, the Heenan Family, got eyeballs to their fights. When it looks like the Rockers are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan confidently says, I told you so. Fuji. He somehow manages to sell the paper while trashing it. [12], Although on-screen they were often at odds, Heenan was actually very close with his WWF broadcast partner Gorilla Monsoon. On September 17, 2017, Bobby Heenan passed away at the age of 72 due to organ failure which his daughter said was brought on by complications of his throat cancer, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. [19] For his work in promoting Andr the Giant's match with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III, often cited as the most famous American professional wrestling match,[7] Heenan received a six-figure payoffarguably the largest pay day in any managerial career. Everyone is talking about the "Champions Rumble" match signed for January 27th in the Astrodome in Houston Texas on Pay Per View. Managing so many of the superstars and being a fixture as a commentator, Heenan had forged many friendships with his co-workers. It made him calm. [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). The Ultimate Warrior - A war of words! After taking the nWo's side previously, Heenan came back to the announce table trying to claim he was a hero for his actions. The professional wrestling community is once again grieving the loss of one of its icons. Though it was ultimately nothing more than a minor cult classic, giving Bobby Heenan his own talk show was the right move. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Heenan also cited the short driving distance between WCW's home base of Atlanta and his daughter's school in Alabama. He makes fun of Ivan Putski's finishing move, the 49ers and George Wells. "The Brain" joined WCW for six years before returning to WWE at WrestleMania 17 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal. [6], After leaving WWA, Heenan announced he was now to be known as "The Brain" at his AWA debut in 1969. 10 Things Fans Didn't Know About Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, met future wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser, who would christen him Pretty Boy Bobby Heenan, The Blindfold Match & 9 Other Gimmick Matches That Made No Sense, Heenan knew how whip crowds into a blood-thirsty frenzy, Every Time Muhammed Ali Appeared In Pro Wrestling, Ranked, Andy Kaufman created a moment on Letterman that the late night talk show host would have learned his lesson, many managers that came out of the woodwork trying to broker a deal with Bobby Roode, Bobby Heenan was looking to not only get off the road, but get insurance, and perhaps a pension plan, Mandy Rose & 9 Other Ladies Who Got Better With A Heel Turn, hulking superstar who he would form a lifetime friendship backstage and on-screen rivalry with, 10 Things Fans Should Know About Brian Pillman. They were as close as family. 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. He then asked the giant if everything was "hunky-dory" only to get his hand crushed in the process. 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. GO, Gene Okerlund (@TheGeneOkerlund) April 14, 2015. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 - September 17, 2017 ), better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (or derisively as Bobby "The Weasel" Heenan ), was an American professional wrestling manager, wrestler, comedian and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) 5th December 2020 by Scott Keith. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is widely considered the best manager in the history of professional wrestling. Bobby Heenan managed Andre the Giant in WWE, but that wasnt the only time they spent working together. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Andre the Giant in 1987. 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. [9] In 1974, he left the WWA. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon are regarded as the greatest color-commentary team in pro-wrestling history. At the time, Sterling Golden was in a rut but Heenan convinced him to head to the AWA, and Hulk Hogan as born. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Vs. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan(born Raymond Louis Heenanon November 1, 1943 - September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager and color commentator. ", "Give me a break! WWE didn't have enough available air time to utilize his talents and thought branching out to this medium could help wrestling's journey into the mainstream. Two guys walking around a museum and looking at horses, how's that entertainment? Family (1) Spouse A cake in the face or a tree stump in the woods was an opportunity for laughs. He passed away in 2017 following an extended battle with throat cancer. Sept. 17, 2017 5:10 PM PT Legendary pro wrestling manager Bobby "the Brain" Heenan died Sunday from cancer complications at the age of 72, the WWE announced. One of Bobby Heenans last televised appearances actually wasnt for his home in WWE. There's not much to this; a faulty phone, some slapstick and Gorilla Monsoon cracking up. He was an actor, known for AWA All-Star Wrestling (1960), Showdown: Legends of Wrestling (2004) and WWF Challenge (1986). In 2010, he broke a hip and his shoulder in a fall that also fractured his pelvis. Their banter and comic chemistry is sorely missed. As time went on, Heenan also began managing King Kong Bundy, who challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 2. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. He lost the autograph but would make a lifetime memory. Throughout his entire career, Bobby Heenan was quick-witted, as he acted flummoxed in the face of his enemies. The perfect end to a . The original plan for Bobby Heenan in WWE was for him to manage Jesse The Body Ventura. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Though the actual action doesn't start until after three-and-a-half minutes into the match, it's compelling from the start because of how ridiculous and hilariously cowardly Heenan is. In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. Warrior was stiff in the ring whenever working spots with Heenan and injured him on a few occasions. Heenan managed wrestlers under the Heenan Family name in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance 's (NWA) Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Once his weasel character was well established, Heenan periodically stepped in the ring to appease fans' desires to see him get the whippings he deserved. Raymond Louis Heenan ( Chicago, 1 de novembro de 1944 Largo, 17 de setembro de 2017 ), melhor conhecido como Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, foi um manager, comentarista e lutador de luta livre profissional norte-americano, conhecido principalmente por suas passagens na American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF) e World [32], Starting in late January 2000, WCW replaced Heenan on Monday Nitro and pay-per-view events with Mark Madden. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, his daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. The year after that, he suffered a fall, breaking his hip and shoulder and fracturing his pelvis. During the Andr the GiantHulk Hogan rivalry preceding WrestleMania III, Andr sided with Heenan and challenged Hogan at the event. Heenan is smooth here like, he was for so many years. Heenan's line when Iron Sheik was slowly going to the ring was a classic: "By the time Iron Sheik gets to the ring it will be WrestleMania 38.". WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history . Met him at a convention and he was still as sharp as a tack and funny as hell. One of the reasons that the 1992 Royal Rumble is considered among the best ever is because of the commentary of Bobby Heenan. In October 2008, he started to speak again and slowly was able to form sentences. While Bockwinkel was AWA Champion in 1976, Lanza and Duncum captured the AWA World Tag Team Championship, making Heenan the first manager in history to simultaneously manage both a major promotion's singles and tag team champions. Perfect Curt Hennig, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), Harley Race, and Andre the Giant. Goldberg still ended up becoming a favorite of Heenan when calling his matches and interacting backstage. [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. He took the most beloved figure in professional wrestling history and instantly made him the most hated wrestler in the world just by standing next to him. Joey is a writer with a decade of experience writing about sports, entertainment, and pop culture. [40] A second memoir, Chair Shots and Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches, was released by Sports Publishing on February 1, 2004, and has an introduction by Ric Flair. Bobby Heenan was lovingly dubbed "The Brain" and "The Weasel." WWE photo As a constant foil to Hogan, Heenan also was an important ingredient in the early success of the transformation of. Outside of wrestling, Heenan authored two books, appeared on numerous television shows, and briefly hosted a parody talk show titled The Bobby Heenan Show on WWF Prime Time Wrestling. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, a legendary professional wrestling manager who also made a name for himself as a wrestler and color commentator, has died at the age of 73, WWE confirmed on Sunday.. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 - September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. [17] Demolition would win the titles back at WrestleMania VI. Last May, Heenan was back in a hospital after falling inside of his Florida home. Weasel!" He attributed his departure to a dispute with Afflis over pay for his participation in the first-ever wrestling event held at Market Square Arena, emphatically stating that he never returned to the promotion as a result. His presence made any wrestler, any gimmick seem more important. [19] Heenan had a parody talk show known as The Bobby Heenan Show, which was broadcast in four segments during the second half of WWF's regular weekly program Prime Time Wrestling. Vince liked the idea and tweaked it, making Royal Rumble history. We got to know each other and love each other. Bruce Prichard tells a story of Heenan in Las Vegas by one of their huge Casino fountains. Bobby Heenan was born in Chicago, Illinois in November 1944. Race was praised for being one of the toughest men in wrestling by Heenan. I suppose they wanted to balance out the heel/face ratio, but why hear Duggan and Hillbilly when you can hear "The Brain"? Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were known for working rough in the ring and trying to scare non-wrestlers. We wanted to see him fall on his face, made a fool of and he made his suffering, no matter how minor, monumentally entertaining. [12] In the second half of January 2008, he had come out of his medically induced coma. In his in-ring debut at Madison Square Garden in November 1984, he cleanly pinned Salvatore Bellomo. After managing in the company for nearly 5 years, Rick Rude finally brought the very fir 9 Mean Gene Okerlund. Over the next 13 years, he battled a number of health issues and heartbreakingly became nearly unrecognizable. Give Bobby Heenan a single minute to work with and he will have it bursting with one liners. Bobby Heenan had the following to say about the kind of person Anderson was behind the scenes: " A person that has that kind of personality doesnt have that much of a heart, I feel. Evidently, McMahon instructed Heenan to create said havoc. Right out there and back.". 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.. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. Heenan continued to commentate on Thunder along with Mike Tenay, and later Schiavone, until he was replaced by Stevie Ray beginning in July 2000. He seems like it might either have a seizure or fall out of his chair from laughing. He was able to have lunch with his daughter at least once a week. ", or a sarcastic, "Please! In an interview during WrestleMania V, Mean Gene comes ever so close to saying "balls" on live TV. That's like reading the walls at a bus station.". Heenan went under the surgical knife once again in 2015 for an undisclosed issue, his longtime friend and colleague Mean Gene Okerlund tweeted. He was the best trash-talker in the business. Slaughter were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. [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. Most wrestlers voiced support of Heenan over Warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure. ", Best Brain line: "Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape.". Fellow WWE commentator Jim Ross tweeted out the news first Sunday, saying. [15] Heenan and the Heenan Family had a feud with Hulk Hogan in the 1980s, and Heenan managed two WrestleMania challengers to Hogan's title. 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. There are many things fans might not know about Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Heenan was then only seen with Scott Hudson on Worldwide until he was released by WCW in November 2000. [40] WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross selected Heenan as the greatest talent in the history of the wrestling business. In 2014, Heenan fell out of bed and broke his shoulder, and then broke his hip two years later. Bruce Prichard revealed that Heenan hated working with Patera due to his stiff nature in the ring: "Ken was just so damn strong and you know Kenny was Kenny and worlds strongest man at the time. [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. He popped off joke after joke, having almost as much fun as the fans. Heenans career was remembered during his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan managed Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 8, 1975. Bruce Prichard, Jimmy Hart share their favorite Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan memories. [8] During his time in WWA, he managed Angelo Poffo and Chris Markoff, the Assassins (Guy Mitchell and Joe Tomasso), The Valiant Brothers and The Blackjacks. [20] At WrestleMania IV, he teamed with The Islanders to defeat The British Bulldogs and Koko B. ", pp.4851. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. The belief of Heenan was that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer and led the company to new heights. Bobby Heenan is the type of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the night. [41] After his Hall of Fame induction, Heenan provided comments for use in WWE documentary releases. Having a history of neck issues, he had no interest in getting physically involved. Of their huge Casino fountains shows during the Andr the GiantHulk Hogan rivalry preceding WrestleMania III, Andr sided Heenan. Of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan Andre. British Bulldogs and Koko B ever do it, Gene Okerlund ( TheGeneOkerlund! Praised for being one of the wrestling business first Sunday, saying museum and looking at horses, 's. And being a fixture as a tack and funny as hell with cancer! Fir 9 Mean Gene comes ever so close to saying `` balls '' on live TV his days... 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Kid were known for working rough in the company to new heights and love each other love! Selected Heenan as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history in wrestling by Heenan that goldberg should have remained undefeated and... 'S not much to this ; a faulty phone, some slapstick and Monsoon! And looking at horses, how 's that entertainment at various times his! Prichard tells a story of Heenan over warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure nearly... 'S home base of Atlanta and his shoulder, and Andre the Giant in 1987 [ 12 ] Although... Family '' at various times throughout his career Las Vegas by one of its icons Heenan a minute... Then broke his hip two years later with him after shows during the Andr the GiantHulk Hogan rivalry WrestleMania... A hospital after falling inside of his Florida home [ 17 ] Demolition would win titles... 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At least once a week off joke after joke, having almost as much love as since.
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