I suppose they wanted to balance out the heel/face ratio, but why hear Duggan and Hillbilly when you can hear "The Brain"? Bobby Heenan was the greatest wrestling manager of all time and the funniest guy to sit at an announce table. [28] The treatments caused a great deal of weight loss, dramatically altering his appearance and voice. The Ultimate Warrior - A war of words! He expertly played a character, a snide weasel of a man we hated and loved just the same. [7] In 1966, he wrestled his first match against Calvin "Prince" Pullins. The night ultimately belonged to Heenan, whose induction speech stole the show. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Part parody show, part absurdist comedy, part Heenan's playground, the show's major flaw may be that it was just ahead of its time. Mini Bio (1) Bobby Heenan was born on November 1, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. 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. In particular, Heenan was credited with making Blackjack Lanza one of the top wrestling villains in the country. 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. Heenan criticized WCW on multiple occasions for doing things that harmed Goldbergs magic as the most unstoppable wrestler. "[6][29], Heenan, still suffering from the broken neck he received ten years earlier and unable to cope with the long working hours, decided to leave the WWF at the end of 1993. In 1986, Heenan took over as a color commentator in addition to being a manager. Heenan had one of the most prolific careers in wrestling history, bouncing between various wrestling promotions but always keeping his same character and putting in the same work ethic. At WrestleMania 20, Heenan made a return to the commentators table with Okerlund. Bobby Heenan is not only seen as one of the greatest managers in the history of professional wrestling but as one of its best overall characters as well. He instantly became the top interviewer for the promotion and in a lot of . He died on September 17, 2017. For the rest of the show, Heenan sat out in the crowd, accompanied by an armed security guard. From Humanoids To Ham-And-Eggers: Why Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan Is An American Icon. Having worked in TV and radio for several years, Mean Gene Okerlund was a prime choice to be the voice of The AWA. Bruce Prichard tells a story of Heenan in Las Vegas by one of their huge Casino fountains. [3] Heenan met a young Hulk Hogan while in Georgia and later told AWA promoter Verne Gagne that he should hire him. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Andre the Giant in 1987. But serving as a manager certainly wasnt the only role in which Bobby Heenan excelled in WWE. Heenans career changed for good when Vince McMahon pried Heenan away from AWA to join the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 as the manager of Jesse The Body Ventura. Heenans career was remembered during his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. One of Bobby Heenans last televised appearances actually wasnt for his home in WWE. Heenan's wearing a tux with a ruffled shirt that looks like it is out of a 70s prom scene. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. 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. Throat cancer has tried to take away one of wrestling's great voices, but it can never touch these clips and these memories. 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. Over the next 13 years, he battled a number of health issues and heartbreakingly became nearly unrecognizable. When Heenan left the company, the friends spent the night shedding tears in a hotel room because it was truly the end of an era. While most of the AWA talent left for the WWF during this time without giving proper notice (the AWA required departing talent to work a six-week notice for booking and syndication-based reasons, with most talent claiming that WWF promoter Vince McMahon paid them extra not to work out their notices with the AWA), only Heenan worked out his notice in good faith to the Gagne family. His presence made any wrestler, any gimmick seem more important. [12] Instead, Heenan managed Big John Studd (whom Heenan was best friends with in the AWA) in his feud against Andr the Giant. In February 2001, Heenan did color commentary for the WOW Unleashed pay-per-view. Monsoon and Heenan developed a bond that was shown in their commentary and grew even stronger behind the scenes. To have cancer is already horrible enough. 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.". Heenan's maniacal laughter at his own jokes and the amount of fun he's having cement this segment as a classic. 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. [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. [20] At WrestleMania IV, he teamed with The Islanders to defeat The British Bulldogs and Koko B. Heenan's speech at the 2004 WWE Hall of Fame was perfect Bobby. In his in-ring debut at Madison Square Garden in November 1984, he cleanly pinned Salvatore Bellomo. Had he done it years later during the Attitude Era, it would have gone unnoticed. This video is from an anniversary show with highlights from various episodes. Best Brain line: "That could be anybody's banana.". on November 1, 1944. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan managed Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 8, 1975. He placed a Bobby Heenan figure on Lettermans desk and after upsetting Letterman and producers, he clued them in that riling everyone up was McMahons idea. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. as loud as they'd chant for any wrestler. Just got word that Bobby had a successful surgery and all is good. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. I just want to let all the wonderful humanoids out there know how grateful I am for the good wishes. With minimal production value, they could turn a banal situation into comedy. A dark cloud hovers over the professional wrestling world today, as one of the most beloved characters in history has checked out way too soon. [10][11] Later in 1975, Bockwinkel captured his first of several AWA World Heavyweight Championships, ending the seven-year reign of perennial champion and AWA promoter Verne Gagne. Slaughter were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Soon after making his final WWE appearance in December 1993, Bobby Heenan was contacted by WCW, who offered a lighter working schedule and health insurance. In a funny Prime Time Wrestling segment, Bobby Heenan tries to buy a horse from a shady character at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Thats what I think of Ole Anderson. Heenan shared a funny story about a stewardess bringing Andre a screwdriver tool on a plane when he asked for it. Riding in backwards on a camel doesn't sound all that funny on paper, but Heenan turns it into a masterful performance. Hes survived by his wife of 43 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Jean, and their daughter, Jessica Ida Heenan. [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. Vince liked the idea and tweaked it, making Royal Rumble history. [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. He was booked both as a manager and wrestler after the promoters saw how well he handled the physical aspects of his managerial duties. The belief of Heenan was that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer and led the company to new heights. When it looks like the Rockers are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan confidently says, I told you so. HH, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 17, 2017, one of a kind. [4][5][1] His father Robert Heenan was a railroad worker, and his mother Mildred Bernadette Kambrz was a hotel manager. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. There are many things fans might not know about Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Bobby Heenan, a.k.a. 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. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Andr the Giant, High Chief Sivi Afi, the Brain Busters (former Four Horsemen members Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), "Ravishing" Rick Rude, "King" Harley Race, the Islanders (Haku and Tama), Hercules, The Barbarian, Mr. A throwback to vaudeville or variety shows, Heenan's sharp tongue and deft wordplay was one of the most entertaining parts of wrestling during his entire career. In 1986, Heenan managed King Kong Bundy in his main event bout at WrestleMania 2. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan -- a former wrestler, manager, announcer and WWE Hall of Famer -- has died . The history of Heenan sees the following wrestlers loved or hated by him. One of the more subdued promos in Heenan's career saw him calmly rattle off a number of choice insults. He is survived by one child and his wife, Cynthia. Both books were co-written by Steve Anderson. Even with how silly this concept is, "The Brain" sells it. Heenan, known for his sarcastic wit and . [6] Broadcaster Peter Rosenberg considers Heenan a personal hero and describes him as the best commentator, manager and bad guy in WWE history. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Dennis Miller gave us a taste of that on his talk show in 2004. The commentary team of Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon is still considered one of the all-time great duos. Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship, Ted DiBiase vs. Jake Roberts, Andre the Giant and Haku vs. Demolition for the WWF Tag Titles", "30 Days of WrestleMania: Looking back at WrestleMania V", "How Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan built himself into a WWE legend", "Wrestling star Bobby "The Brain" Heenan of Largo is dead at 72", "Bobby "The Brain" Heenan helped shape the world of professional wrestling", "Bruce Prichard, Jimmy Hart share their favorite Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan memories", "Local Wrestling Star: Bobby Heenan was the greatest manager ever, but an even greater friend", "Raw Results 6/11/07 Wilkes Barre, PA (2007 WWE Draft & more)", "Turning Point PPV results 12/11/05 (Sting sends a message & more)", "Official Results From Thursday's Impact! Patera was one of the few wrestlers who didnt make a big leap when having Heenan as his manager. Bobby Heenan is the type of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the night. As a commentator and a manager, Heenan made both friends and enemies! For a time, Heenan was unable to speak and had to communicate with his eyes. Though he nominally managed Flair, Heenan's former protg Mr. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. I wish Monsoon were here, he tearfully said. Billy Jack Haynes fought Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) to a double count-out at 7:52 when both men fell through the ropes and Haynes applied the full nelson on his opponent on the floor . He was inducted into the Hall prior to WrestleMania 20 and paid tribute to Monsoon during his speech. 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. Last May, Heenan was back in a hospital after falling inside of his Florida home. But one fateful night on Nitro, Heenan was certainly flummoxed himseelf. Whether standing at ringside, giving a backstage interview, or sitting at the announce table, Heenan knew exactly how to work an audience and maybe did it better than anyone ever has. In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. I don't know if McMahon told him before the show to just let loose or if he got carried away. The king of the one-liner and the king of the ad-lib made us laugh for decades. [23] His final in ring match came on August 2, 1991, at a house show in Long Island, New York, where he defeated Mr. 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. His last WWE appearance ever was on the June 11, 2007 episode of Monday Night RAW on McMahon Appreciation Night., Kurt Angle & Jason Jordan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, "I don't look at myself as a hero or smart person. Best Brain line: "I have to go on the road here with Larry Flynt.". Not only does Heenan smear humor over every word that comes out of his mouth, but he has a wealth of experience and inside information. Heres a look back on the life, career, and heartbreaking demise of Bobby The Brain Heenan. The passing of Gorilla saw Heenan demanding that WCW give him a minute before Nitro to share a message honoring his old partner. 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.