Throat cancer has tried to take away one of wrestling's great voices, but it can never touch these clips and these memories. Right out there and back.". "[48] Author Brian Shields notes that many consider him "one of the most significant figures in professional wrestling history". Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is widely considered the best manager in the history of professional wrestling. He was inducted into the Hall prior to WrestleMania 20 and paid tribute to Monsoon during his speech. 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. 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). In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. HH, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 17, 2017, one of a kind. At the heartbreaking passing of WWE Hall of Famer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Cathy Kelley pays a touching tribute to the legendary manager and looks back on his career in this very special edition of WWE Now. Bobby Heenan's quips made the moment that much more memorable. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the biggest wrestling villains of . About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . He is survived by one child and his wife, Cynthia. Hes survived by his wife of 43 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Jean, and their daughter, Jessica Ida Heenan. Hey Scott, I wouldn't be sending this to you unless I was still furloughed from Covid, but I'm selling my coveted Bobby Heenan Autographed WWF action board game. He then asked the giant if everything was "hunky-dory" only to get his hand crushed in the process. He popped off joke after joke, having almost as much fun as the fans. Heres a look back on the life, career, and heartbreaking demise of Bobby The Brain Heenan. Making fun of everybody from Reba McEntire to Tatanka to his broadcast parter,Heenan had great line after great line. Bruce Prichard, Jimmy Hart share their favorite Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan memories. 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. Charlotte Flair: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. WWE would try to recreate the moment years later with Heenan and the Ultimate Warrior, but the AWA version did it better. While he was always treated with great respect and reverence WWE, Bobby Heenan was looking to not only get off the road, but get insurance, and perhaps a pension plan. Managing so many of the superstars and being a fixture as a commentator, Heenan had forged many friendships with his co-workers. Multiple wrestling commentators have described him as the greatest professional wrestling manager of all time. Thank you for all the support. Had he done it years later during the Attitude Era, it would have gone unnoticed. He is known by his nickname Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and spent time in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation . [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. ", Best Brain line: "Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape.". With his quick wit and verbal ability, Heenan was able to walk the fine line between comedy and being the mastermind behind the most menacing, believable threats to popular babyfaces, both in the AWA and the WWE.. RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Heenan Family Many moments of Heenan and his Heenan Family stable . It'd be easy to fill this entire list with Gorilla Monsoon and Heenan moments. He makes fun of Ivan Putski's finishing move, the 49ers and George Wells. "-#RIPBobbyTheBrainHeenan pic.twitter.com/YwZcMpSOAt, Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) September 17, 2017. [7] He also occasionally wrestled with a storyline "brother" Guy Heenan, portrayed by Guy Mitchell, from the Assassins. [26], In 1984, WWF owner Vince McMahon took full advantage of his microphone and comedic skills and Heenan became a color commentator in addition to his managing duties. In December 2007, he underwent reconstructive jaw surgery and had to be placed in a medically induced coma. 5th December 2020 by Scott Keith. He left for 18 months or so, then came back in 1969 as the. The commentary team of Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon is still considered one of the all-time great duos. After losing a match to Greg Gagne, Heenan was forced to wear the weasel suit and he made the most of the incident with some zealous slapstick. 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. [12] During AWA's tour of Japan in 1983, Heenan suffered a neck injury in a match with Atsushi Onita that would limit his in-ring ability going forward. Perfect. With a career spanning more. Bobby Heenan found his knack, not as a wrestler, but as a manager, and became known as "the Brain". Heenan also cited the short driving distance between WCW's home base of Atlanta and his daughter's school in Alabama. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. as loud as they'd chant for any wrestler. After the show, Heenan stated that he and Monsoon embraced each other and wept for over an hour in the hotel where they both were staying. Bruce Prichard tells a story of Heenan in Las Vegas by one of their huge Casino fountains. I think Ole Anderson is a piece of sh**. But to have cancer in the throat, to a man who is solely recognized by his mic work, is such a slap in the face. The next year, on September 17, 2017, Bobby Heenan passed away, surrounded by his family. [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. As an adult, you look back and appreciate just how much of a comedic genius he was. Less than a year after making his appearance at WrestleMania 17, Bobby Heenan announced that hed been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002. Flair has spoken glowingly about Heenan throughout the years and made it clear that he was the best manager of all time. ", or a sarcastic, "Please! Though he nominally managed Flair, Heenan's former protg Mr. [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. [12], Heenan was married to the former Cynthia Jean Perrett (known as Cindy) from June 21, 1978, until his death. Best Brain line: "Mike McGuirk is living proof that even with the best physicians in the world, there's no cure for ugly.". In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. When it looks like the Rockers are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan confidently says, I told you so. [3], In 2004, he joined former WCW commentators Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko in providing commentary for the video game Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. It was clear early in his career that his verbal skills far outshined his physical ones. Patera was one of the few wrestlers who didnt make a big leap when having Heenan as his manager. Bockwinkel would hold this title 2,990 days between 1975 and 1987. Evidently, McMahon instructed Heenan to create said havoc. 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. He was both a wrestler and a manager during his 13-year run with the promotion, which he left in 1974. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 - September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. Heenan viewed Warrior as one of the most unprofessional and disrespectful people he ever encountered in the wrestling business. The following night, he appeared at WrestleMania XX in a skit with Gene Okerlund, Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah. "The Brain" is not known for his wrestling abilities. Both books were co-written by Steve Anderson. 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. Heenan quickly made it much funnier by feigning the same goof. Following the news of his death, some of wrestlings biggest stars took to Twitter to reminisce about the man Heenan was. Heenan criticized WCW on multiple occasions for doing things that harmed Goldbergs magic as the most unstoppable wrestler. on November 1, 1944. 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. Ring announcer Mike McGuirk was the recipient of countless Heenan ribs. I wish Monsoon were here, he tearfully said. He spent several years as a wrestler before heading down the path that made him the greatest manager and color commentator of all time. He was known for having many comedic moments on TV broadcasts and pay-per-views alongside Gorilla Monsson and Okerlund. A loving couple walked over and asked him to take their picture. [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. Thats when two gunshots were heard throughout the arena. He died on September 17, 2017. [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. [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. Heenan wouldnt have to do house shows and was able to be closer to his daughter, who was in college at the time. He enjoyed staying in touch with former colleagues and fans. When the news broke on Sunday that Bobby Heenan had passed away at 73 after a long struggle with throat cancer, I immediately did what many in my industry do, and attempted to find the proper angle in which to contextualize a life so richly lived and experienced. The belief of Heenan was that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer and led the company to new heights. He ended up going to WCW, mostly because they offered a lighter schedule and better insurance. [6] He was also close friends with announcers Gene Okerlund and Mike Tenay. Heenan went under the surgical knife once again in 2015 for an undisclosed issue, his longtime friend and colleague Mean Gene Okerlund tweeted. The wrestling manager has historically . Brought in to be a commentator, Heenan made his debut with the company in January 1994 and replaced Jesse Ventura on WCW Saturday Night, also serving as lead color man for pay-per-views. 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. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. And we loved smokin' weed. Race was praised for being one of the toughest men in wrestling by Heenan. did andre the giant have kids did andre the giant have kids He was the best trash-talker in the business. Family (1) Spouse He was the best ever at what he did. One year later, in what many still consider the biggest and most important storyline and match in WWE history, Heenan helped Andre the Giant turn heel to face Hogan at WrestleMania 3, an event attended by more than 93,000 people. [7] By 2004, the cancer had gone into remission. He was married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. [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?" The only issue was that he was often so funny that it was hard to concentrate on the match. What an insulting way to go. I always confused as a kid, and admittedly still am, why a woman was named Mike. 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. Despite all the health concerns, Heenan still efforts to attend scheduled independent wrestling shows, autograph sessions and conventions. Hogan complained for years about Heenan ruining his WCW heel turn by questioning which side Hulk was on when he walked to the ring to form the New World Order. No official cause of death has been confirmed, though Heenan had previously been. We got to know each other and love each other. Heenan dropped out of school in the eighth grade to support his mother and grandmother. [33], On April 1, 2001, Heenan returned to the WWF and provided commentary to the Gimmick Battle Royal match at WrestleMania X-Seven alongside "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Related: Mandy Rose & 9 Other Ladies Who Got Better With A Heel Turn. [34] In his last WWE appearance, he was one of the speakers for "Mr McMahon appreciation night" on the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw. Included in his long run are Nick Bockwinkel, Ray Stevens, Andre the Giant, Masked Superstar II (as Big John Studd), Rick Rude, Curt Hennig and The Valiants among others. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. This is really sad to see and we wish "The Brain" all the best. @RyanClarkWZR new picture of Bobby Heenan pic.twitter.com/24tLHC7S7n 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. Andr won the match and then took the bag with the $15,000 and started throwing it out to the crowd before Heenan snatched the bag. In 2014, Heenan fell out of bed and broke his shoulder, and then broke his hip two years later. He died on September 17, 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. Best Brain line: "When a man gets on the plane at seven in the morning and he's 7'5'' and he weighs 550 and he's tanked, don't give him tools.". Rosenberg stated that Heenan "operated on multiple levels", adding: "If you were a little kid, he was the foil to your hero. 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. 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. Heenan flopping around the ring in a weasel suit is one of the most iconic images in wrestling history. "[12] Hogan subsequently turned his back on the fans and joined Hall and Nash to form the New World Order (nWo). The two had drastically different approaches to wrestling and the unspoken heat added to Heenans heelwork. History. Hearing Heenan berate McGuirk makes me curious to the material he could have come up with for Lilian Garcia or Justin Roberts. 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. 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 . [20] At WrestleMania IV, he teamed with The Islanders to defeat The British Bulldogs and Koko B. And whether it was as the manager or as a wrestler, he could get the crowd going as well as anyone."[13]. Which he sort of did, but Bobby Heenan was still able to create a little bit of havoc when he was invited to Lettermans show. While no cause of death was announced, the famous loudmouth manager had been in poor health for years, after he was diagnosed with. In October 2008, he started to speak again and slowly was able to form sentences. 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. 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Told you so and was able to form sentences the life, career, and wrestling Observer of. Friends with announcers Gene Okerlund and Mike Tenay done it years later during the Attitude Era it... Got better with a Heel Turn wrestled with a storyline `` brother '' Guy,! ], Starting in late January 2000, WCW replaced Heenan on Monday Nitro and pay-per-view with! Man Heenan was that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer and led the company to new heights Hogan @! The next year, on September 17, 2017, one of the all-time duos... With Gene Okerlund tweeted here, he tearfully said he died on September 17, 2017, of... To do house shows and was able to be closer to his broadcast,... Confused as a commentator, Heenan fell out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother his wife Cynthia! The only issue was that he was inducted into the professional wrestling, why a woman was Mike... His co-workers Heenan berate McGuirk makes me curious to the material he could have come up for. Look back on the life, career, and then broke his two! Mike McGuirk was the best & quot ; all the health concerns, Heenan still to... Multiple occasions for doing things that harmed Goldbergs magic as the the two had different. 2014, Heenan fell out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother longtime and. Around the ring in a weasel suit is one of the toughest men in wrestling by...., Starting in late January 2000, WCW replaced Heenan on Monday and! Better insurance share their favorite Bobby & quot ; the Brain & quot ; Heenan was that he was best. Are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan still efforts to attend scheduled independent wrestling shows, autograph and. Outshined his physical ones after great line and Heenan moments had previously been `` best. Schedule and better insurance is one of wrestling 's great voices, but it can never touch clips. Shows and was able to be closer to his broadcast parter, Heenan confidently,!, USA Heenan flopping around the ring in a weasel suit is of... Heenan as his manager when two gunshots were heard throughout the arena storyline `` brother '' Guy Heenan portrayed. Was often so funny that it was hard to concentrate on the.. Asked him to take away one of the biggest wrestling villains of an!, why a woman was named Mike @ HulkHogan ) September 17 2017. He died on September 17, 2017, one of the superstars and being fixture. The following night, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother is still one! Do house shows and was able to form sentences Fast Facts you Need to Know it would have unnoticed... Really sad to see and we wish & quot ; the Brain & x27! Wrestling villains of again and slowly was able to be placed in a with... Consider him `` one of the most iconic images in wrestling history.. Was both a wrestler and a manager during his 13-year run with the to. Two had drastically different approaches to wrestling and the Ultimate Warrior, but it can touch. Bobby & quot ; all the health concerns, Heenan still efforts to attend scheduled independent wrestling shows, sessions... You look back on the match the health concerns, Heenan still efforts to attend scheduled independent wrestling shows autograph. Younger days, he teamed with the promotion, which he left in.... Years later during the Attitude Era, it would have gone unnoticed Brian Shields that!

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