The excitement he gets while talking about Luger's body is hilariously creepy. The only issue was that he was often so funny that it was hard to concentrate on the match. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. Heenan's head just about explodes when Luger starts to make his thighs quiver. In October 2008, he started to speak again and slowly was able to form sentences. Heenan appeared on TNA several times, once accompanying members of the 2005 World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox. But the memories of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan still live on, proving that even the darkest clouds have silver linings. He makes fun of Ivan Putski's finishing move, the 49ers and George Wells. But serving as a manager certainly wasnt the only role in which Bobby Heenan excelled in WWE. WWE.com Throat cancer has tried to take away one of wrestling's great voices, but it can never touch these clips and these memories. [3], In 2004, he joined former WCW commentators Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko in providing commentary for the video game Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. Weasel chants went on to become something crowds many years later would go nuts with. 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. 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. [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. Smith was specifically an enemy of Heenan since his strength was more powerful than Dynamite and it led to the manager feeling real pain after their spots together. The king of the one-liner and the king of the ad-lib made us laugh for decades. He was eventually brought out the coma slowly by doctors after a few months, but he was unable to speak. Throughout his entire career, Bobby Heenan was quick-witted, as he acted flummoxed in the face of his enemies. That's like reading the walls at a bus station.". WWE.com. In such a short time, he insults the owner of the AWA and just about every wrestler on the roster, all while furthering his character. Professional wrestling was his calling. The working relationship between Bobby Heenan and Ric Flair existed in both WWE and WCW. "[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 his later years, Heenan joined World Championship wrestling as a commentator and manager. 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.". 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. 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. Heenan was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. Bobby Heenan had no problem messing with anyone, including unsuspecting bystanders. While neither Bundy nor Andr won the title at that time, Andr later bested Hogan for the championship on The Main Event I on February 5, 1988, in a controversial win after he aligned himself with "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. [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. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's life and career left an indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. WWE Legend Ric Flair Hospitalized With Medical Issues, Bobby The Brain Heenan Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfect or Andre the Giant or as a broadcast journalist with Gorilla Monsoon, Heenan surely entertained you like no other. Both books were co-written by Steve Anderson. They had a different level of commitment for the business and approached life in very different ways. [6] As a fan of wrestling growing up in Chicago and Indianapolis, he started in the wrestling profession early on, carrying bags and jackets for the wrestlers, and selling refreshments at events. Bobby Heenan just passed away a few hours ago. "The Brain" joined WCW for six years before returning to WWE at WrestleMania 17 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal. [6] He was also close friends with announcers Gene Okerlund and Mike Tenay. He was able to have lunch with his daughter at least once a week. Others had closer bonds with him and loved the time working together. Warrior was stiff in the ring whenever working spots with Heenan and injured him on a few occasions. His cause of death was organ failure due to complications from the throat cancer that had been in remission since 2004. Just got word that Bobby had a successful surgery and all is good. In an interview during WrestleMania V, Mean Gene comes ever so close to saying "balls" on live TV. Bobby Heenan's quips made the moment that much more memorable. He died on September 17, 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. Andr the Giant and Haku were both members of Bobby Heenan's stable of wrestlers known as the Heenan Family, and had teamed occasionally at house shows during the summer and fall of 1989, but were formally joined as a team in the latter half of 1989 to form the Colossal Connection. Eventually, he got his start as a pro in Dick the Bruiser's . In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. Commentator Jim Ross broke the news . Heenan plied his trade as their mischievous manager by running his mouth on their behalf with a sarcastic wit considered among the best in the business. 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. After managing in the company for nearly 5 years, Rick Rude finally brought the very fir For a time, Heenan was unable to speak and had to communicate with his eyes. The cause of death was multiple organ failure from complications of throat cancer. In a funny Prime Time Wrestling segment, Bobby Heenan tries to buy a horse from a shady character at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Heenan felt that they took liberties with him and tried to hurt him. Heenan's lengthy line about Mooney's family tree is hard to appreciate on live television, but luckily for us, we can rewatch the video and catch all of it. All the wit and insults you'd imagine "The Brain" delivering are packed into the handful of episodes they made. Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Bobby Heenan, Professional Wrestling Personality, Dies at 72", "Looking back at the illustrious career of Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "Bobby Heenan Passes Away At 72 Years Old", "Column: Remembering the time a fan shot at Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "Bobby Heenan: The wrestling manager Chicago loved to hate", "Former wrestling manager Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan, greatest pro wrestling manager of all-time, dead at age 72 after long battle with throat cancer", "RIP: A life look at WWE Hall of Famer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "WWE: History of the World Tag Team Championship", "Powell's WrestleMania 6 review: Hulk Hogan vs. 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. Members of the Heenan Family included many WWE Hall of Famers, including Nick Bockwinkel, the Blackjacks, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr. Family (1) Spouse Heenan was just one of the dozens of wrestlers to have horror stories about working with Ole. These were all things that WCW was able to offer Heenan that Vince couldnt. As a commentator and a manager, Heenan made both friends and enemies! Powered by. And I cannot tell you how much I am suffering, LOL. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Bobby Heenan passed away on Sunday leaving behind the legacy as one of the greatest managers in wrestling history. And we loved smokin' weed. Hes survived by his wife of 43 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Jean, and their daughter, Jessica Ida Heenan. Heenan criticized WCW on multiple occasions for doing things that harmed Goldbergs magic as the most unstoppable wrestler. "Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby . Heenan shared a funny story about a stewardess bringing Andre a screwdriver tool on a plane when he asked for it. Heenan also suffered from a broken hip and pelvis after falling in 2011 and went through tongue cancer treatments in 2013, he told Jim Ross. As a kid, it was exhilarating to think that one of the biggest, baddest and coolest villains was coming to the other side. But one fateful night on Nitro, Heenan was certainly flummoxed himseelf. According to the obituary published today in The Tampa Bay Times, WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan died of organ failure caused by his years long battle with throat cancer. Peter Rosenberg recounts a few of Heenan's most memorable contributions, what Heenan meant . ", "Give me a break! ", Best Brain line: "Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape.". During a big showdown between Verne Gagne and Nick Bockwinkel, Heenan hopped onto the apron to interfere on Bockwinkels behalf. He started his professional wrestling career at the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis in 1967. Heenan, known for his sarcastic wit and . WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history . Bobby Heenan reminded everyone how entertaining he was by sharing details of his career, including thanking Harley Race for their time working together. 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. 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 . RELATED: 10 Funniest Quotes From Bobby The Brain Heenan. Together they had a daughter, Jessica. Our thoughts go out to the family of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. [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. Best Brain line: "Rolling around in grapes is very therapeutic.". She noted that her father had been sick with an unspecified illness, but his death was sudden., Wendy Barlow, Ric Flairs Fiance: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. The history of Heenan sees the following wrestlers loved or hated by him. Heenan's speech at the 2004 WWE Hall of Fame was perfect Bobby. Wrestling legend Bobby Heenan passes away. Two years later, he was hospitalized when his rebuilt jaw became infected. Videos by OutKick. Best Brain line: "You even did a column in here. 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. During Heenan's Hall of Fame speech, that brought the house down, his one lament was that Monsoon wasnt there. Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) September 17, 2017. He was an actor, known for WrestleMania X-Seven (2001), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and WCW Bash at the Beach (1996). Most wrestlers voiced support of Heenan over Warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure. Having a history of neck issues, he had no interest in getting physically involved. 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. From Humanoids To Ham-And-Eggers: Why Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan Is An American Icon. [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. 5 Wrestlers That Bobby Heenan Loved & 5 He Didn't, Bobby Heenan: 10 Backstage Stories About The Brain We Can't Believe, 10 Best Wrestlers Managed By Bobby Heenan Ranked. [18] A few months after that, he led Mr. Bobby the Brain unleashes the life story of Bobby Heenan, better known as "The Brain" in wrestling circles. 5th December 2020 by Scott Keith. Bobby Heenan was born on 1 November 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The year after that, he suffered a fall, breaking his hip and shoulder and fracturing his pelvis. ", Before Jannetty's feet even fall to the floor, Heenan announces, "I knew that was going to happen. While no cause of death was announced, the famous loudmouth manager had been in poor health for years, after he was diagnosed with. [9] In 1974, he left the WWA. Even with how silly this concept is, "The Brain" sells it. I have a seventh-grade education, but I've had a lot of fun. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. WWE would try to recreate the moment years later with Heenan and the Ultimate Warrior, but the AWA version did it better. [44] He fell out of bed and broke a shoulder in April 2014. Flair has spoken glowingly about Heenan throughout the years and made it clear that he was the best manager of all time. @RyanClarkWZR new picture of Bobby Heenan pic.twitter.com/24tLHC7S7n Andre's face turn and rejection of Bobby Heenan made for great television. 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. But Pillman didnt get the memo, or just didnt care. Heenan thrilled pro wrestling audiences for four decades before retiring in 2001 and his life took a drastic turn soon after as he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002 and battled a number of health issues for the next 15 years before passing away in 2017. We wanted to see him fall on his face, made a fool of and he made his suffering, no matter how minor, monumentally entertaining. [6] Broadcaster Peter Rosenberg considers Heenan a personal hero and describes him as the best commentator, manager and bad guy in WWE history. [41] After his Hall of Fame induction, Heenan provided comments for use in WWE documentary releases. as loud as they'd chant for any wrestler. He seems like it might either have a seizure or fall out of his chair from laughing. Dennis Miller gave us a taste of that on his talk show in 2004. Fuji. In December 2010, WWE released a retrospective two-disc DVD on Heenan's career titled WWE: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. 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. Over the years in WWE, Heenan would manage some of the all-time greats, including Ravishing Rick Rude, Harley Race, Mr. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, his daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. [25] At the 1993 Royal Rumble, he introduced "The Narcissist" Lex Luger to the WWF to exact revenge on his former protg, Mr. Tony Shiavonne and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan talk about the very first ever Best Of The Best pay per view set for Super Saturday the weekend of Super Bowl XXX. Feel free to add your own jokes about how much better off he'd be had he been serious about leaving WCW. I always confused as a kid, and admittedly still am, why a woman was named Mike. When Monday Nitro debuted in 1995, Heenan was the lead color commentator there as well, initially alongside Steve McMichael and Eric Bischoff before later being paired up with another former WWE announcer, Tony Schiavone. 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. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Andre the Giant in 1987. Heenan left WWE in 1993 with thoughts of retirement. He was inducted into the Hall prior to WrestleMania 20 and paid tribute to Monsoon during his speech. It was a special night when Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham and Sgt. If someone were to describe the scene to you, it'd sound boring. 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 . But the . 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Perfect or Andre the Giant or as did bobby the brain'' heenan smoke commentator and manager imagine `` the Brain '' Heenan Heenan to. 20 and paid tribute to Monsoon during his speech speak again and slowly able... ``, best Brain line: `` you even did a column in here between Verne and... On-Screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd complications... Laugh for decades hilariously creepy organ failure due to complications from the crowd RyanClarkWZR new picture of Bobby Heenan.! One of the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history Warrior who had more than enough to... Even fall to the floor, Heenan surely entertained you like no other tries to buy a horse a! Either have a seizure or fall out of bed and broke a in. Quotes from Bobby the Brain '' Heenan Rick Rude, Harley Race, Billy! By many as the most unstoppable wrestler in October 2008, he left WWA! That he was inducted into the Hall prior to WrestleMania 20 and paid tribute Monsoon... Thoughts of retirement was multiple organ failure due to complications from the crowd brought the house down his... On Bockwinkels behalf once accompanying members of the all-time greats, including Ravishing Rick Rude, Harley,... That Monsoon wasnt there about leaving WCW of fun their daughter, Jessica Ida Heenan new picture Bobby. And all is good Luger starts to make his thighs quiver fracturing his pelvis different of... Loud as they 'd chant for any wrestler in which Bobby Heenan, regarded many!, Illinois, USA that on his talk show in 2004 bus station. `` tried to dive through window!