live on the air. In this promo he deftly rattles off insults, dogging the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the High Flyers. I always confused as a kid, and admittedly still am, why a woman was named Mike. [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?" 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. [45], On September 17, 2017, Heenan died at the age of 72 while surrounded by family at his home in Largo, Florida. He popped off joke after joke, having almost as much fun as the fans. To have cancer is already horrible enough. He and Gorilla Monsoon welcomed Heenan's personal doctor, Dr. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, his daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. Wonderful Paul Orndorff, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), and was somewhat of an adviser to Ric Flair in his first run with WWE. He will go down in the books as someone who mastered the craft". HH, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 17, 2017, one of a kind. Bobby Heenan is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time. 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. pic.twitter.com/2uM1qpWHaF. He expertly played a character, a snide weasel of a man we hated and loved just the same. Heenan was just one of the dozens of wrestlers to have horror stories about working with Ole. [27] Various other people involved with the wrestling business, including Jim Ross, on-screen adversary Hulk Hogan and Ted DiBiase, noted their close friendships with Heenan on their Twitter accounts after he died. The original plan for Bobby Heenan in WWE was for him to manage Jesse The Body Ventura. Although the purpose of these shows were to summarize weekly WWF events, viewers tuned in to see Heenan and Monsoon's interactions. "The Brain" is not known for his wrestling abilities. "The Brain" joined WCW for six years before returning to WWE at WrestleMania 17 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal. [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. 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. Related: The Blindfold Match & 9 Other Gimmick Matches That Made No Sense. The short stint of Bobby Heenan managing Ken Patera in WWE saw them failing to get along, even though they didnt have strong heat. He lost the autograph but would make a lifetime memory. While he was certainly one of the most well-known stars of the AWA, once he came to the WWE, he was thrust into absolute Superstardom. The more people who are exposed to him, the better. 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. It had been reported that Heenan had been battling Luke and Brutus also signed. From there, Heenan managed some of wrestlings biggest stars and appeared on the TV screen with legends such as Andre the Giant. [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. according to WWE. [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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. The Weasel tore up the paper and spat on the kid. Heenan retired in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven after a seventeen-year stint as a commentator in professional wrestling but he continued to make sporadic appearances in several promotions. Throat cancer has tried to take away one of wrestling's great voices, but it can never touch these clips and these memories. 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.. Bobby Heenan reminded everyone how entertaining he was by sharing details of his career, including thanking Harley Race for their time working together. [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. [30][6], On January 27, 1994, Heenan made his debut in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). 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. The cause of death was multiple organ failure from complications of throat cancer. [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. 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 passed away on Sunday leaving behind the legacy as one of the greatest managers in wrestling history. After managing in the company for nearly 5 years, Rick Rude finally brought the very fir After taking the nWo's side previously, Heenan came back to the announce table trying to claim he was a hero for his actions. This video is from an anniversary show with highlights from various episodes. Bobby Heenan died of organ failure caused by 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. Yes, I do have throat cancer, but I plan on beating this too. Bobby Heenan was born on November 1, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA as Raymond Louis Heenan. [21] The following year, he was defeated in 30 seconds by former client The Red Rooster at WrestleMania V.[22] Heenan also wrestled a series of "Weasel Suit matches" against The Ultimate Warrior, who defeated Heenan by forcing him into a weasel costume. Despite all the health concerns, Heenan still efforts to attend scheduled independent wrestling shows, autograph sessions and conventions. He enjoyed staying in touch with former colleagues and fans. Even with how silly this concept is, "The Brain" sells it. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is widely considered the best manager in the history of professional wrestling. 9 Mean Gene Okerlund. The history of Heenan sees the following wrestlers loved or hated by him. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. No one ever did it better than the Wease. Professional wrestling was his calling. But is that funnier than the fact that Heenan could never correctly pronounce "narcissist?". [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. [12] Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004 (WWF changed its name to WWE in 2002) by Blackjack Lanza. 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. [3], On January 25, 1975, an angry fan fired a gun at Heenan in Chicago's International Amphitheatre after Heenan interfered in one of Bockwinkel's matches. However, he was back in the hospital once again in December 2009 after an exam showed that his reconstructed jaw had an infection. I proudly displayed it for many years but it's time to move on (and by my kids Xmas gifts). Best Brain line: "Oh no, they're going to repossess my teeth.". Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. But the . Years after his retirement, and death, you could ask any manager or commentator and they will tell you that everyone else is just vying for second place. One of Heenans staple achievements in his over four decades in the industry was forming the Heenan Family, a group whose name was derived from their strength of alliance. Jameson was an actor that Vince had hired. Family (1) Spouse [7] In May 2016, he fell again and broke a hip. Some unintentional comedy from Bobby Heenan came about during Lex Luger's WWE debut. When WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby "The . Perfect, who temporarily retired due to injury, would regularly accompany Flair to ringside as his "Executive Consultant". He somehow manages to sell the paper while trashing it. 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. Perfect Curt Hennig, Mr. AWA All Star Wrestling, "Classic Moment of the Week" March 22, 2011, Video related to bobby the brain heenan dead: 5 fast facts you need to know, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan recalls the Superstars he managed during his 2004 Hall of Fame Speech, "The Brain" recalls managing "Superstar" Billy Graham, Sgt. I think Ole Anderson is a piece of sh**. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. [28], Heenan is considered by many to be the greatest wrestling manager of all time,[6][7][42][46] including WWE, who placed him at the top of their 25 greatest managers list in 2011. Heenan is smooth here like, he was for so many years. While he was there he met a hulking superstar who he would form a lifetime friendship backstage and on-screen rivalry with. Bobby Heenan screams "Yes" a hundred times, claims he told us so a dozen more, then leaves his broadcast position to celebrate with Flair. He passed away in 2017 following an extended battle with throat cancer. 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. Ole Anderson had an important role in the original version of The Four Horsemen, but he was still among the most hated men backstage. Whether you remember him from his days in the AWA, as the manager of legends like Mr. That's like reading the walls at a bus station.". [17] Demolition would win the titles back at WrestleMania VI. He tearfully let everyone know that the Pearly Gates were now known as The Gorilla Position. Fellow WWE commentator Jim Ross tweeted out the news first Sunday, saying. But when one fan met Heenan, he wound up with the experience and memory of a lifetime. Several times during his career, Heenan ended up nearly giving fans blood. 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. All the wit and insults you'd imagine "The Brain" delivering are packed into the handful of episodes they made. He was a wrestler and a manager for the promotion before appearing in the American Wrestling Association in 1974. 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.". 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. Leave it to Bobby Heenan to take a silly joke like telling kids that Santa Claus isn't real and turn it into a face-reddening spectacle. "-#RIPBobbyTheBrainHeenan pic.twitter.com/YwZcMpSOAt, Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) September 17, 2017. They ran into a problem with the USA network because they wanted 2 hours of wrestling, not 30 minutes of comedy and 90 minutes of wrestling. Dennis Miller gave us a taste of that on his talk show in 2004. [40] These comments were echoed by Triple H, who said that Heenan was one of the best in-ring talents but chose to be a manager. Heenan went under the surgical knife once again in 2015 for an undisclosed issue, his longtime friend and colleague Mean Gene Okerlund tweeted. Flair has spoken glowingly about Heenan throughout the years and made it clear that he was the best manager of all time. Bobby Heenan's quips made the moment that much more memorable. Heenan, known for his sarcastic wit and . Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was a breath of fresh air in professional wrestling. Fuji. [3] Heenan met a young Hulk Hogan while in Georgia and later told AWA promoter Verne Gagne that he should hire him. No manager or commentator was ever better at entertaining us humanoids. It was clear early in his career that his verbal skills far outshined his physical ones. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. With minimal production value, they could turn a banal situation into comedy. He died on September 17, 2017. 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. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. 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). Ric Flair wins the Royal Rumble. 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. 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. Discussing Verne Gagne's Pro Wrestling Report, Heenan goes into rapid-fire comedy mode. Videos by OutKick. Together they had a daughter, Jessica. [6] While Bockwinkel and Stevens feuded with The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser, Bruiser famously called Heenan "Weasel"; this led to his rivals calling him "Weasel" throughout the rest of his wrestling career. Ross tweeted out the news first Sunday, saying his physical ones who he would form a lifetime friendship and! In sports-entertainment history HulkHogan ) September 17, 2017 his talk show in 2004 tries to buy a from! All the wit and insults you 'd imagine `` the Brain & quot ;.! Manage Jesse the Body Ventura the legacy as one of the greatest manager sports-entertainment! 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