He also made an appearance in the 1995 film Timemaster. Two years later, he was hospitalized when his rebuilt jaw became infected. But with just that, Heenanfound a way to minecomic gold. He died on September 17, 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. Hearing Heenan berate McGuirk makes me curious to the material he could have come up with for Lilian Garcia or Justin Roberts. Bobby Heenan is the type of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the night. But one fateful night on Nitro, Heenan was certainly flummoxed himseelf. [Photo: June 25th, 1988] Bobby Heenan and Ultimate Warrior had a disdain for one another. For a time, Heenan was unable to speak and had to communicate with his eyes. Wrestling legend Bobby Heenan passes away. Met him at a convention and he was still as sharp as a tack and funny as hell. [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. In particular, Heenan was credited with making Blackjack Lanza one of the top wrestling villains in the country. Perfect, The Red Rooster, and The Brooklyn Brawler. [12], In 1984, Heenan left AWA to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Luke and Brutus also signed. Less than a year after making his appearance at WrestleMania 17, Bobby Heenan announced that hed been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002. Slaughter were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The respect held for Harley was real since he was the ultimate professional. It was a special night when Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham and Sgt. [13], Heenan made appearances as a guest on various television shows, including: Family Feud, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, The Arsenio Hall Show, and The Dennis Miller Show. [12], Heenan was married to the former Cynthia Jean Perrett (known as Cindy) from June 21, 1978, until his death. No official cause of death has been confirmed, though Heenan had previously been. pic.twitter.com/2uM1qpWHaF. He was on the call when Hulk Hogan famously turned heel in the summer of 1996, hilariously making sure to let people know that he knew that Hogan was always a horrible human being. You would think after Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman created a moment on Letterman that the late night talk show host would have learned his lesson. He seems like it might either have a seizure or fall out of his chair from laughing. He left for 18 months or so, then came back in 1969 as the. Bockwinkel would hold this title 2,990 days between 1975 and 1987. Heenan revealed that he didnt always enjoy the methods of Hogan as a worker during a Ring of Honor shoot interview. Slaughter and Harley Race during his legendary time as a Manager in WWE. But when Ventura was forced to retire due to blood clots, "The Brain" was paired with Big John Studd in his long-running feud against Andre the Giant.. 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. In a funny Prime Time Wrestling segment, Bobby Heenan tries to buy a horse from a shady character at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Weasel!" WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history . In 2002, he announced in a statement that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and would be undergoing extensive rehabilitation. He was both a wrestler and a manager during his 13-year run with the promotion, which he left in 1974. 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. ", "Give me a break! During his short tenure in GCW, Heenan managed a stable of wrestlers that included the likes of Killer Karl Kox, Masked Superstar, Ernie Ladd and Blackjack Lanza. Where is Bobby The Brain Heenan? Bobby Heenan screams "Yes" a hundred times, claims he told us so a dozen more, then leaves his broadcast position to celebrate with Flair. Had he done it years later during the Attitude Era, it would have gone unnoticed. Perfect, who temporarily retired due to injury, would regularly accompany Flair to ringside as his "Executive Consultant". [44] He fell out of bed and broke a shoulder in April 2014. The legacy of Bobby Heenan sees him as arguably the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. I always confused as a kid, and admittedly still am, why a woman was named Mike. The commentary team of Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon is still considered one of the all-time great duos. According to Heenans first book, it was his idea that Flair should draw number one and go the distance. This video is from an anniversary show with highlights from various episodes. Over the years in WWE, Heenan would manage some of the all-time greats, including Ravishing Rick Rude, Harley Race, Mr. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is a legendary wrestling personality. He and Gorilla Monsoon welcomed Heenan's personal doctor, Dr. Thank you for all the support. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9QVTEUDdQ. 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. The British Bulldogs tag team became two wrestlers that Bobby Heenan didnt enjoy working with due to their reckless nature. The more people who are exposed to him, the better. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. He has to hold back laughter several times. Best Brain line: "Mike McGuirk is living proof that even with the best physicians in the world, there's no cure for ugly.". [19], Heenan also wrestled sporadically in his WWF run. Joey is a writer with a decade of experience writing about sports, entertainment, and pop culture. live on the air. Ware. He was the best ever at what he did. Related: Mandy Rose & 9 Other Ladies Who Got Better With A Heel Turn. "WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 73. [23], Heenan, calling himself a "broadcast journalist",[27] bashed fan favorites and cheered for their opponents while they cheated or did something under-handed. The wrestling manager has historically . 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. Sarcasm and smoothness on the mic were on full display here. Bobby Heenan passed away on Sunday leaving behind the legacy as one of the greatest managers in wrestling history. Few people can make getting hurt look so funny. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 - September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. Powered by. Heenan was just one of the dozens of wrestlers to have horror stories about working with Ole. 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. Heenan went under the surgical knife once again in 2015 for an undisclosed issue, his longtime friend and colleague Mean Gene Okerlund tweeted. Though it was ultimately nothing more than a minor cult classic, giving Bobby Heenan his own talk show was the right move. For the rest of the show, Heenan sat out in the crowd, accompanied by an armed security guard. Bobby Heenan, a.k.a. Heenan flopping around the ring in a weasel suit is one of the most iconic images in wrestling history. 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. [12], Heenan reformed the Heenan Family,[3] which over the years in the WWF would include Studd, "Olympic Strong Man" Ken Patera, "Playboy" Buddy Rose, "Mr. Best Brain line: "Rolling around in grapes is very therapeutic.". 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. She was the Brain's comedic muse, inspiring some of his best one-liners. [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. He was married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. "Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby . [30][6], On January 27, 1994, Heenan made his debut in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). However, he was back in the hospital once again in December 2009 after an exam showed that his reconstructed jaw had an infection. ", Before Jannetty's feet even fall to the floor, Heenan announces, "I knew that was going to happen. [9] In 1974, he left the WWA. Perfect chemistry powered their banter. During Heenan's Hall of Fame speech, that brought the house down, his one lament was that Monsoon wasnt there. He was known for having many comedic moments on TV broadcasts and pay-per-views alongside Gorilla Monsson and Okerlund. But Pillman didnt get the memo, or just didnt care. He started his professional wrestling career at the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis in 1967. Even with how silly this concept is, "The Brain" sells it. The news of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's passing today gutted me. RELATED: 10 Best Wrestlers Managed By Bobby Heenan Ranked. They had a different level of commitment for the business and approached life in very different ways. 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. Heenan felt that they took liberties with him and tried to hurt him. After taking the nWo's side previously, Heenan came back to the announce table trying to claim he was a hero for his actions. 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. Their banter and comic chemistry is sorely missed. It had been reported that Heenan had been. 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. In this segment, after a beating handed out by Ken Patera, Bobby Heenan donned a neck brace and did a lot of complaining. Peter Rosenberg recounts a few of Heenan's most memorable contributions, what Heenan meant . [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. 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) Last May, Heenan was back in a hospital after falling inside of his Florida home. Other wrestlers felt that Ole was a bully and showed little respect to his peers in real life. And we loved smokin' weed. And whether it was as the manager or as a wrestler, he could get the crowd going as well as anyone."[13]. ", RIP Bobby Heenan pic.twitter.com/ofqi6IJguD, Bubba Ray Dudley (@bullyray5150) September 17, 2017, Bobby Heenan was great at all that he didManagerWrestlerAnnouncerHostThe BrainWeaselCelebrate his life on @WWENetwork1 of a kind pic.twitter.com/RdcVzUCmK4, Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) September 17, 2017. 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 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 . 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. Perfect or Andre the Giant or as a broadcast journalist with Gorilla Monsoon, Heenan surely entertained you like no other. I don't know if McMahon told him before the show to just let loose or if he got carried away. One of the reasons that the 1992 Royal Rumble is considered among the best ever is because of the commentary of Bobby Heenan. 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 legacy of Bobby Heenan sees him as arguably the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. [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. He referred to the fans as "humanoids", and fan favorites, especially enhancement talent, as "ham-and-eggers." HH, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 17, 2017, one of a kind. Heenan had a preference for wrestlers like Flair who would work longer matches in the ring and talk even louder than him on the microphone. Best Brain line: "That guy you sit on his lap at the discount store, just out of detox.". "[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. [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. Ring announcer Mike McGuirk was the recipient of countless Heenan ribs. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. [18] A few months after that, he led Mr. He was placed in a medically induced coma and was slowly brought out. Best Brain line: "Two ugly people looking at each other. 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. We got to know each other and love each other. 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.. He really didnt know his own strength and Bobby just hated being slung around by the neck and what have you.". Following the news of his death, some of wrestlings biggest stars took to Twitter to reminisce about the man Heenan was. Bobby Heenan was born on November 1, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA as Raymond Louis Heenan. Most wrestlers voiced support of Heenan over Warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon are regarded as the greatest color-commentary team in pro-wrestling history. Simply put, the man was an absolute genius, not only as a manager but as a wrestler and color commentator as well. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. Fed up with Heenan's constant insults, Monsoon threw him and his belongings out of the arena and onto the street. WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, one of the ringside villains wrestling fans most loved to hate, died on Sunday at the age of 73. During the Andr the GiantHulk Hogan rivalry preceding WrestleMania III, Andr sided with Heenan and challenged Hogan at the event. "-#RIPBobbyTheBrainHeenan pic.twitter.com/YwZcMpSOAt, Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) September 17, 2017. While no cause of death was announced, the famous loudmouth manager had been in poor health for years, after he was diagnosed with. Legacy of Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history ( )! The top wrestling villains in the country Heenan announces, `` the Brain '' Heenan 's constant,! 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