[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. Commentator Jim Ross broke the news . Bobby Heenan performed in WWE from 1984-1993 as a manager and commentator. [49] Journalist Wade Keller states that what sets him apart from other managers was his ability to take "tremendous bumps" (falls to the mat after being attacked). He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. The two had drastically different approaches to wrestling and the unspoken heat added to Heenans heelwork. More ACTION on WWE NETWORK : bit.ly/MobQRl Subscribe to WWE on YouTube: bit.ly/1i64OdT Visit the all-new WWE.com: bit.ly/visitwwe. Heenan had stints managing Flair in both promotions as two of the greatest heels of all-time formed chemistry together. 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. He was a wrestler and a manager for the promotion before appearing in the American Wrestling Association in 1974. [6] In 2004, he feuded with fellow manager Jim Cornette in Ring of Honor. Evidently, McMahon instructed Heenan to create said havoc. 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.". [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. 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. While Ric Flair outlasted them all, Heenan had his own work cut out for him, selling just how nervous he was watching his meal ticket survive from number three until the end. Perfect Curt Hennig, Mr. Perfect chemistry powered their banter. On a recent episode of What Happened When Mondays, Tony Schiavone spoke about why Bobby Heenan held such resentment toward him for so long. Following the news of his death, some of wrestlings biggest stars took to Twitter to reminisce about the man Heenan was. In 2014, Heenan fell out of bed and broke his shoulder, and then broke his hip two years later. Only Heenan could take such a simple gag and turn into such amusing stuff. [6], After leaving WWA, Heenan announced he was now to be known as "The Brain" at his AWA debut in 1969. His presence made any wrestler, any gimmick seem more important. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is a legendary wrestling personality. Discussing Verne Gagne's Pro Wrestling Report, Heenan goes into rapid-fire comedy mode. 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. Joey is a writer with a decade of experience writing about sports, entertainment, and pop culture. Few people can make getting hurt look so funny. Pro wrestling is his strongest passion with a lifetime fandom and countless live shows attended. Bobby Heenan is the type of guy you could listen to tell stories long into the night. [20] At WrestleMania IV, he teamed with The Islanders to defeat The British Bulldogs and Koko B. With a career spanning more. [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. The belief of Heenan was that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer and led the company to new heights. "The Brain," passed away at age 73. 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. He ended up going to WCW, mostly because they offered a lighter schedule and better insurance. In addition to memorializing Monsoon, Heenan cracked jokes and told numerous stories about those superstars he managed and worked with over they years. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. "[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 managed King Kong Bundy in his main event bout at WrestleMania 2. [3] Heenan said he was never trained as a wrestler and it came naturally. Sept. 17, 2017 5:10 PM PT Legendary pro wrestling manager Bobby "the Brain" Heenan died Sunday from cancer complications at the age of 72, the WWE announced. Fooling everybody is pretty funny, but really his own reaction to the prank that makes this so priceless. Feel free to add your own jokes about how much better off he'd be had he been serious about leaving WCW. He died on 17 September 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Andre the Giant in 1987. The following night, he appeared at WrestleMania XX in a skit with Gene Okerlund, Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah. Managing so many of the superstars and being a fixture as a commentator, Heenan had forged many friendships with his co-workers. Heenan was instrumental in convincing McMichael to turn on his partner, which enabled Flair and Anderson to win the match, and fill the open spot in The Four Horsemen that Brian Pillman left behind when he departed from the company earlier in the year. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. Heenan shared a funny story about a stewardess bringing Andre a screwdriver tool on a plane when he asked for it. One of the more subdued promos in Heenan's career saw him calmly rattle off a number of choice insults. 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. 5th December 2020 by Scott Keith. Another moment between the pair often occurred when Heenan would go on a long rant supporting the villainous wrestlers, until an exasperated Monsoon would say either: "Will you stop? [18] A few months after that, he led Mr. I proudly displayed it for many years but it's time to move on (and by my kids Xmas gifts). He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, his daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. The low class of Warrior featured him making statements about Heenan deserving cancer later in his life. He instantly became the top interviewer for the promotion and in a lot of . [3] Heenan met a young Hulk Hogan while in Georgia and later told AWA promoter Verne Gagne that he should hire him. Even with how silly this concept is, "The Brain" sells it. "Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby . He was unsure at first, but accepted their offer once he found out that WCW provided lighter work schedules and health insurance. This was partly done because of Andr's ailing health, hoping to prolong his career, but also to . 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. Heenan's head just about explodes when Luger starts to make his thighs quiver. Heenan also cited the short driving distance between WCW's home base of Atlanta and his daughter's school in Alabama. Fans and wrestlers have always shown respect for Heenan, but he did have his fair share of enemies too.RELATED: Bobby Heenan: 10 Backstage Stories About The Brain We Can't BelieveWWE, WCW, and various other promotions worked with Heenan to help their talent in his roles. Ware. Together they had a daughter, Jessica. Monsoon and Heenan developed a bond that was shown in their commentary and grew even stronger behind the scenes. He expertly played a character, a snide weasel of a man we hated and loved just the same. Perfect or Andre the Giant or as a broadcast journalist with Gorilla Monsoon, Heenan surely entertained you like no other. He referred to the fans as "humanoids", and fan favorites, especially enhancement talent, as "ham-and-eggers." Most wrestlers voiced support of Heenan over Warrior who had more than enough reasons to dislike the controversial figure. He is known by his nickname Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and spent time in the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation . Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. [3][12] Heenan said he was uninspired in WCW due to the negative work environment and due to conflicts with Schiavone. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were known for working rough in the ring and trying to scare non-wrestlers. [40] WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross selected Heenan as the greatest talent in the history of the wrestling business. Bockwinkel would hold this title 2,990 days between 1975 and 1987. Nobody made weaseling as entertaining as Bobby Heenan. In his in-ring debut at Madison Square Garden in November 1984, he cleanly pinned Salvatore Bellomo. Alongside the legendary Gorilla Monsoon, he became one of the greatest announcers in history as well. He tells all about his experiences with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Vince McMahon, and all the other personalities that every wrestling fan knows like a relative. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was a breath of fresh air in professional wrestling. [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. Bruce Prichard on Bobby Heenan: "He was the perfect talent." Bobby Heenan was quick to inform viewers of his . 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. [39] Despite declining health in his final years, Heenan continued to make appearances at fan conventions. He was paired with numerous wrestlers, including Nick Bockwinkel, whom he led to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and he became an integral figure in the 1980s professional wrestling boom by managing King Kong Bundy and Andr the Giant in WWF main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III respectively. On SpikeTV", "Pro wrestling icon Bobby Heenan dies at 72", "GameSpy: Showdown: Legends of Wrestling", "Pro wrestling commentator Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan, legendary pro wrestling manager, dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan breaks hip and shoulder, fractures pelvis", "WWE Hall of Famer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan reportedly hospitalized", "Bobby Heenan: Remembering the greatest and explaining why he is widely regarded as the greatest at what he did", "Mooneyham: Gone but not forgotten, professional wrestling lost memorable names in 2017", "Triple H: Bobby Heenan Wasn't Just a Manager, One of the Greatest Wrestlers Ever", "Jim Ross on Bobby Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Heenan&oldid=1127575056, Professional wrestling managers and valets, The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling) members, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 13:57. 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