[36] Heenan made a series of appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in December 2005, culminating at the Turning Point pay-per-view, where he provided commentary for the Six Man Tag Team Basebrawl match between The Diamonds in the Rough and Chris Sabin, Dale Torborg and Sonjay Dutt. He also made an appearance in the 1995 film Timemaster. 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. By the end of his life, he'd had his jaw removed and his face reconstructed. 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. Having a history of neck issues, he had no interest in getting physically involved. He instantly became the top interviewer for the promotion and in a lot of . Studd challenged Andr to a US$15,000 bodyslam match at the first WrestleMania, with the stipulation being that Andr would have to retire had he lost. 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. The banter between the two was incredible as Heenan, as per usual, was the perfect heel to Monsoons babyface persona. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan -- a former wrestler, manager, announcer and WWE Hall of Famer -- has died . 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. Weasel chants went on to become something crowds many years later would go nuts with. 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. "[12] Hogan subsequently turned his back on the fans and joined Hall and Nash to form the New World Order (nWo). Andre enjoyed Heenan and used to hang out with him after shows during the legendary drinking sessions for the big man. Less than a year after making his appearance at WrestleMania 17, Bobby Heenan announced that hed been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002. In his younger days, he dropped out of eight grade to support his mother and grandmother. 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. Race was praised for being one of the toughest men in wrestling by Heenan. In addition to this, the mayor of Milwaukee, Tom Barrett, declared December 5, 2009, to be "Bobby Heenan Day". 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. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. Videos by OutKick. As a commentator and a manager, Heenan made both friends and enemies! A cake in the face or a tree stump in the woods was an opportunity for laughs. Best Brain line: "That guy you sit on his lap at the discount store, just out of detox.". [12] In December 2009, Heenan was hospitalized after an examination of his rebuilt jaw found an infection that needed to be treated. [35], Heenan made several appearances on the independent circuit. [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. Luke and Brutus also signed. Bobby Heenan passed away on Sunday leaving behind the legacy as one of the greatest managers in wrestling history. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. Either way, Heenan was on his game that night. Born in 1944 as Raymond Heenan, the Chicago native took on the name of Pretty Boy Bobby Heenan when he joined Dick the Bruisers WWA promotion in Indianapolis in 1961. He was a wrestler and a manager for the promotion before appearing in the American Wrestling Association in 1974. 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. Perfect to Intercontinental Championship success. 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 "The Brain" Heenan, legendary professional wrestling manager and commentator, has died at the age of 73, according to multiple news sources. The perfect end to a . 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. His presence made any wrestler, any gimmick seem more important. He went off on everybody, but handed out dig after dig on Stu Hart. That.. after forty nine years of smoking cigarettes I Celebrated 5 weeks smoke free as of yesterday. [19], Heenan also wrestled sporadically in his WWF run. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. All the heat he'd drawn over the years makes the moment that much better as fans were eager to watch him make a fool of himself, if not fall completely off the animal. There are many things fans might not know about Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. 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. He was placed in a medically induced coma and was slowly brought out. Heenan helped usher in a fresh perspective on storytelling that . If the late, great Gorilla Monsoon couldnt shut me up, cancer isnt going to either.. Heenan made a recovery from the throat cancer, but lost large amounts of weight, and his voice and appearance changed dramatically. "[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. pic.twitter.com/2uM1qpWHaF. [7] By 2004, the cancer had gone into remission. It was here that Heenan first met Hulk Hogan, who he recommended to Gagne, and his long-running feud with the Hulkster began after Heenan returned to the AWA. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan were so entertaining on Prime Time Wrestling that they didn't even need the wrestling. [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. Powered by. In 2010, he broke a hip and his shoulder in a fall that also fractured his pelvis. [17] Demolition would win the titles back at WrestleMania VI. He then asked the giant if everything was "hunky-dory" only to get his hand crushed in the process. While most of the AWA talent left for the WWF during this time without giving proper notice (the AWA required departing talent to work a six-week notice for booking and syndication-based reasons, with most talent claiming that WWF promoter Vince McMahon paid them extra not to work out their notices with the AWA), only Heenan worked out his notice in good faith to the Gagne family. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Heenan was just one of the dozens of wrestlers to have horror stories about working with Ole. Heenan first appeared in the Twin Cities in 1967, where he briefly was the manager for Larry Hennig (Curt's father) and Harley Race. [40] WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross selected Heenan as the greatest talent in the history of the wrestling business. Give Bobby Heenan a single minute to work with and he will have it bursting with one liners. The king of the one-liner and the king of the ad-lib made us laugh for decades. 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. WWE would try to recreate the moment years later with Heenan and the Ultimate Warrior, but the AWA version did it better. He is legendary in the business for his skill in drawing heel heat for himself and his wrestlers, and for his masterful on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoonas a color commentator. Few wrestlers received as many public insults from Bobby Heenan as the Ultimate Warrior did. 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. [7] In May 2016, he fell again and broke a hip. Heenan, whos known for his unforgettable voice and comedic blurbs during wrestling broadcasts, had his share of health issues in the years that followed his wrestling career. Heenan also cited the short driving distance between WCW's home base of Atlanta and his daughter's school in Alabama. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, his daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren. And this was the kind of influence Bobby Heenan had on people. Yes, I do have throat cancer, but I plan on beating this too. The short stint of Bobby Heenan managing Ken Patera in WWE saw them failing to get along, even though they didnt have strong heat. Everyone is talking about the "Champions Rumble" match signed for January 27th in the Astrodome in Houston Texas on Pay Per View. In pro wrestling, especially in the '80s, all of the above apply just replace Mr. Dafoe with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who died on Sunday at 73. Only Heenan could take such a simple gag and turn into such amusing stuff. 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. Feel free to add your own jokes about how much better off he'd be had he been serious about leaving WCW. The year after that, he suffered a fall, breaking his hip and shoulder and fracturing his pelvis. [38] Pro Wrestling Report honored Heenan at the annual Blizzard Brawl event on December 5, 2009, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as he was given their Lifetime Achievement Award. A dark cloud hovers over the professional wrestling world today, as one of the most beloved characters in history has checked out way too soon. When WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby "The . He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. Other wrestlers felt that Ole was a bully and showed little respect to his peers in real life. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Throughout his entire career, Bobby Heenan was quick-witted, as he acted flummoxed in the face of his enemies. During his time with WWA, Heenan also appeared in a number of other promotions in the Midwest, one of them being Verne Gagnes American Wrestling Association (AWA) in Minnesota, which is where he first used The Brain nickname in 1969. Professional wrestling was his calling. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. But the memories of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan still live on, proving that even the darkest clouds have silver linings. [12], Heenan was married to the former Cynthia Jean Perrett (known as Cindy) from June 21, 1978, until his death. Heenan went under the surgical knife once again in 2015 for an undisclosed issue, his longtime friend and colleague Mean Gene Okerlund tweeted. [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. Related: Every Time Muhammed Ali Appeared In Pro Wrestling, Ranked. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's life and career left an indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. Soon after making his final WWE appearance in December 1993, Bobby Heenan was contacted by WCW, who offered a lighter working schedule and health insurance. He was known for having many comedic moments on TV broadcasts and pay-per-views alongside Gorilla Monsson and Okerlund. He died on 17 September 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. Like many WWE stars of the '80s, Bobby Heenan started out in Verne Gagne's AWA. He is survived by one child and his wife, Cynthia. Ross praised Heenan's ability as a color commentator, stating: He was naturally funny and enhanced every single talent, including the heroes, even though Bobby did not support the fan favorites as the bad guy announcer. "[48] Author Brian Shields notes that many consider him "one of the most significant figures in professional wrestling history". [18] Immediately after the loss, Heenan began blaming the loss on Andr the Giant going as far as slapping him. WWE.com. He has to hold back laughter several times. [7] In 1966, he wrestled his first match against Calvin "Prince" Pullins. [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. "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. The passing of Gorilla saw Heenan demanding that WCW give him a minute before Nitro to share a message honoring his old partner. I always confused as a kid, and admittedly still am, why a woman was named Mike. It was a special night when Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham and Sgt. 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? No manager or commentator was ever better at entertaining us humanoids. Their banter and comic chemistry is sorely missed. His comedic ability was praised by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, who wrote that Heenan could have been a successful television actor. The legacy of Bobby Heenan sees him as arguably the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. Made both friends and enemies WCW 's home base of Atlanta and his wife, Cynthia Brain line: that. 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