What's happening folks? Once again, we, as the wrestling community (wrestlers and fans alike) are in mourning. On the afternoon of Sunday, September 17th, WWE Hall Of Famer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan passed away after years of declining health, including a bout with lung cancer. He was 73 years old. Over the past three years, we've endured such heartbreaking losses in the sport. We lost The Ultimate Warrior in 2014, Dusty Rhodes and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in 2015, and now the legendary "Brain". Quite frankly, this hurts every bit as much as the ones aforementioned. The contributions he gave to the business are practically unparalleled. He was stellar in every way. From a manager to a color commentator to an all-out entertainer, none could hold a candle to the all-around package. Even in the few times you would actually see him wrestle, he was one of the greatest sellers and bump-takers you would ever observe.
His career first really started to flourish as a manager in Verne Gagne's AWA, where he would manage the careers of the likes of Nick Bockwinklel, Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, and Jack Lanza of The Blackjacks. However, it was when he went to the WWE (then WWF) where he became a true star. Known for managing the most successful group of wrestlers known to this day, he had a stable known as The Heenan Family. The group consisted of people such as Big John Studd, Ken Patera, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, The Red Rooster, and Andre The Giant. He has managed more Hall Of Famers than anyone, and that says a lot.
He was a heel's heel. There had been reports that someone, at an arena show in the seventies, a patron had attempted to literally murder Heenan in 1975 during a match between Bockwinkle and Verne Gagne in Chicago. He really knew how to get a crowd amped up and in near riots in his early days alone, much less later in his peak years. Many longtime fans (think late seventies/early eighties) will remember him in "Weasel Suit" matches against Verne Gagne's son, Greg Gagne, a concept he would continue in WWE against The Ultimate Warrior in '88. This brought along excessive comedy spots and put him as not only a hated manager, but also one that wasn't afraid to make fun of himself for the entertainment of the business and for the people.
When he ended his longtime run as the greatest manager in the business, he transitioned to the commentators table to call matches alongside Vince McMahon at first, however, it was his on-screen connection to WWE Hall Of Famer, the late Gorilla Monsoon, that took his career to yet another level. The back-and-forth wit between the two was nothing short of magical. The chemistry between the two is unlike anything else quite like it to this day. The two would host Prime Time Wrestling, but also Wrestling Challenge and many pay-per-views together, including Wrestlemania VIII and Royal Rumble '92. Compared to wrestling's version of Laurel & Hardy, they have often been referred to as the greatest broadcasting team in wrestling history.
When his WWE run ended, he went to WCW, where he would bring his form of razor sharp wit, humor, and insight to the promotion. However, one could tell he wasn't the same "Brain", as something was missing from him. When former broadcast partner and friend Monsoon died, he publicly acknowledge him with tears in his eyes and narrowly avoided completely breaking down on a live Nitro. It had been said his time in WCW was miserable, and his issues with Tony Schiavone behind-the-scenes didn't help matters much. When he left the company in 2000, his love of the game never left him, and would still get involved in various wrestling-related projects. In 2004, he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame with overwhelming acclaim.
He was very much a part of my personal childhood and adolescence, as he was arguably the funniest heel I had ever seen. He was a master of the microphone and knew how to really sell a match to anyone that had watched. While nobody could overlook or deny how much his health had been declining, as it was becoming more and more physically evident the more we would see him, it never stopped his fire of entertaining people and loving the business. While we've seen many excellent managers along the way such as Paul Heyman, Jim Cornette, and Paul Bearer, but best believe, there will never be another Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. We will forever love and miss this folk hero of an entertainer. All prayers and respect go out to Heenan's family (his real family), friends, and colleagues. Us "humanoids" are so glad we got the chance to witness the absolute brilliance of "The Weasel".
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