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Bobby Heenan Passes Away


pitseleh

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Very sad news for his family and friends.

I'm not sure there has ever been anyone as brilliant in wrestling. He was an incredible character actor, a phenomenal talker and an excellent bumper who always got his role and excelled at it. That he was genuinely hilarious but never remotely likable is a skill all of its own. Only Ventura ever had similar ability.

My favourite period of his career will always be 1990-92 when his extraordinary chemistry with Monsoon enhanced every match and show he was on and his particularly brilliant commentary on Boss Man matches was the catalyst for the big man running through the Heenan family.

Royal Rumble 1992 is the very obvious highlight. His desperation for Flair to win countered by Monsoon's genuine delight at Flair's impossible situation made for such a great call. I bought it hook, line and sinker. The prestige this show had, the monumental feeling for Flair to win from number 3 - it's almost baffling now to look back and realise this was only the fifth Rumble ever. Wrestlemania 8 is an under rated call too.

I've often wondered what would have become of him if he hadn't gone to WCW. He could have drifted into oblivion but he could also have greatly inflated that new generation period. I'm still surprised he went. I know the money was great and there were plenty of guys jumping who he knew but I just have him pegged as one of Vince's guys. He was a great signing though. Bischoff gets a lot of credit for taking big names from the WWF and stick for taking their mates but not enough credit for signing and using guys like Heenan who gave the company a credible feel - even if Bobby's performances were often as phoned in as everyone else taking Turner's money. Things like the 2 hour Nitro's where Heenan would come out for the second hour and Larry would rightfully fuck off said the stars are here and the action is about to pick up.

It would have been a crime if the last memories of Heenan had been the dying days of WCW so that battle royal at Wrestlemania 17 gives me as much joy today as it did to hear Heenan and Okerlund back then. I had a frog in my throat and a tear in my eye when I heard it. Just a beautiful moment. As much as Vince McMahon is an oddball and genuinely nasty at times, he'll put everything aside to give people he likes a moment like this. Unless they're Randy Savage.

Sadly, Heenan was robbed his greatest asset. That didn't stop him delivering the greatest hall of fame speech ever written but sadly has stopped him working for the last 15 years. He'd have been all over the 24/7 and Network shows. We'd have even got another Bobby Heenan show, I'm sure. 

RIP Brain. Wrestling's greatest voice.

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The best colour commentator in wrestling history. Probably the best manager as well.

I don't think anybody got pro wrestling like Heenan did.  Everything he did was had the defined end purpose or entertaining the crowd. For every bit of razor sharp wit, one of the things that always impressed me so much about the Brain was his brilliance at showing arse.

If Heenan hasn't have found wrestling I have no doubts he would have been a successful comedian or actor of some kind. He was that good. A wonderful and unique talent that was light years beyond almost all of his peers. Heenan had a genius wit, not in wrestling terms , in an absolute sense. 

One of the true greats.

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What a punch to the gut to wake up to, the term GOAT was tailor made for Bobby. The 92 Rumble was when he was at his peak on commentary, but there are so many famous moments to remember him by

The weasel suit matches with Warrior 

The camel entrance at WM 9

Getting paintbrushed, as Gorilla put it, by Andre at WM 3

Getting barred from the debut of Raw and wearing ridiculous disguises to get back in

His final Raw appearance when, fittingly, Gorilla throws him out the arena 

Thats just to name a few, he'll be sadly missed and I'd expect there to be a wonderfully emotional tribute on Raw tonight

RIP Brain, thanks for the memories

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Just logged in to find the news about the Brain. Just pure class. Its been said before he wrestled like a manager and managed like a wrestler. His humour had me rolling on the floor. When he was with Monsoon it was just brilliant. The obvious royal rumble 92 and the underlooked performance at wrestlemania 8. It was so tragic to see Bobby the way he was in the last years. But im sure he is up in heaven causing mayhem. RIP to the greatest manager and colour commentator of all time.

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Just logged in to find the news about the Brain. Just pure class. Its been said before he wrestled like a manager and managed like a wrestler. His humour had me rolling on the floor. When he was with Monsoon it was just brilliant. The obvious royal rumble 92 and the underlooked performance at wrestlemania 8. It was so tragic to see Bobby the way he was in the last years. But im sure he is up in heaven causing mayhem. RIP to the greatest manager and colour commentator of all time.

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1 hour ago, jazzygeofferz said:

Hopefully he gets the ten bells on Raw tonight.

I imagine there will be a fair bit of stuff spread throughout the show and probably on Smackdown too. This isn't a case were they just flash up a graphic at the start.

Awful news to wake up to, and a huge part of what made WWF what it was to many of us on here in our formative years.

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Genuinely upset by this one but unfortunately not too surprised considering how ill he'd been for how long. I think part of the appeal to me as a kid getting in to watching WWF in around 1990 was The Brain. Alongside these gigantic superheroes was this genuinely funny soundtrack that even at that age had me creased with laughter. Everyone rightly goes on about how good Heenan and Monsoon were but his chemistry on the mic with McMahon is up there for me too. Might watch Summerslam '92 and the '92 Rumble match tonight.

Was looking through some quotes this morning with a smile on my face and found this one I'd never heard before.

Tony Schiavone: "That's one of the tings that makes this sport great."
Bobby Heenan: "No I'm one of the things that makes this sport great!"

Absolutely spot on.

R.I.P Brain.

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