It is with great sadness that I must announce the passing of a true legend in wrestling, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He passed away today from complications from throat cancer.
Bobby Heenan will always be the best manager ever in wrestling. I remember Arn Anderson saying once that Heenan was so good, all he had to do was raise his eybrow and the fans would start chanting "Weasel" at him. People say that Heyman is the best manager with a microphone, and I will strongly disagree and say it is Bobby Heenan. He was able to use the skills he learned as a manager and turn it into a very successful career as a broadcaster.
Heenan managed a list of Hall of Fame wrestlers that included: Angelo Poffo, Nick Bockwinkle, The Blackjacks (Mulligan & Lanza), Ernie Ladd, Big John Studd, Andre the Giant, The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard), Rick Rude, Harley Race, Curt Hennig, Ken Patera, Paul Orndorff and Ric Flair. Heenan was able to do one thing that a lot of managers were not, and that was be a physical part of the match. While he was never a trained wrestler, it just came naturally to him.
As great as Heenan was as a manager, I think I will remember him most for his comedy. His comedic timing with Gorilla Monsoon was legendary. It was on full display in 2004 when he was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame. I laughed so hard at his speech, and to this day it is my favorite Hall of Fame speech.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He was 72 years old.
