![]() When Bobby went to WCW in 1994 it made me sad as a kid that grew up on the WWF, but it also made me excited for WCW because I loved Bobby and I would have watched any show as long as I could hear his voice. Heenan’s announcing work during Flair’s first run was as good as anybody ever at that job. Announcers are there to try to tell a story and push a story in the direction that the creative team (or bookers) want it to go. That is one of my favorite matches that people associate with Flair for obvious reasons, but after him I tend to think of Heenan as well because he made that match special too. ![]() I also think of Royal Rumble 1992 with Heenan shrieking “It’s Not Fair To Flair” all night long as everybody in that match seemed to target Ric Flair, yet Flair managed to win and leave the building as the WWE Champion. I’ll never forget Heenan going off on one his crazy stories and talking about things having nothing to do with wrestling while Monsoon was there with his famous call: “Will you stop?” They worked so well together and had natural chemistry. I grew up with Gorilla and Bobby, so they hold a special place in my heart. I think they’re the best combo in WWE history along with Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, but those two teams are from different eras. When I think of Heenan’s announcing I remember his work with Gorilla Monsoon more than anything. Heenan’s selling was top notch whether it was bumping around the ring, freaking out with a scream or simply having a shocked expression on his face. It usually happened too because Hogan and Warrior each got their hands on Heenan plenty of times. It made you want to see Heenan get beat up. There were numerous times when Heenan would trash babyface wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior on commentary or while managing a wrestler. The key thing about being a heel is getting your ass kicked when the time is right. Heenan spoke while Andre stood there like the badass he was. They could have paired Andre up with another manager, but Vince put him with Heenan because he knew was the best and Heenan was a tremendous asset for Andre. Think about Andre the Giant’s famous heel turn leading to the WWE Title match against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3. If Vince McMahon wanted a wrestler to get over as a strong heel, Bobby was the guy you paired him up with. Heenan was one of the greatest heels ever. Most importantly, Heenan was one of the best characters in this history of the WWF/WWE thanks to his ability to tell jokes, make funny faces, bump his ass off to make others look good and through it all, you could tell how much he absolutely loved being in the wrestling business. ![]() Clearly, Heenan was known most for his announcing and his managing more than anything else. Heenan was also a wrestler, but that was before my time. ![]() He was the best color commentator that I’ve ever seen and his managing ability is second to none. For what it’s worth, I’d put him at the top of both of those lists. The fact that many people legitimately believe that he’s the best manager and color commentator ever shows how much talent he had. Heenan was an entertainer at a level that few people in the wrestling business have ever been at. To say that Heenan was just a manager or an announcer puts a limit on what he could do. His wife would say that he still loved appearing and meeting the fans, so that’s why he did it. I met him a few times at wrestling events around WrestleMania in the last few years and he couldn’t speak anymore while he looked different from what we saw on TV. Before sharing some memories about him, let’s think of his wife Cynthia, his daughter, grandkids, friends and family that were fortunate enough to know and love him. Heenan was suffering for a long time after battling cancer going back to 2002. It makes me sad Bobby Heenan (real name Raymond Louis Heenan) passed away yesterday at 72 years of age (his 73rd birthday was coming up), but I also smile every time I think of him because of the happiness he provided so many of us. One thing is for sure: Bobby made a huge impact on the wrestling business and his excellent work will live in on in all of us forever. You can certainly make a case for it because he could do everything. Some people are saying he was the greatest of them all. When I think of the best all around performers in the history of wrestling there’s one name that springs to mind: Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
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