{"id":48005,"date":"2017-09-17T22:04:51","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T03:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=48005"},"modified":"2017-09-23T23:04:13","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T04:04:13","slug":"bobby-heenan-greatest-pro-wrestling-manager-time-dead-age-73-long-battle-throat-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/09\/17\/bobby-heenan-greatest-pro-wrestling-manager-time-dead-age-73-long-battle-throat-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Bobby Heenan, greatest pro wrestling manager of all-time, dead at age 72 after long battle with throat cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-9476036\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>Bobby \u201cThe Brain\u201d Heenan, whom fans and rivals taunted with chants of \u201cWeasel! Weasel!\u201d, died on Sunday at age 72. Heenan had long battled throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2002. Despite valiant push-back against the disease and having lost portions of his jaw to surgeries, among other ailments and injuries, he made a number of public appearances in recent years at fan conventions and loved staying in touch with fans and former colleagues. He died of organ failure related to his disease. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy, and his daughter Jessica Solt.<\/p>\n<p>Widely considered the best heel manager in pro wrestling history, he gained his greatest fame during the WWF\u2019s expansion years in the late 1980s and later as a color commentator for the WWF\u2019s wide-spanning syndicated network and popular Monday night USA Network program \u201cPrime Time Wrestling,\u201d which pre-dated Monday Night Raw. His best work was in the AWA where he spent the bulk of his years as a manager.<\/p>\n<p>Although he was born to play the role of an obnoxious, abrasive, energetic (and hilarious) agitator who talked fans into arenas across the country who desired to see him get what he had coming, he could also wrestle. He wasn\u2019t known for his wrestling or ever hired primarily as a wrestler, but he was considered a good worker when called upon, sometimes as a substitute when one of the wrestlers he managed no-showed an event or was injured.<\/p>\n<p>What puts Heenan decisively ahead of any of the other great managers of his time or since \u2013 Lou Albano, Jimmy Hart, Gary Hart, Jim Cornette, Paul Heyman \u2013 is his ability to not just cut entertaining interviews, but also take tremendous bumps. \u201cBobby was a good athlete \u2013 flipping over the ropes, he could do it all,\u2019\u2019 George Schire told the Minneapolis Star Tribune\u2019s Pat Reusse. \u201cAnd whether it was as the manager or as a wrestler, he could get the crowd going as well as anyone.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Heenan and the wrestlers he managed were known as The Bobby Heenan Family. (He lashed out at anyone who referred to his group as a \u201cstable,\u201d yelling that his athletes weren\u2019t animals!) Heenan managed many wrestlers over the years, but no one he managed meant more to his career than Nick Bockwinkel, among the all-time greats of his generation who headlined the AWA as the top heel rival to lead babyface Verne Gagne. Gagne and Bockwinkel battled over the AWA World Hvt. Title for years.<\/p>\n<p>Billed from Beverly Hills, Calif., the bombastic Heenan and the more measured and intellectual Bockwinkel gave off an aura of superiority that fans flocked to arenas to boo. There may have never been a more effective or entertaining manager\/wrestler combo in pro wrestling history. Heenan wrote in his 2002 autobiography that he had the most fun managing Baron Von Raschke and Blackjack Lanza. Bockwinkel wasn\u2019t much for the night life. Heenan also managed Ray Stevens, Blackjack Mulligan, Ken Patera, Bobby Duncum, and several other big names during his years in the AWA.<\/p>\n<p>Heenan jumped to the WWF during Vincent K. McMahon\u2019s aggressive spending period in the mid-1980s expansion years, and no exodus from the AWA was more damaging to the AWA promotion \u2013 at the time one of the \u201cBig Three\u201d promotions along with the NWA and the WWF \u2013 than Heenan, with the possible exception of Hulk Hogan. Hogan hadn\u2019t been in the AWA as long, so Heenan\u2019s leaving especially stung because he felt so synonymous with the AWA brand.<\/p>\n<p>Although he spent most of the 1970s and early 1980s in the AWA, he spent about a year in Georgia in 1979 working under booker Ole Anderson. Lanza encouraged him to join him there, but Heenan was unhappy with the pay and didn\u2019t like working for Anderson. His brief stay in Georgia may have changed the course of wrestling history and had ramifications on the rest of his career because it\u2019s where he first met Hulk Hogan, then wrestling as Sterling Golden.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1051063626\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Heenan actually teamed with Hogan in Marietta, Ga. Heenan wrote in his autobiography that when he returned to the AWA, he recommened to Verne Gagne that he hire Hogan. \u201cWhen I left Georgia in 1979 and returned to Minneapolis, I told Verne about this guy. I said, \u2018He\u2019s huge, has a hell of a body, and people look at him in awe. He\u2019s a little green, but he can get better.\u201d Heenan\u2019s daughter told Tampa Bay times that her dad had a huge influence on Hogan\u2019s success. \u201cHulk Hogan got over because of my dad,\u201d Solt said.<\/p>\n<p>Heenan\u2019s war with Hogan in the AWA carried over to the WWF where Heenan managed one wrestler after another who tried to take the WWF Title from Hogan, including King Kong Bundy (at WrestleMania II), Andre the Giant (at WrestleMania III), Big John Studd, Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Hercules, and Ric Flair, among others. He also managed The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson &amp; Tully Blanchard) to the WWF Tag Team Titles.<\/p>\n<p>Heenan also did commentary during most of his time in the WWF. He eventually moved exclusively to the commentary booth where the next phase of his Hall of Fame career kicked in. He and Gorilla Monsoon were to a generation of fans the most beloved duo and the voices of their childhood pro wrestling memories. Their bickering and the dynamic between them was among the most iconic of any announce team, including their contemporaries Vince McMahon &amp; Jesse Ventura. Heenan\u2019s quick wit was a huge part of his effectiveness as a heel manager, but it took center stage when he held court for an hour or two of commentary on pro wrestling shows.<\/p>\n<p>Heenan ended up leaving the WWF and joining WCW in 1994 as one of the major signings made by Ted Turner\/Turner Broadcasting during the mid-1990s spending spree. Heenan would team with announcer Tony Schiavone as the lead commentary team on WCW Nitro (with whom he did not get along well). Another generation of fans were introduced to Heenan\u2019s quick wit during this phase of his career. Heenan wasn\u2019t at his best at this point, but was still among the most entertaining personalities on the airwaves.<\/p>\n<p>Aging in general, and a neck injury in particular, led to Heenan cutting the physical aspects out of his act. Until then, Heenan\u2019s selling \u2013 either by taking a bump when punched or just scurrying away when threatened \u2013 was better than any other manager.<\/p>\n<p>The first and lesser known chapter of Heenan\u2019s career was in the World Wrestling Association based out of Indianapolis, Ind. He grew up in Indianapolis, and started by carrying wrestlers robes back to the locker room for promoter Dick the Bruiser. He worked for both the AWA and WWA for stretches of time during the early 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. In his acceptance speech, he confessed in his opening line to the shame he felt for betting on pro wrestling. Pete Rose was in the crowd, shunned from the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame due to his betting on baseball games while he was a manager. Rose laughed heartily at Heenan\u2019s quip.<\/p>\n<p>One of Heenan\u2019s most famous matches was against Greg Gagne, the son of AWA promoter Verne Gagne, on Aug. 17, 1980. \u201cThat was about as wound up as any wrestling crowd I\u2019ve seen in Minnesota,\u2019\u2019 Greg Gagne told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. \u201cWhen I pinned him, Wally brought out the weasel suit, and the whole crowd was chanting \u2018Weasel, Weasel,\u2019 and then Heenan wouldn\u2019t put it on, of course.\u2019\u2019 So Gagne put Heenan in the Gagne sleeper, put him in the \u201cweasel suit,\u201d and woke Heenan up. Heenan freaked out as only Heenan could. \u201cStephanie McMahon [WWE executive] called me last night, and said she had just got done watching the weasel suit match,\u2019\u2019 Gagne said. \u201cShe told me it was one of the greatest wrestling moments of all-time.\u2019\u2019<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2252123053\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Many comedians admired Heenan\u2019s quick wit, including David Letterman who watched Heenan with his family as a kid in the Indianapolis-based WWA.<\/p>\n<p>(PWTorch VIP members can hear hours of new audio shows recorded this week about Bobby Heenan including Keller\u2019s interviews with WWF announcer Sean Mooney, AWA announcer Ken Resnick, and AWA historian George Shire. Plus, a special Bruce Mitchell Audio Show dedicated to him.) ###<\/p>\n<p><em>(Note: PWTorch will be producing many podcasts this week with special guests talking about Bobby Heenan&#8217;s career. Check back throughout the week for announcements and links.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nick Bockwinkel: &quot;Vicious, Vile and Vulgar&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XRIIpMHt8VM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W_mvajJcGuc<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nick Bockwinkel &amp; Bobby Heenan promos (April 1984)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QO0yBF4CvfU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3470077577\"><div id=\"pwtor-1292815116\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Bobby \u201cThe Brain\u201d Heenan, whom fans and rivals taunted with chants of \u201cWeasel! Weasel!\u201d, died on Sunday at age 72. Heenan had long battled throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2002. Despite valiant <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/09\/17\/bobby-heenan-greatest-pro-wrestling-manager-time-dead-age-73-long-battle-throat-cancer\/\" title=\"Bobby Heenan, greatest pro wrestling manager of all-time, dead at age 72 after long battle with throat cancer\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,2,7,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-prowrestlingnews","category-news_etc","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/09\/HeenanBobby_Lano_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48005"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48395,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48005\/revisions\/48395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}