History Wrestling / BobbyHeenan

** He did the same routine with Wrestling/TonySchiavone, although since Schiavone was nowhere near Gorilla's level as a commentator, they didn't come up with any memorable exchanges. Whereas Monsoon would seemingly try to shut Heenan up, he did it in a way that fed Heenan to retort, so they would keep {{volleying insults}} back and forth. Schiavone would act like a brick wall and shut down any attempts by Heenan ("no, it's ''not''", or ''"shut'' up.") to get a similar flow going. This reason for this lack of chemistry was that, whereas Heenan and Monsoon were the best of friends, Heenan and Schiavone had a strained relationship. That makes for uncomfortable viewing.

* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/DickTheBruiser, Wrestling/TheCrusher, Tommy Rich, and most especially Hulk Hogan. His hatred for Hogan extended from WWF into WCW, to the point that Hogan's FaceHeelTurn to the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder NWO]] actually made Heenan [[HeelFaceTurn turn face]].

You can read more about his life and career at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Heenan That Other Wiki]].

** When Heenan's client [[Wrestling/CurtHennig Mr Perfect]] agreed to be Randy Savage's tag partner in his match against Razor Ramon and Ric Flair at the 1992 ''Survivor Series'', despite the former's attempts to dissuade him, an enraged Heenan slapped Perfect. Perfect proceeded to grab by his shirt collar and dumped water over his head as Heenan pathetucally begged for mercy.

* BullyingADragon: At ''Wrestling/WrestleMania VI'' in 1990, was managing the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Champions]] the Colossal Connection (Wrestling/AndreTheGiant and [[Wrestling/{{Meng}} Haku]]) against the challengers Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. After the Demos won the match and the titles, after Andre's attempt at interference backfired against Haku (who had wrestled the entire match himself due to Andre's physical decline), Brain got in Andre's face and yelled at him for costing them the titles. Andre proceeded to slap the heck out of Brain, thus [[HeelFaceTurn turning himself face]], and left to the cheers of the crowd.

* StunnedSilence: The famous shoot with Wrestling/{{Madusa}} and a trash bin. Probably the only time in his life when Heenan was left speechless. As per usual on ''Nitro'', he wasn't briefed on what would it would happen, so his reaction is genuine. (Bischoff and Steve "Mongo" [=McMichael=] are [[DullSurprise unfazed]], swatting Madusa away like a fly at a picnic, while Heenan looks like he's been shocked with a cattle prod.)

Heenan passed away on September 17, 2017 at the age of 73.

* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/DickTheBruiser, Wrestling/TheCrusher, Tommy Rich, Hulk Hogan, to the point where Hogan's heel turn actually made Heenan turn face; he detested the man so much.

--->'''[[http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/2015/01/the-best-and-worst-of-wcw-clash-of-the-champions-xxxii/3/ Brandon Stroud]]:''' You keep expecting Heenan to lift the table over his head and [[TalkToTheFist break it over Pillman]] like a Nasty Boy.

* BadassGrandpa: When word got out that he needed surgery to treat throat cancer, he declared he wasn't going down without a fight, and famously added that if Gorilla Monsoon couldn't shut him up, this wasn't going to, either.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: At ''[=WrestleMania=] V'', former protege (turned face) Terry "The Red Rooster" Taylor squashed him in seconds, after Heenan charged a turnbuckle and fell down. A five minute match was planned, but Heenan did this improvised finished because the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior (legitimately) hurt him earlier and he didn't feel he could do the planned match. Bobby became one of the Warrior's biggest critics. He felt that he was hurt because the Warrior was careless, and didn't seem to care a whit that he truly hurt Bobby in the match. According to Heenan's book, Vince [=McMahon=] told them that all they should need is 30 seconds.

!!Mr. Heenan provides examples of:

** The late great Wrestling/RingOfHonor manager [[Wrestling/LarrySweeney "Sweet N Sour" Larry Sweeney]], a [[LargeHam hammy]] {{Smug|Snake}} SharpDressedMan has even been suggested to have been the second coming of Heenan.

-->'''[[Wrestling/GorilaMonsoon GORILLA MONSOON]]''': "I'd hate to be in [[Wrestling/RandySavage the Macho Man's]] shoes right now."

** The ''This Tuesday In Texas'' pay-per-view event where Wrestling/JakeRoberts slaps Miss Elizabeth across the face (after forcing her to beg for Wrestling/RandySavage's safety). Even he seemed shocked that Roberts put his hands on a much smaller woman, and was sure that he was going to [=DDT=] her into oblivion.

* PowerStable: The Heenan Family, in the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis, the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, [[http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com Georgia Championship Wrestling]], and Wrestling/{{WWE}} from the late 1960s until 1991.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: At ''[=WrestleMania=] V'', former protege (turned face) Terry "The Red Rooster" Taylor squashed him in seconds, after Heenan charged a turnbuckle and fell down. A five minute match was planned, but Heenan did this improvised finished because the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior (legitimately) hurt him earlier and he didn't feel he could do the planned match. Bobby became one of the Warrior's biggest critics. He felt that he was hurt because the Warrior was careless, and didn't seem to care a whit that he truly hurt Bobby in the match.

* UnknownRival: Bobby had a long history of speaking very negatively about Tony Schiavone, especially in Heenan's autobiography. Schiavone has claimed he held no ill will towards Bobby, and never did. He always spoke very highly of Bobby and never reciprocated the potshots.

* HypocriticalHumor: Told Wrestling/VinceMcmahon "I hate a guy with a big mouth." at ''Summerslam 1993''. Vince responded "[[StealthInsult Me too.]]"

Aside from his managerial duties, Heenan was also a color commentator; he was one-half of (arguably) the greatest commentary duo in the history of the industry (with the late Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon), and he also worked for Wrestling/{{WCW}} for a number of years. Heenan is also an official member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

* BadSanta: Famously on the Christmas Day, 1989, episode of WWF ''Prime Time Wrestling'', where Heenan -- dressed as Santa -- openly mocked the tradition and declared there was no Santa, riling RoddyPiper up enough to get his ass kicked. The skit and the WWF were widely criticized for this episode, given that [[ThinkOfTheChildren many viewers in the audience were children who still believed in Santa]]. Of course those people missed the point that Bobby had always been portrayed as TheGadfly and a {{Jerkass}}, so the kids would have no reason to believe him.

* MotorMouth: An amalgam of every annoying sports agent on earth. It was also one of his greatest strengths as a manager.

* {{Tuckerization}}: Dick the Bruiser gave Heenan the name "Bobby" since he reminded Bruiser of [[Wrestling/BuddyRogers "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers]]' manager Bobby Davis.

* UnknownRival: Bobby had a long history of speaking very negatively about Tony Schiavone, especially in Heenan's autobiography. Schiavone has claimed he held no ill will towards Bobby, and never did... and didn't seem to particularly care enough to reciprocate the potshots.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: At ''[=WrestleMania=] V'', former protege (turned face) Terry "The Red Rooster" Taylor squashed him in seconds, after Heenan charged a turnbuckle and fell down. A five minute match was planned, but Heenan did this improvised finished because the ''Wrestling/UltimateWarrior'' (legitimately) hurt him earlier and he didn't feel he could do the planned match. Bobby became one of the Warrior's biggest critics. He felt that he was hurt because the Warrior was careless, and didn't seem to care a whit that he truly hurt Bobby in the match.

* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/DickTheBruiser, Wrestling/TheCrusher, Tommy Rich, Hulk Hogan, to the point where Hogan's heel turn actually made Heenan turn face, he detested the man so much.
* [[{{Biography}} Autobiography]]: 2002's ''Bobby The Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All''
* BadSanta: Famously on the Christmas Day, 1989, episode of WWF ''Prime Time Wrestling'', where Heenan -- dressed as Santa -- openly mocked the tradition and declared there was no Santa, riling RoddyPiper up enough to get his ass kicked. The skit and the WWF were widely criticized for this episode, given that [[ThinkOfTheChildren many viewers in the audience were children who still believed in Santa]].
** Of course those people missed the point that Bobby had always been portrayed as TheGadfly and a JerkAss, so the kids would have no reason to believe him.

-->'''Bobby Heenan''': YES! YES! YES! YES! YES, YES, YES! [[Wrestling/RicFlair HE]] DID IT!

* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine. An American version, with Heenan as the Boke to Gorilla Monsoon's Tsukkomi. Happened practically [[OnceAnEpisode once a match]]:
-->'''Bobby Heenan''': <outlandish or absurd remark>\\
'''Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon''': ''(exasperated)'' Will you ''stop?!''

* BullyingADragon[=/=]TooDumbToLive: At ''[[Wrestling/WrestleMania WrestleMania VI]]'' in 1990, was managing the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Champions]] the Colossal Connection (Wrestling/AndreTheGiant and [[Wrestling/{{Meng}} Haku]]) against the challengers Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. After the Demos won the match and the titles, after Andre's attempt at interference backfired against Haku (who had wrestled the entire match himself due to Andre's physical decline), Brain got in Andre's face and yelled at him for costing them the titles. Andre proceeded to slap the heck out of Brain, thus [[HeelFaceTurn turning himself face]], and left to the cheers of the crowd.
* UsefulNotes/{{California}}: Billed from Beverly Hills, although he is actually from UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}.

* TheCastShowOff: Several of his 90s-era post match commentaries featured 'The Brain Scan', which simply involved Heenan doodling a famous cartoon character like WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker or [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS Dennis the Menace]] on the show's Telestrator while putting down a {{Face}} wrestler.
* ClusterFBomb: Obviously not as much as an announcer (aside from his infamous run-in with Wrestling/BrianPillman), but as a manager he was known to be a tad colorful at ringside.
-->'''[[http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/2015/01/the-best-and-worst-of-wcw-clash-of-the-champions-xxxii/3/ Brandon Stroud]]''': You keep expecting Heenan to lift the table over his head and [[TalkToTheFist break it over Pillman]] like a Nasty Boy.
** Prior to Andre The Giant's face turn at Wrestlemania VI he was berating him by repeatedly yelling "I'M THE FUCKING BOSS!"....in 1990, very PG kid oriented WWF no less!

* DirtyOldMan: While certainly never to the extent of, say, Wrestling/JerryLawler in WWE, but, he had his moments.
** During the Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} vs. [[Wrestling/GlennGilbertti Disco Inferno]] match at ''WCW Halloween Havoc 97'', Jacqueline suffered [[ClothingDamage a nipple slip]] while executing a Russian Legsweep, and Heenan said, "Replay!"

* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Tuesday In Texas pay-per-view event where JakeRoberts slaps Miss Elizabeth across the face (after forcing her to beg for RandySavage's safety). Even he seemed shocked that Roberts put his hands on a much smaller woman, and was sure that he was going to [=DDT=] her into oblivion.
** While he was already established as anti-nWo, his TranquilFury moment at the parody of Arn Anderson's retirement speech also could qualify. "It's not funny anymore....not when you know Arn Anderson like we do..."
* FunnyTShirt: His collection of garish sweatshirts on ''WWF Prime Time'', ranging from Ivy League schools (Harvard, Princeton), to the China Club, MENSA, etc.

* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Chuck Barris called, he wants his wardrobe back. Rhinestone-covered tracksuits, gold medallions, glitter jackets, fat bowties, and a Tony Clifton ruffled shirt that would embarrass a 70s prom date. And this was in the days of ''Nitro'', when '''Wrestling/JimmyHart''' wore a bland suit to work.

* JerkAss: Naturally, given his status as a heel. Bobby is arrogant, selfish, cowardly, cheap and is contemptuous of anyone he deems beneath him (which is most people) and a [[ProfessionalButtKisser suck-up to superiors]]. Out of character, he said there's a HUGE difference between Raymond Louis Heenan (the man) and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (the character).
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: In retirement. When Wrestling/RingOfHonor was in danger of going under, following the RF Video Scandal and separation, Heenan offered to help keep the promotion afloat.
* MemeticHandGesture: You're looking at it. (See profile pic.)

* PetTheDog: The Brain's heart grew three sizes at ''[=WrestleMania VII=]'', when Wrestling/RandySavage accepted his defeat with grace and reunited with [[Wrestling/MissElizabeth Liz]]. He also (reluctantly) acknowledged that Hogan defeating American traitor SgtSlaughter to win the WWF championship later in the card was a victory for America. Of course, he was back to his money-grubbing ways when the credits rolled, leading into his SchiffOneLiner.

* RedBaron: "Pretty Boy," "Brain" (taken from Eddie Creatchman), "The Weasel" (imposed on him by The Crusher) which stuck with him as a derogatory nickname for the rest of his career.
** Roddy Piper called him "Boobs" when they did commentary together.
* ShoutOut: After [[Wrestling/BryanClarke Wrath]] {{Squash|Match}}ed Olympic bobsledder-turned-pro-wrestler Chip Minton on the December 3, 1998 episode of ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} Thunder'', Heenan on commentary said, "So much for [[Film/CitizenKane Rosebud]]."
* SoftWater:[[invoked]] Ad-libbed at ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} Halloween Havoc 95'', after Hogan pushed [[Wrestling/TheBigShow The Giant]] off the roof of Cobo Hall at the end of their Monster Truck challenge. Believing him to be dead from the fall, Bobby asked what side he fell into, river or street (with the implication being that falling into the water makes recovery much more difficult). However, Eric and Tony did not appreciate him [[FridgeLogic poking holes in this story's logic]] and cut him off immediately. "What ''difference'' does it make?" (A man is '''DEAD''', Heenan!) Cue on-camera {{facepalm}} from the Brain.
* StunnedSilence: The famous shoot with {{Wrestling/Madusa}} and a trash bin. Probably the only time in his life when Heenan was left speechless. As per usual on ''Nitro'', he wasn't briefed on what would it would happen, so his reaction is genuine. (Bisch and Steve "Mongo" [=McMichael=] are [[DullSurprise unfazed]], swatting Madusa away like a fly at a picnic, while Heenan looks like he's been shocked with a cattle prod.)

* INeedAFreakingDrink: ''Nitro'' is a show that demands lubrication to go down smooth.
-->'''[[http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1998071t.htm DDT]]''': Heenan refers to Malone's truck as an "[[{{Malaproper}} 88-wheeler]]". Someone just came back from Happy Hour.\\
[later]\\
Heenan refers to Stevie Ray as a great tag team. He's smashed.

[[caption-width-right:231:"The Brain"]]

-> "''A friend in need is a pest.''"

Raymond Louis Heenan (1944-2017), better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of ProfessionalWrestling's most famous managers (and possibly the most successful), working throughout Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s "Federation Years" of [[TheEighties the '80s]] and [[TheNineties '90s]] as the manager of many a great wrestler and tag team, often running his collective of wrestlers under the name of "The Heenan Family". The Family was constantly opposed by Wrestling/HulkHogan, and many of the wrestlers Heenan managed met with bitter defeat at Hogan's hands, despite Heenan's efforts to tilt the odds in their favor.

Aside from his managerial duties, Heenan was also a color commentator; he was one-half of (arguably) the greatest commentary duo in the history of the industry (with the late Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon), and he also worked for {{Wrestling/WCW}} for a number of years. Heenan is also an official member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

!!'''Mr. Heenan provides examples of:'''