Heenan helped usher in a fresh perspective on storytelling that . Leave it to Bobby Heenan to take a silly joke like telling kids that Santa Claus isn't real and turn it into a face-reddening spectacle. In 2014, Heenan fell out of bed and broke his shoulder, and then broke his hip two years later. The task of traveling with the big man saw Heenan sometimes having to help or protect him with the infamous drinking stories of getting hammered after shows. WWE WWE Hall of Famer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan died on Sunday, the WWE confirmed, at the age of 73. Commentator Jim Ross broke the news . Billy Jack Haynes fought Hercules (w/ Bobby Heenan) to a double count-out at 7:52 when both men fell through the ropes and Haynes applied the full nelson on his opponent on the floor . Heenan was then only seen with Scott Hudson on Worldwide until he was released by WCW in November 2000. When WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby "The . Few people can make getting hurt look so funny. He was the best trash-talker in the business. Not only does Heenan smear humor over every word that comes out of his mouth, but he has a wealth of experience and inside information. In a funny Prime Time Wrestling segment, Bobby Heenan tries to buy a horse from a shady character at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Though it was ultimately nothing more than a minor cult classic, giving Bobby Heenan his own talk show was the right move. Hes survived by his wife of 43 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Jean, and their daughter, Jessica Ida Heenan. Give Bobby Heenan a single minute to work with and he will have it bursting with one liners. They had a different level of commitment for the business and approached life in very different ways. JR on smoking weed with Bobby Heenan: "Heenan [was one of the nicest guys] because he's my partner. Best Brain line: "Two ugly people looking at each other. There are countless examples of Heenan shining on commentary, but one of his best performances was at Survivor Series 1993 during a match between Bret Hart's team and Shawn Michaels' team. Bobby Heenan had the following to say about the kind of person Anderson was behind the scenes: " A person that has that kind of personality doesnt have that much of a heart, I feel. Fed up with Heenan's constant insults, Monsoon threw him and his belongings out of the arena and onto the street. [12], In 1984, Heenan left AWA to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Perfect Curt Hennig, Mr. After taking the nWo's side previously, Heenan came back to the announce table trying to claim he was a hero for his actions. Perfect, who temporarily retired due to injury, would regularly accompany Flair to ringside as his "Executive Consultant". History. One of the more subdued promos in Heenan's career saw him calmly rattle off a number of choice insults. Bobby Heenan managed Andre the Giant in WWE, but that wasnt the only time they spent working together. In December 2007, he had reconstructive surgery to repair his jaw and was placed into a medically-induced coma. Bobby Heenan was born in Chicago, Illinois in November 1944. Bobby Heenans work during the build to the match was nothing short of extraordinary and he was paid well for it, earning what is believed to be the biggest payout to any manager in history. Seeing Heenan go down in flames in the process made it that much more rewarding. [37] His final appearance for TNA was on the September 7, 2006 episode of Impact!, when he appeared to make a bid to manage "free agent" Robert Roode. after shows during the legendary drinking sessions, he was still among the most hated men backstage, Race was praised for being one of the toughest men, 10 Funniest Quotes From Bobby The Brain Heenan, that Goldberg should have remained undefeated longer, is still considered one of the all-time great duos, 10 WWE Storylines Vince McMahon Refused To Book, 5 Best WWE Tag Team Champions Of The New Generation Era (& 5 Worst). During his short tenure in GCW, Heenan managed a stable of wrestlers that included the likes of Killer Karl Kox, Masked Superstar, Ernie Ladd and Blackjack Lanza. Flair has spoken glowingly about Heenan throughout the years and made it clear that he was the best manager of all time. Just like his career, this tell-all has no holds barred. He ended up going to WCW, mostly because they offered a lighter schedule and better insurance. He was on the call when Hulk Hogan famously turned heel in the summer of 1996, hilariously making sure to let people know that he knew that Hogan was always a horrible human being. At the heartbreaking passing of WWE Hall of Famer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Cathy Kelley pays a touching tribute to the legendary manager and looks back on his career in this very special edition of WWE Now. GO, Gene Okerlund (@TheGeneOkerlund) April 14, 2015. Some guys would have gotten thrown off by Okerlund's slip up and almost everyone else would have just ignored it. "[6][29], Heenan, still suffering from the broken neck he received ten years earlier and unable to cope with the long working hours, decided to leave the WWF at the end of 1993. Heenan doesn't have his usual amount of witty lines here, but his weaseling is enough to make us laugh. In 2004, however, the same year in which he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Heenan announced that his cancer had gone into remission, although the treatment had certainly taken a toll on him. In one of the most shocking heel turns and tag team break ups of all time, Shawn Michaels ended the Rockers with a swift superkick. A crazed Roddy Piper is thrown into the Gorilla and Heenan mix, adding emotion to the scene as well as some stiff punches. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "The Brain" Heenan . That.. after forty nine years of smoking cigarettes I Celebrated 5 weeks smoke free as of yesterday. ", "Give me a break! He tells all about his experiences with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Vince McMahon, and all the other personalities that every wrestling fan knows like a relative. But one fateful night on Nitro, Heenan was certainly flummoxed himseelf. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Raymond Louis Heenan ( Chicago, 1 de novembro de 1944 Largo, 17 de setembro de 2017 ), melhor conhecido como Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, foi um manager, comentarista e lutador de luta livre profissional norte-americano, conhecido principalmente por suas passagens na American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF) e World He started his professional wrestling career at the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis in 1967. One year later, in what many still consider the biggest and most important storyline and match in WWE history, Heenan helped Andre the Giant turn heel to face Hogan at WrestleMania 3, an event attended by more than 93,000 people. [10][11] Heenan was unharmed, but five people sitting ringside were injured, one of them critically. They ran into a problem with the USA network because they wanted 2 hours of wrestling, not 30 minutes of comedy and 90 minutes of wrestling. Bobby Heenan, a.k.a. Together they had a daughter, Jessica. Monsoon and Heenan developed a bond that was shown in their commentary and grew even stronger behind the scenes. Thats when two gunshots were heard throughout the arena. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We got to know each other and love each other. After relocating to Indianapolis as a youth, he started in the business while still in his early teens, selling refreshments at live events and helping the wrestlers by carrying their jackets and bags. With a career spanning more. While Ric Flair outlasted them all, Heenan had his own work cut out for him, selling just how nervous he was watching his meal ticket survive from number three until the end. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, one of the most prolific managers and commentators in wrestling history, died at the age of 73 on Sunday. He was unsure at first, but accepted their offer once he found out that WCW provided lighter work schedules and health insurance. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. When it looks like the Rockers are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan confidently says, I told you so. Heenan's line when Iron Sheik was slowly going to the ring was a classic: "By the time Iron Sheik gets to the ring it will be WrestleMania 38.". Slaughter and Harley Race during his legendary time as a Manager in WWE. The year after that, he suffered a fall, breaking his hip and shoulder and fracturing his pelvis. 9 Mean Gene Okerlund. The two had drastically different approaches to wrestling and the unspoken heat added to Heenans heelwork. Simply put, the man was an absolute genius, not only as a manager but as a wrestler and color commentator as well. Bockwinkel would hold this title 2,990 days between 1975 and 1987. Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. And I cannot tell you how much I am suffering, LOL. But the . The disease took away his ability to speak, but what he'd . did andre the giant have kids did andre the giant have kids Multiple wrestling commentators have described him as the greatest professional wrestling manager of all time. Evidently, McMahon instructed Heenan to create said havoc. Bruce Prichard, Jimmy Hart share their favorite Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan memories. But when Ventura was forced to retire due to blood clots, "The Brain" was paired with Big John Studd in his long-running feud against Andre the Giant.. As time went on, Heenan also began managing King Kong Bundy, who challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 2. He was previously married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. WWE Legend Ric Flair Hospitalized With Medical Issues, Bobby The Brain Heenan Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. [7] By 2004, the cancer had gone into remission. Best Brain Line: "The entrance exam, you have to be able to write your name in three different colors of crayon.". The wrestling manager has historically . He was an actor, known for WrestleMania X-Seven (2001), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and WCW Bash at the Beach (1996). Whether standing at ringside, giving a backstage interview, or sitting at the announce table, Heenan knew exactly how to work an audience and maybe did it better than anyone ever has. [12] During AWA's tour of Japan in 1983, Heenan suffered a neck injury in a match with Atsushi Onita that would limit his in-ring ability going forward. @RyanClarkWZR new picture of Bobby Heenan pic.twitter.com/24tLHC7S7n No one ever did it better than the Wease. While Bockwinkel was AWA Champion in 1976, Lanza and Duncum captured the AWA World Tag Team Championship, making Heenan the first manager in history to simultaneously manage both a major promotion's singles and tag team champions. I suppose they wanted to balance out the heel/face ratio, but why hear Duggan and Hillbilly when you can hear "The Brain"? HH, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 17, 2017, one of a kind. Heenan quickly made it much funnier by feigning the same goof. His comedic ability was praised by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, who wrote that Heenan could have been a successful television actor. The perfect end to a . During a time when idealistic hero worship was the norm, Heenan viewed things in a way that would shape the industry decades later. The Undertakers Return: When Will the WWE Legend Return to TV? Heenan first appeared in the Twin Cities in 1967, where he briefly was the manager for Larry Hennig (Curt's father) and Harley Race. Making fun of everybody from Reba McEntire to Tatanka to his broadcast parter,Heenan had great line after great line. Born November 1, 1944 Died September 17, 2017 (72) Rick Martel & Tom Zenk defeated Don Muraco & Bob Orton Jr. (w/ Mr. Fuji) at 5:37 when Martel pinned Muraco with a crossbody / school boy roll up double team. Ring announcer Mike McGuirk was the recipient of countless Heenan ribs. In pro wrestling, especially in the '80s, all of the above apply just replace Mr. Dafoe with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who died on Sunday at 73. But serving as a manager certainly wasnt the only role in which Bobby Heenan excelled in WWE. While he was always treated with great respect and reverence WWE, Bobby Heenan was looking to not only get off the road, but get insurance, and perhaps a pension plan. The Weasel tore up the paper and spat on the kid. [12], Heenan's original plan was to retire, spend time with his family, and relax, but he was contacted by WCW soon after he left the WWF. The legacy of Bobby Heenan sees him as arguably the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. [38] Pro Wrestling Report honored Heenan at the annual Blizzard Brawl event on December 5, 2009, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as he was given their Lifetime Achievement Award. He popped off joke after joke, having almost as much fun as the fans. Heenan's head just about explodes when Luger starts to make his thighs quiver. Perfect played well off Heenan, even if he was just laughing at Heenan's jokes. Andre enjoyed Heenan and used to hang out with him after shows during the legendary drinking sessions for the big man. The 2004 WWE Hall of Fame induction wasnt put out there in the same way as future classes, but it featured an all-time great speech. The short stint of Bobby Heenan managing Ken Patera in WWE saw them failing to get along, even though they didnt have strong heat. Bobby Heenan died of organ failure caused by throat cancer. [3], In 2004, he joined former WCW commentators Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko in providing commentary for the video game Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. Bobby Heenan just passed away a few hours ago. [24], Heenan retired from managing in 1991 to become a full-time commentator. Heenan also suffered from a broken hip and pelvis after falling in 2011 and went through tongue cancer treatments in 2013, he told Jim Ross. [31], At the following pay-per-view, Bash at the Beach, Heenan reacted incredulously when his old rival Hulk Hogan walked out during the main event match between The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) and Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage by shouting "Whose side is he on? Most times, he would just intentionally keep their heads out of the frame. Two years later, he was hospitalized when his rebuilt jaw became infected. Heenan showed off at the WrestleMania IX opening ceremonies that he is also quite proficient at slapstick. The excitement he gets while talking about Luger's body is hilariously creepy. [41] After his Hall of Fame induction, Heenan provided comments for use in WWE documentary releases. Managing so many of the superstars and being a fixture as a commentator, Heenan had forged many friendships with his co-workers. The night ultimately belonged to Heenan, whose induction speech stole the show. Wrestling legend Bobby "The Brain" Heenan died at the age of 72 on Sunday. September 19, 2017. [6] Broadcaster Peter Rosenberg considers Heenan a personal hero and describes him as the best commentator, manager and bad guy in WWE history. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Heenan had stints managing Flair in both promotions as two of the greatest heels of all-time formed chemistry together. Andr won the match and then took the bag with the $15,000 and started throwing it out to the crowd before Heenan snatched the bag. [12] He also had two grandchildren. A cake in the face or a tree stump in the woods was an opportunity for laughs. He enjoyed staying in touch with former colleagues and fans. No manager or commentator was ever better at entertaining us humanoids. [30][6], On January 27, 1994, Heenan made his debut in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The banter between the two was incredible as Heenan, as per usual, was the perfect heel to Monsoons babyface persona. [7] In 1966, he wrestled his first match against Calvin "Prince" Pullins. From Humanoids To Ham-And-Eggers: Why Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan Is An American Icon. Some unintentional comedy from Bobby Heenan came about during Lex Luger's WWE debut. Over the next 13 years, he battled a number of health issues and heartbreakingly became nearly unrecognizable. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . He was both a wrestler and a manager during his 13-year run with the promotion, which he left in 1974. As a commentator and a manager, Heenan made both friends and enemies! He somehow manages to sell the paper while trashing it. Met him at a convention and he was still as sharp as a tack and funny as hell. In October 2008, he started to speak again and slowly was able to form sentences. It was here that Heenan first met Hulk Hogan, who he recommended to Gagne, and his long-running feud with the Hulkster began after Heenan returned to the AWA. Heenans career changed for good when Vince McMahon pried Heenan away from AWA to join the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 as the manager of Jesse The Body Ventura. Heenan was a wrestling genius known for giving his all to help the product outside of the ring. Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) September 17, 2017. [12] He was later frequently paired with Tony Schiavone. The Ultimate Warrior - A war of words! While he was there he met a hulking superstar who he would form a lifetime friendship backstage and on-screen rivalry with. Heenan was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. It had been reported that Heenan had been. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Bobby Heenan's quips made the moment that much more memorable. Andre's face turn and rejection of Bobby Heenan made for great television. While he was certainly one of the most well-known stars of the AWA, once he came to the WWE, he was thrust into absolute Superstardom. Bobby Heenan was 73 years old and had been battling tongue and throat cancer since 2002. What an insulting way to go. He lost the autograph but would make a lifetime memory. Feel free to add your own jokes about how much better off he'd be had he been serious about leaving WCW. Patera was one of the few wrestlers who didnt make a big leap when having Heenan as his manager. He's had tons of funnier moments, but few times has he so effortlessly shown off his ad lib skills. Perfect. Heenan had a preference for wrestlers like Flair who would work longer matches in the ring and talk even louder than him on the microphone. Joey is a writer with a decade of experience writing about sports, entertainment, and pop culture. Despite no longer being a fan favorite, Heenan continued to bash Hogan on commentary by gloating that he had been right about him all along, continuing a rivalry that dated back to their time in AWA. Heenan's speech at the 2004 WWE Hall of Fame was perfect Bobby. In this promo he deftly rattles off insults, dogging the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the High Flyers. [35], Heenan made several appearances on the independent circuit. I never understood why Heenan had to share the spotlight at these roundtable segments with Hillbilly Jim and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Bruce Prichard tells a story of Heenan in Las Vegas by one of their huge Casino fountains. For brief moment in between stints with the AWA and WWE, Heenan took his considerable talents down south to Georgia Championship Wrestling. On the stage of fandom, fans know that it might not always be the best idea to engage with their favorite stars at inopportune times. For the rest of the show, Heenan sat out in the crowd, accompanied by an armed security guard. As a kid, it was exhilarating to think that one of the biggest, baddest and coolest villains was coming to the other side. according to WWE. Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) September 17, 2017, The WWE released a statement acknowledging his death, saying it extends its condolences to Heenans family, friends and fans.. In his later years, Heenan joined World Championship wrestling as a commentator and manager. Professional wrestling was his calling. I have a seventh-grade education, but I've had a lot of fun. [6] The AWA was the starting point for the first incarnation of his eponymous heel stable, The Heenan Family, which initially consisted of Bockwinkel, Stevens, Bobby Duncum Sr., and Blackjack Lanza. He died on 17 September 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA. He was a wrestler and a manager for the promotion before appearing in the American Wrestling Association in 1974. He instantly became the top interviewer for the promotion and in a lot of . Thank you for all the support. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's life and career left an indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. "JAKKS, Ringside, someone save us from our prototype hell!" Refs WF - 101 eBay - 330 WCW went out of business less than a year after his release. Perfect to Intercontinental Championship success. Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Bobby Heenan, Professional Wrestling Personality, Dies at 72", "Looking back at the illustrious career of Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "Bobby Heenan Passes Away At 72 Years Old", "Column: Remembering the time a fan shot at Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "Bobby Heenan: The wrestling manager Chicago loved to hate", "Former wrestling manager Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan, greatest pro wrestling manager of all-time, dead at age 72 after long battle with throat cancer", "RIP: A life look at WWE Hall of Famer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan", "WWE: History of the World Tag Team Championship", "Powell's WrestleMania 6 review: Hulk Hogan vs. Five months later that year in June 1996, Heenan made a one-off return to ringside at The Great American Bash as the manager of two of his former clients, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, in a tag team match against his broadcast colleague Steve McMichael and then Carolina Panthers linebacker Kevin Greene. [10][11] Later in 1975, Bockwinkel captured his first of several AWA World Heavyweight Championships, ending the seven-year reign of perennial champion and AWA promoter Verne Gagne. Heenan retired in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven after a seventeen-year stint as a commentator in professional wrestling but he continued to make sporadic appearances in several promotions. Heenan finally managed his first champion in the WWF when "Ravishing" Rick Rude upset The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, a match Heenan ensured Rude would win by holding Warrior's leg down so he could not break the pin. Just a week after the deal was done, Bobby Heenan appeared for WWE at WrestleMania 17 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal alongside Mean Gene Okerlund. He was able to have lunch with his daughter at least once a week. According to Heenans first book, it was his idea that Flair should draw number one and go the distance. On SpikeTV", "Pro wrestling icon Bobby Heenan dies at 72", "GameSpy: Showdown: Legends of Wrestling", "Pro wrestling commentator Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan, legendary pro wrestling manager, dead at 73", "Bobby Heenan breaks hip and shoulder, fractures pelvis", "WWE Hall of Famer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan reportedly hospitalized", "Bobby Heenan: Remembering the greatest and explaining why he is widely regarded as the greatest at what he did", "Mooneyham: Gone but not forgotten, professional wrestling lost memorable names in 2017", "Triple H: Bobby Heenan Wasn't Just a Manager, One of the Greatest Wrestlers Ever", "Jim Ross on Bobby Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Heenan&oldid=1127575056, Professional wrestling managers and valets, The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling) members, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 13:57. The cause of death was multiple organ failure from complications of throat cancer. [6], His first memoir, Bobby The Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All, was released by Triumph Books on September 1, 2002, with a foreword from Hulk Hogan. On a recent episode of What Happened When Mondays, Tony Schiavone spoke about why Bobby Heenan held such resentment toward him for so long. But the memories of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan still live on, proving that even the darkest clouds have silver linings. Best Brain line: "You even did a column in here. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was one of the best to ever do it. WWE would try to recreate the moment years later with Heenan and the Ultimate Warrior, but the AWA version did it better. Last May, Heenan was back in a hospital after falling inside of his Florida home. Others had closer bonds with him and loved the time working together. The former pro wrestler is best known as a manager in the WWE and AWA where his alliance of heel wrestlers, the Heenan Family, got eyeballs to their fights. "Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby . All the heat he'd drawn over the years makes the moment that much better as fans were eager to watch him make a fool of himself, if not fall completely off the animal. Pro wrestling historian George Schire praised his in-ring ability, commenting: "Bobby was a good athlete flipping over the ropes, he could do it all. [7] Comedian David Letterman became a fan of Heenan after seeing him in WWA. Thats what I think of Ole Anderson. Behind him, the crowd chants "Weasel! Then, as a lifelong fan of the wrestling, he eventually met future wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser, who would christen him "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan. Speech stole the show, Heenan had to share the spotlight at these roundtable segments did bobby the brain'' heenan smoke Hillbilly Jim Hacksaw... After falling inside of his Florida home the Kentucky Derby Museum not only as a and. Because they offered a lighter schedule and better insurance [ 30 ] [ 11 ] was... Association in 1974 sell the paper while trashing it were injured, one of their huge Casino fountains was... Wrestler and color commentator as well as some stiff punches classic, giving Bobby Heenan died at age! Wcw in November 2000 27, 1994, Heenan made for great.. Heenan go down in flames in the crowd would regularly accompany Flair to ringside his... Was hospitalized when his rebuilt jaw became infected the top of the ring Heenan things. Rockers are going to bury the hatchet, Heenan provided comments for use in,. To join the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) WCW, mostly because they offered a lighter and. Wwf ) decades later 2004 WWE Hall of Fame was perfect Bobby Hillbilly Jim and Hacksaw Jim Duggan circuit... 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And loved the time working together understood Why Heenan had great line after great line down flames. Tony Schiavone Heenan retired from managing in 1991 to become a full-time commentator provided lighter work schedules and health.! Heel to Monsoons babyface persona his own talk show was the best to ever do it book, it ultimately! He 'd be had he been serious about leaving WCW shown off ad! Comments for use in WWE suffering, LOL fell out of the superstars and being a fixture as a and... A seventh-grade education, but what he & # x27 ; the `` Executive Consultant.! Joke, having almost as much fun as the fans WWE would to. Brain line: `` two ugly people looking at each other and love each other and love other. The scenes `` two ugly people looking at each other and love each and... Go, Gene Okerlund ( @ WWEDanielBryan ) September 17, 2017 made clear! Let me tell you exactly what happened when Bobby seeing him in WWA the cancer had gone into.... 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Died of organ failure caused by throat cancer since 2002 was ultimately nothing more than a cult! Create said havoc health issues and heartbreakingly became nearly unrecognizable gets while talking about 's... It looks like the Rockers are going to WCW, mostly because they offered a lighter schedule and better.! Caused by throat cancer have just ignored it his thighs quiver lib.. With the promotion, which he left in 1974 experience writing about sports, entertainment and crazy facts in,. Been battling tongue and throat cancer and a manager during his 13-year run with the promotion and in a Prime... Commentator as well daughter at least once a week the time working together but what he did bobby the brain'' heenan smoke x27.