Bobby “The Brain” Heenan Passes Away at 73

Bobby Heenan, one of the most legendary and iconic managers in the history of professional wrestling, passed away on Sunday at the age of seventy-three. The Wrestling Observer reports that Heenan died on Sunday at the age of seventy-three. Details on his passing are not yet available. Jim Ross and Gene Okerlund posted to social media reacting to the sad news.

The news of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's passing today gutted me.

I loved our time together.

No one ever did it better than the Wease.

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) September 17, 2017

Bobby Heenan just passed away a few hours ago. He was the best ever at what he did.

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) September 17, 2017

Heenan worked for many companies over his lengthy career in the business, but he will always be remembered best for his time in WWE, particularly during the Hulkamania era. Heenan managed some of Hulk Hogan’s most memorable enemies and became parts of his most legendary feuds, including managing Andre the Giant for Andre’s heel turn and feud with Hogan that led to matches at WrestleMania III and IV. After retiring from the ring, Heenan worked as a heel announcer for WWE until 1993, when he went to WCW and was a main announcer there during the Monday Night War.

Heenan began his career in the business in the 1960s, working for WWA as “Pretty Boy” Bobby Heenan. A longtime fan of the business since he was young, Heenan would go on to manager several stars in WWA including Blackjack Lanza. Association with the Blackjacks boosted Heenan’s profile and he became known on a national level. He managed Nick Bockwinkel during Bockwinkel’s run as the AWA World Champion, having started working with Bockwinkel during the latter’s tag team with Ray “The Crippler” Stevens. He left AWA in 1984 and went to the then-WWF, a move that would help shoot him to new levels of fame.

In WWE/WWF, Heenan’s big-mouthed brain character became a perfect manager, seeing him often paired with giant brutes who he would throw at his enemies. Heenan was a huge part of the promotion for many years, only leaving his managerial duties due to neck injuries due to all the bumps he took as a manager. He found himself paired with Gorilla Monsoon more often than not in the broadcast booth and their pairing is a major part of many of our memories of that era.

After he left WCW in 2000, Heenan would make sporadic appearances over the years. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Heenan had dealt with health issues for many years, having been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002 and having suffered broken hips during falls over the last few years.

On behalf of 411, our condolences to the family, friends and many, many fans of Mr. Heenan’s. The wrestling world would not be and is not now the same without him.