Heenan then retired the gimmick and stated on The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD that he had no idea what happened to his trademark weasel costume after that match. The Brain woke up to find himself inside the hairy suit, much to the thrill of the fans. The powerful, face-painted, man from Parts Unknown sent Heenan to dream street. The final Weasel suit match was against none other than the Ultimate Warrior in 1988. The loser of the match would be the first man dressed in the suit by his opponent. It was born when Heenan wrestled Greg Gagne. He even went as far as to create the Weasel Suit match. The name “Weasel” stuck and he did everything he could to live up to it. Heenan was called the “Weasel” for his shrewd intelligence and willingness to think outside the box (a.k.a cheating) to win. The Hulk’s heel turn was a final justification that the Brain was right about him all along. Heenan’s character had hated Hogan for years, so it would’ve been strange if Heenan had NOT voiced his suspicions. Heenan’s broadcasting partner, Tony Schiavone, defended the decision by saying the line made sense for only the Brain to say. Heenan shouted into the mic, “Yeah but WHOSE side is he on!?” Many have accused Heenan of ruining the surprise by suggesting Hulk might not have been there to fight for what’s right. When Hulk first walked down the aisle for the infamous match at Bash at the Beach 1996, the crowd cheered him on. He had betrayed all the little Hulksters and turned to the dark side of the New World Order. Wrestling changed the day that Hulk Hogan dropped the big leg across the larynx of Macho Man Randy Savage. Heenan would later jump ship to WCW where he was front and center for another event… The birth of Monday Night RAW was an integral step in the coast-to-coast popularity of pro-wrestling after the territorial days had faded and the war between promotions began. It only served to highlight how big of a deal RAW would become over the decades when they wouldn’t allow someone as famous as the Weasel inside. But during the show’s action, Heenan had recurring segments where he was trying to get into the building but kept getting barred at the door. Many of his recorded promos played during the show itself, including one announcing the appearance of “The Narcissus” AKA Lex Luger. When RAW began, Heenan was the man on the scene. The beginning of Monday Night RAW would launch a new era in sports entertainment when it went head to head against WCW’s flagship show Monday Nitro. Monday Night RAW Debut Episode (January 11, 1993) As the crowd pelted Andre and Heenan with garbage on the way to the ring I couldn’t help but think that the angle would not have gained the heat it did without Heenan by the giant’s side.ĥ. He managed the great Andre the Giant in his epic battle where he was body slammed by Hulk Hogan. In one night, Heenan managed three matches and provided color commentary. Wrestlemania 3 is still remembered as one of the quintessential events in wrestling history and many have argued that the non-wrestling Heenan was its most memorable star. The Weasel character may have been a coward, but no one can accuse Heenan of being an underachiever. Bobby Heenan was the man chosen to introduce Ric Flair with the actual WCW title belt on WWF television! Heenan’s promo work with Flair was golden, but I personally loved the improvised lines he shouted in the backstage area at the production crew in preparation for the REAL world champion’s arrival. When the southern company, WCW, fell under new, and highly incompetent, management in the early 90’s, Ric Flair headed North to test his fortunes. The McMahons controlled the North with their champion “Hulk Hogan” and the Crockets of the South had Ric Flair. Ric Flair to WWF (Sept 9, 1991)įor years the wrestling business in the USA was sharply divided along North and South lines. To honor his memory, I jotted down my top moments in the Brain’s career: 7. I watched him in elementary and middle school all through the days of the Monday Night Wars when he served honorably as WCW’s best commentator. Even when he played a villain, the crowds loved to hate him. Heenan was nicknamed “The Weasel” and lived up to the moniker. The Brain was a consummate presence in pro-wrestling for many decades and served as a wrestler, manager and color commentator. The world lost Bobby “The Brain” Heenan at the age of 73 on September 17, 2017.
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