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Les Thatcher and Victor Sosa are back with a super sized edition of Wrestling Weekly featuring Brian Solomon, author of Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon.
We discussed several things about Gorilla’s early career that weren’t as well known, how close he came to being the principal owner of the WWF, and a number of topics regarding the life of a man who helped define the wrestling fandom of a generation.
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I cover the entire story of Ric Flair quitting WCW to jump to WWF in 1991 while still WCW/NWA World Champion.
A few questions that are answered:
This show has everything you could possibly want to know as I go week-to-week through the Wrestling Observer Newsletter to fill in the details and what narratives have changed over time.
Click Here to Listen for free
Bobby Heenan, the greatest wrestling manager of all-time and one of the best all-around talents in the history of the industry passed away on 9/17 from organ failure after nearly 16 years of constant health problems that started with throat cancer.
Heenan was 72 at the time of his death.
Born Raymond Louis Heenan in Chicago, he is the single most quick-witted and funniest person I have ever met.
Before the cancer ruined his ability to talk, a phone call to Heenan was essentially the same as the old dial-a-joke, except instead of one joke, the jokes came after every sentence you finished as long as the phone call went. In person, whether it was making fun of somebody, or the situation, or of people in wrestling, or the world itself, he seemed to always be on.
Yes, at the same time, he had the knack during his career as a manager, which lasted more than two decades, to take a quality that most would consider positive, and use it in an obnoxious and arrogant enough fashion that people would hate him.
On the breaking news audio on the death of Bobby Heenan, our Dave Meltzer referenced an interview he did with Bobby Heenan and Frank Shamrock years ago which we’re happy to provide to you thanks to the great work of one of our subscribers.
The interview is from February 23, 2001, on the old Wrestling Observer Live Eyada show Dave and Bryan Alvarez reference frequently. The near two hour show features Shamrock — who was then preparing for a fight — and Heenan, who called in and talked for 90 minutes.
Highlights of the interview that begins at the 32 minute mark include:
– Heenan’s thoughts on what he would do if given the reigns to WCW as he had left by this point
– Thoughts on Eric Bischoff dropping women from WCW
– Thoughts on working with Vince Russo
– Who Heenan thought the best announcers in the business wer
– Why managing turned into a lost art
– His experience calling the WBF, walking off Arsenio Hall, the XFL, Andre stories, and more.
Enjoy this entertaining interview now.
When someone passes away, whether it’s a celebrity or someone in our lives, a usual lament is that we didn’t appreciate them enough while they were alive. It’s typical human nature for us to not fully grasp how important someone is until they’re gone.
But in the sadness that has surrounded the death of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, it’s clear that wasn’t the case with him. The tributes to him have felt more like affirmations of what we already knew than revelations. Bobby Heenan was the greatest pro wrestling manager of all time. He was the best at his style of commentary. He was a unique personality that has never been duplicated — no matter how many other performers have been influenced by him.
My introduction to Heenan didn’t come when he was managing Nick Bockwinkel in the AWA or when he was leading the charge against Hulk Hogan in the WWF.
In addition to the stories shared on last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer joined Live Audio Wrestling on Sunday night to reflect on the passing of one of pro wrestling’s most iconic personalities.
Meltzer, Jason Agnew, and Dan Lovranski paid tribute to Bobby Heenan and discussed what made Heenan the greatest wrestling manager of all time, Heenan’s time in WCW and pairing with Nick Bockwinkel in the AWA, his work inside of the ring, and how funny he was outside of it.
The passing of Otto Wanz was also discussed, including how Wanz’s Catch Wrestling Association taught wrestlers how to be a great worker.
Meltzer, Agnew, and Lovranski then wrapped things up by breaking down the Vince McMahon-Kevin Owens angle from Tuesday’s SmackDown, giving their final thoughts on the Mae Young Classic, and talking about what’s next for Shayna Baszler.
The full segment is available to listen to below:
On today’s July Classic Wrestling Marathon show, host Karl Stern takes a look at the greatest pro wrestling manager of all time, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
Heenan had a quick wit and was a tremendous bump taker. He knew his role better than anyone, and played the part of a sports agent who was intent on destroying Hulk Hogan. Heenan managed many of the greatest of all time, from Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens to monsters like King Kong Bundy and Andre the Giant.
Heenan would go on to become one of the most highly regarded color commentators in history, and his announce team with Gorilla Monsoon remains one of the most unique and hilarious to this day.
On today’s episode, Karl takes a look at the man who is certainly not a weasel, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
The deadline to order a Super Stern Stick Flashdrive is almost here. Orders must be made by July 31. You can order the 16gb pro wrestling history flashdrive from Karl’s website.
