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Ray Heenan picture

Ray Heenan

Acting
Known For

72 Years Old

Raymond Louis Heenan was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Heenan was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. He was paired with numerous wrestlers, including Nick Bockwinkel, whom he led to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and he became an integral figure in the 1980s professional wrestling boom by managing King Kong Bundy and André the Giant in WWE main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III respectively. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. Known for his quick wit and comedic ability, Heenan also served as a color commentator and is remembered for his on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoon. Outside of wrestling, Heenan authored two books, appeared on numerous television shows, and briefly hosted a parody talk show titled The Bobby Heenan Show on WWE Prime Time Wrestling. 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. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. After his death, multiple wrestling commentators described his manager persona as the "greatest professional wrestling manager of all time."

Born

Chicago, Illinois, USA on 1st November 1944

Died

17th September 2017

All Credits

WWF Wrestling Challenge Image
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Bobby Heenan
Raw Image
Raw
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
Raw Image
Raw
Saturday Night's Main Event Image
Saturday Night's Main Event
WCW Monday Nitro Image
WCW Monday Nitro
Bobby Heenan
WCW Monday Nitro Image
WCW Monday Nitro
Biography: WWE Legends Image
Biography: WWE Legends
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (archive footage)
No Image
Women of Wrestling
WWE The Main Event Image
WWE The Main Event
Color Commentator
No Image
The Bobby Heenan Show
WCW Thunder Image
WCW Thunder
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Andre the Giant Image
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
WWE WrestleMania VII Image
WWE WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE: Ring in the Holiday Image
WWE: Ring in the Holiday
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology Image
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Bobby Heenan
WWE WrestleMania III Image
WWE WrestleMania III
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The True Story of WrestleMania Image
The True Story of WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
WWE WrestleMania IV Image
WWE WrestleMania IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WrestleMania Image
WrestleMania
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers Image
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Bobby Heenan
WrestleMania IV Image
WrestleMania IV
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE Royal Rumble 1989 Image
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE WrestleMania VI Image
WWE WrestleMania VI
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)
WrestleMania II Image
WrestleMania II
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Rampage '91 Image
WWE Rampage '91
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE WrestleMania V Image
WWE WrestleMania V
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions Image
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series 1988 Image
WWE Survivor Series 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE WrestleFest Image
WWE WrestleFest
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series 1987 Image
WWE Survivor Series 1987
Bobby Heenan
No Image
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WrestleMania 2 Image
WrestleMania 2
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
Timemaster Image
Timemaster
Howard
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary Image
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Himself
WWE Survivor Series 1990 Image
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SummerSlam 1988 Image
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WrestleMania Image
WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
WWE Royal Rumble 1993 Image
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak Image
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
WrestleMania III Image
WrestleMania III
Bobby Heenan
WWE Royal Rumble 1991 Image
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SummerSlam 1990 Image
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Royal Rumble Image
WWE Royal Rumble
Bobby "The Brian" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Hall of Fame 2004 Image
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior Image
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
Himself
Andre the Giant Image
Andre the Giant
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
WWE Survivor Series 1989 Image
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SummerSlam 1989 Image
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Himself
WWE: Triple H - The Game Image
WWE: Triple H - The Game
Himself
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI Image
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Biography: Ultimate Warrior Image
Biography: Ultimate Warrior
(archive footage)
WWF: WrestleFest '93 Image
WWF: WrestleFest '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)
Hulkamania 3 Image
Hulkamania 3
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWF Hulkamania 2 Image
WWF Hulkamania 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle Image
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story Image
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
Sting: The Lost Tape Image
Sting: The Lost Tape
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII Image
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE The Main Event IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WCW The Great American Bash 1996 Image
WCW The Great American Bash 1996
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)
WWF SuperTape vol. 2 Image
WWF SuperTape vol. 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SuperTape vol. 3 Image
WWE SuperTape vol. 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2 Image
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2
Himself
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules Image
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
Himself
WWE The Big Event Image
WWE The Big Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
No Image
WWE SummerSlam Fever
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
AWA Super Sunday Image
AWA Super Sunday
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest Image
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE Mega Matches Image
WWE Mega Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
No Image
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars Image
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Battle of the WWE Superstars Image
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Best of the WWF Volume 3 Image
Best of the WWF Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Hulkamania 4 Image
Hulkamania 4
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
No Image
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Crunch Classic Image
WWE Crunch Classic
Bobby Heenan
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments Image
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
The Best of the WWF: volume 9 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
TNA Turning Point 2005 Image
TNA Turning Point 2005
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports Image
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWF Hottest Matches Image
WWF Hottest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 18 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SuperTape vol. 4 Image
WWE SuperTape vol. 4
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang! Image
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 20 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WCW All Nighter 1995
The Best of the WWF: volume 19 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 10 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Ultimate Warrior Image
The Ultimate Warrior
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
No Image
WWE Houston Wrestling: October '86
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Demolition Image
WWE Demolition
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
AWA Christmas Night 1983 Image
AWA Christmas Night 1983
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 14 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers Image
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Himself
No Image
WBF Championship 1992
Himself
The Best of the WWF: volume 13 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
No Image
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan Image
WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 12 Image
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
No Image
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)