Ray Heenan
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: 01 November 1944 • Died: 17 September 2017
Played In
Biography: WWE Legends
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (archive footage)
Sting: The Lost Tape
Headstrong
Self
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
WWE: Ring in the Holiday
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Warrior's Greatest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Archive Footage)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
The True Story of WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Himself
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Bobby Heenan
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Himself
TNA Turning Point 2005
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
Himself
The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
Self
WWE Hall of Fame
Self
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2
Himself
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
Self
The Monday Night War - WWE Raw vs. WCW Nitro
Himself
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Bobby Heenan
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
Himself
WWE: Triple H - The Game
Himself
Women of Wrestling
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WCW Thunder
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WCW The Great American Bash 1996
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
Bobby Heenan
WCW All Nighter 1995
Timemaster
Howard
Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Global Warfare
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
All Aboard the Lex Express
Bobby Heenan
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Bashed in the USA
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)
WWE UK Rampage '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator) / Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Interviewer)
WWE WrestleFest '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)
Raw
Raw
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE World Tour 1992
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WBF Championship 1992
Himself
WWE Crunch Classic
Bobby Heenan
WWE UK Rampage '92
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Hulkamania 6
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Rampage '91
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Mega Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Funniest Moments
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SuperTape: Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE The Main Event IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Hottest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Wrestling Tough Guys
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SummerSlam Fever
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SuperTape: Volume 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE WrestleMania VI
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Wrestling Superheroes
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Hulkamania 4
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Himself
Demolition: Witness the Power
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Bobby Heenan Show
The Ultimate Warrior
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE WrestleMania V
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Hulk Hogan: Real American
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Survivor Series 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 17
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Macho Madness
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Hulkamania 3
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE WrestleFest
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE WrestleMania IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Royal Rumble 1988
Bobby "The Brian" Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Survivor Series 1987
Bobby Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Ken Patera Story
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWF Hulkamania 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE WrestleMania III
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Houston Wrestling: October '86
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Bobby Heenan
WWF Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE The Big Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Villains of the Squared Circle
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WrestleMania II
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Andre the Giant
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
Bobby Heenan
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WrestleMania
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Pay Per View
Best of the WWF Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
Bobby Heenan (Color Commentator)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
Tuesday Night Titans
Bobby Heenan
Tuesday Night Titans
Bobby Heenan (Archive footage)
AWA Christmas Night 1983
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
AWA Super Sunday
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
AWA Arena Shows
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
USWA Championship Wrestling
Bobby Heenan
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
WWE Old School
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan
WWE Old School
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)