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  1. #1
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    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan 1944 - 2017 RIP


  2. #2
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    RIP, Bobby "The Brain". I'll never forger the time in the '80s when my brother came home on leave from California, excited about WWF wrestling. We hadn't watched wrestling since the '60s, so I was skeptical about it. Vince McMahon had upset the apple cart by taking the uniquely regional and decidedly rural "sport" and blowing it up with exaggerated personalities, incredible story lines, and shockingly over the top matches. Then, he took it national and put it and the USA Network on the map. Monday night matches were must-see TV for people like me, who couldn't give two shits about pro wrestling before.

    The personalities were what sold it, and not just those in the ring. Yeah, there was Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Savage, George "The Animal", Steele, and a host of others. But the fun was ramped up by "Mean" Gene Okerlund [[who was decidedly polite and professional to a fault) and his sidekick, the genteel and overly British "Lord" Alfred Hayes and the shady and comical managers, who never failed to make anything worse, usually for no reason.

    There was Jimmy Hart [[with his bullhorn), "Captain" Lou Albano, the lovely Miss Elizabeth, Dave Wolf, and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. If I was to write a retrospective of my '80s experience, wrestling would not get a chapter, unlike music, college, my friends, or meeting my future wife, but I would definitely write about how much I enjoyed it during a busy and important era for me. I was shocked that Bobby the Brain was only 73 years old. And I was very sorry to hear about his passing.

  3. #3
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    I remember "Big Time Wrestling" in the 60s out of Detroit and people like Bobo Brazil whom I went to school with his niece and nephew, The Sheik, Eddie Creachman, Ben Justice and a whole list of characters. Like you, I did not really watch wrestling again until the 80s because of my little nephew was so into it at the time with the action figures and so on. I did see it in the early 70s with my grandpa, but don't remember much of it from that time. Bobby The Brain Heenan was a great character and because I never took this stuff seriously, he made me laugh whenever one of the big wrestlers would threaten him and he would coward and beg for mercy! LOL! He was brilliant at what he did. Rest in peace The Brain!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    RIP, Bobby "The Brain". I'll never forger the time in the '80s when my brother came home on leave from California, excited about WWF wrestling. We hadn't watched wrestling since the '60s, so I was skeptical about it. Vince McMahon had upset the apple cart by taking the uniquely regional and decidedly rural "sport" and blowing it up with exaggerated personalities, incredible story lines, and shockingly over the top matches. Then, he took it national and put it and the USA Network on the map. Monday night matches were must-see TV for people like me, who couldn't give two shits about pro wrestling before.

    The personalities were what sold it, and not just those in the ring. Yeah, there was Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Savage, George "The Animal", Steele, and a host of others. But the fun was ramped up by "Mean" Gene Okerlund [[who was decidedly polite and professional to a fault) and his sidekick, the genteel and overly British "Lord" Alfred Hayes and the shady and comical managers, who never failed to make anything worse, usually for no reason.

    There was Jimmy Hart [[with his bullhorn), "Captain" Lou Albano, the lovely Miss Elizabeth, Dave Wolf, and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. If I was to write a retrospective of my '80s experience, wrestling would not get a chapter, unlike music, college, my friends, or meeting my future wife, but I would definitely write about how much I enjoyed it during a busy and important era for me. I was shocked that Bobby the Brain was only 73 years old. And I was very sorry to hear about his passing.
    Oh I forgot, I and my friend Beverly met Randy Macho Man Savage in a store in Philly back in the 80s and he really talked like that! LOL!!!

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    He's from Columbus. Randy Poffo and his little brother "Leaping" Lanny Poffo were both wrestlers but only Randy hit the big time. I'll never forget the night Wrestlemania came to town. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were tag teaming. My cousin Tony and I went to a pop music club [[his choice, not mine) and ran into a couple of his buddies from his high school days. I was bored to tears. The only highlight came when I bumped into one of his buddies, who was standing, drink in hand, staring at something in the crowd.

    "What are you looking at?" says I.
    "Mr. T'" he replied.
    "Shut up, man," I told him, laughing.
    "Nah, serious," he insisted and pointed toward the dance floor where I saw Mr. T, drunk as hell, dancing with a pretty little blonde suburban girl.

    That made the night worth it.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    He's from Columbus. Randy Poffo and his little brother "Leaping" Lanny Poffo were both wrestlers but only Randy hit the big time. I'll never forget the night Wrestlemania came to town. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were tag teaming. My cousin Tony and I went to a pop music club [[his choice, not mine) and ran into a couple of his buddies from his high school days. I was bored to tears. The only highlight came when I bumped into one of his buddies, who was standing, drink in hand, staring at something in the crowd.

    "What are you looking at?" says I.
    "Mr. T'" he replied.
    "Shut up, man," I told him, laughing.
    "Nah, serious," he insisted and pointed toward the dance floor where I saw Mr. T, drunk as hell, dancing with a pretty little blonde suburban girl.

    That made the night worth it.
    Oh that is a great story! Way back and as a part of my job then, I had to travel a lot and one places I had to visit regularly was Allentown, PA! One night [[I think it was in 1986), I for the first time had to stand in line to check into the Econolodge. In front of me was all these big people and it turned out to be The Samoans and a bunch of other pro wrestlers in town for a show! The desk clerk said that they always trash their rooms. LOL!!!!

  7. #7
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    There's a lot of great stories. McMahon created something special and a lot of guys who had never fit into mainstream society became stars and couldn't handle it. Trashing hotel rooms was the least of their transgressions but I would hate to clean up after them! Google "dead wrestlers" one day see how many died before they were 50 years old, thanks largely to steroid and substance abuse in addition to a great number of murders and suicides. Very sad.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
    There's a lot of great stories. McMahon created something special and a lot of guys who had never fit into mainstream society became stars and couldn't handle it. Trashing hotel rooms was the least of their transgressions but I would hate to clean up after them! Google "dead wrestlers" one day see how many died before they were 50 years old, thanks largely to steroid and substance abuse in addition to a great number of murders and suicides. Very sad.
    I saw the list. That's terrible. A lot of big names on it too. Sad.

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