Led By: Bobby The Brain Heenan Prominent Members: Big John Studd, Andre the Giant, King Kong Bundy, Mr. Perfect, Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Haku Date(s): 1984-1991 Heres the funniest manager I was talking about before. There was no better trashtalker, with funnier, more well-timed things to say, than Bobby The Brain Heenan. Many of us younger wrestling fans knew Heenan mainly from his commentary before the WWE hired Lawler, Heenan was Vinces color commentator of choice. We love this classic moment, when he somehow manages to take Shawn Michaels side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsvUNQyWFhw He brought this same level of sharp wit to his stable, The Heenan Family. At one point or another, this guy managed a whos who of 80s monster heels larger than life attractions who drew thousands of fans. There was Big John Studd, who Andre the Giant competed with in a Body Slam Challenge at the first Wrestlemania. There was King Kong Bundy, who main evented Wrestlemania II with Hulk Hogan in a Steel Cage Match. And there was Andre the Giant himself, who turned heel in time for Wrestlemania III and headlined with Hulk Hogan in a now legendary confrontation. Heenan, directly and indirectly, was responsible for some of the greatest moments in professional wrestling, and for some of the biggest legends. And thats the value of Family over friends.
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
