10 Most Heartbreaking Wrestling Manager Betrayals
5. Bobby Heenan Turns On Ken Patera
Ken
Patera was sentenced to two years in prison after an altercation at a McDonald’s
in Wisconsin. The fast food restaurant had closed, but Patera and Masa Saito
were hungry. Witnesses say Patera then threw a rock through a window, which he
has since denied. When police came to arrest the two wrestlers at their hotel,
the villains assaulted the officers.
When Patera was released from prison and returned to WWE TV, he accused former manager Bobby Heenan of selling him down the river. During a televised debate, Patera aired his grievances regarding “The Weasel,” who failed to support his client in the courtroom and in prison. No phone calls, no letters, no visits. Heenan argued that it wasn’t his job to babysit and that Patera is nothing but a lowlife ex-convict.
“The Brain” claimed that Patera was a failure, always wanting a title belt but never winning one. So Heenan gave him a belt, taking his off and whipping the Olympic strongman. Patera quickly turned the tide, pounding his ex-manager in the corner and wrapping the belt around his neck. Then he tossed Heenan across the ring, his neck snapping back in a sickening visual.