10 Reasons Why Bobby Heenan Was The Best All-Rounder In WWE History

8. The Foil

Bobby Heenan
WWE

When Vince McMahon and Vince Russo painted their roster 50 different shades of grey during the Attitude Era, it had a knock on effect as soon as the company attempted to to redress the balance under the stewardship of John Cena.

The all conquering hero, Cena is permitted to do and say whatever pleases so long as his 'Never Give Up' ethos remains in tact. It mattered not that he was a jock bully against Baron Corbin, an obnoxious icon against The Miz or a gentle xenophobe against Rusev, because all those traits were disposable and subsequently disregarded.

Bobby Heenan the manager may not have reflected Bobby Heenan the man, but the character was a concise and consistent portrayal of a desperate, deceitful, dodge-pot. Thankfully, because his persona was so well drawn, he was never insecure about suffering for his art.

There will be many images shared from his legendary career in the coming days and weeks, but the sight of him slumped on WrestleMania III's moving ring cart following Andre the Giant's defeat may sum his tenure up best of all.

His plan was seemingly foolproof. Manipulating the indestructible force to turn on his best friend just so he can ride his coat-tails to the top. But he had lost, again. He suffered the loss. Felt it as if Hulk Hogan had smashed his back against the mat with a powerslam. But he'd be back to win some and lose more, because that's what villains do.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett