50 Best WCW Moments Ever

37. Bobby Heenan’s Tribute To Gorilla Monsoon

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WWE

Some moments are bigger than any inter-promotional war.

Iconic announcer and ex-wrestler Gorilla Monsoon passed away on 6 October 1999. Less than a week later, WCW gave Bobby Heenan some time to reflect on one of his best friends in the business during Nitro's 11 October episode. It was a classy gesture, one that dispensed with the usual WWF bashing. There was no room for that.

Tony Schiavone kept things moving, but lined Heenan up by describing Monsoon's passing. Then, the 'Brain' took charge and tearfully tried his able best to put into words just how much Gorilla meant to him. It was painful to watch from a fan's perspective, but WCW deserved credit for being so heartfelt and acknowledging something that meant everything to Heenan.

It may seem a little odd to put something so real on a collection of moments like this, but it struck a chord with everyone watching. Fans at home could see that Bobby was choking back tears, and all those magical memories of his timeless on-screen chemistry with Monsoon came flooding back.

This has become even more poignant given Bobby's own death too.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.