A slight cheat, but when you talk about Gorilla Monsoon (above, right), it's not as a wrestler. The overwhelming majority of his in-ring career for the WWE (then the WWWFGod thats awful) was in the 60s and 70s, well before the modern product was hashed out, and even before the first Wrestlemania. So forgive the excursion, but his main contribution to the industry came at commentary. Gorilla Monsoon took over the prominent play-by-play calling duties in the early 80s, and fans immediately received him warmly. Sitting beside Jesse Ventura, perhaps the modern originator of the heel commentary, and later by the brilliant Bobby Heenan, Gorilla acted as the perfect counterbalance to their banter. He knew and understood the action as it was happening in the ring. Gorilla brought an expert eye into the play-by-play booth, calling out moves, educating fans on technique, and showing genuine sentiment when the situation called for it. Gorilla stepped down after ten-plus years, only calling matches sporadically, and mostly at pay-per-views. He died in October of 1999, but his name will never be forgotten in the industry. And no, this isnt just some sentimental statement. Do you know the name of the spot where wrestlers stand before they come out to their music? Its right behind the curtain, and it has a name. Its called the Gorilla Position, a name thats stuck to this day in homage to the man who used to watch events all night long from that very spot. His memory isnt going anywhere. Bobby "The Brain' Heenan is a no-brainer (terrible pun intended). One of the greatest wrestling managers of all time, and the most brilliant heel commentator, Bobby Heenan easily earns a spot on this list. He deserves tremendous appreciation for the work he did, both as a manager and a broadcaster. He was the consummate heel, the blueprint for every heel manager moving forward (and even wrestler, when it came to promos). And he was smart. This wasn't some obvious dolt strolling out toward the ring just waiting to get pummeled. Heenan aligned himself with main-event talent, and as such helped foster the careers of a great number of wrestlers, including Andre the Giant, Mr. Perfect, Ravishing Rick Rude, Paul Orndorff, and Big John Studd, just to name a handful. However, it's his commentary skills beside his longtime friend Gorilla Monsoon that left impressions on fans. He may not have been the very first broadcaster to openly root for the bad guys, but he was the certainly the best. Not just back then, but ever. No one has equaled, let alone surpassed, the razor wit that Heenan exuded during his broadcasts. There's never been a more entertaining duo on commentary than Bobby Hennan and Gorilla Monsoon. The two just clicked, fed off each other, and created a ridiculous cache of one-liners and memorable moments. As far as teams go, Heenan and Gorilla are unequalled.
