RIP Bobby The Brain Heenan
wrestlingcardking
Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭
He had some health issues for quite some time so it is not a surprise. Just sad to see another from the wrestling world pass on. This is actually a card that I picked up earlier this month as this is his highest graded signed rookies out there. Tough side to side centering so this may be as good as it gets.
BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
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The greatest wrestling manager of all time.
RIP
Peace to The Brain, a one of a kind for sure.
Nice Heenan, time to get that one slabbed!
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
These two are in my stack to send in for authentication.
Raymond Louis ... RIP. Yet another one taken away too early.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
Sad to hear this news!! Even with his health issues, it looked like he still doing autograph shows.
very sad news
RIP
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
Sorry to burst your pity party for this j#rk off. I traveled every week in the 80's. Flew with all the wrestlers of that time.
Hulk Hogan etc. Always happy to give a kid an autograph. I saw this j#rk off berate a 10 year old kid for bothering him for and autograph. It lasted at least 3 minutes even after the kid walked away. "why are you bothering me?"
etc. The whole plane could hear him. F#ck him. Good riddance.
BTW. I haven't signed on here in years but wouldn't miss this opportunity to berate him like he did that kid.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
RIP Heenan. Dueces, tell us how you really feel. If you have other stories, please share.
Always looking to buy or trade for Andre the Giant autographs
psacard.com/psasetregistry/non-sports/famous-personage/andre-giant-master-set/alltimeset/180400
Maybe he was in character?
I wondered the same thing. Kayfabe was a big deal at the time for many of the performers.
If he was serious, at least he wasn't phony like half of these baseball players getting big bucks to sign their name and smile in your face. If he was in character, which he probably was, then he did his job. - kayfabe.
Always looking to buy or trade for Andre the Giant autographs
psacard.com/psasetregistry/non-sports/famous-personage/andre-giant-master-set/alltimeset/180400
I know a guy who lives in NY who has a Facebook page dedicated to showcasing photos of him and wrestlers from the 80's. He made a post an hour ago with a picture of him and Heenan from December of 1986 and he specifically references that Heenan in most cases stayed in character around fans in public but was a really nice man in private. I don't know if this mitigates the situation above but it very well could be the explanation.
I think we can all agree that the world in general was different back then. Less information available at any given time. Like David and Knapp said, Kayfabe was real and their job was to make people believe and want to come to the live shows to see them either win or get beat. Bobby Heenan being a dick on that plane makes people want to see him get beat up by the babyfaces. Though I know that pro wrestling has always had their naysayers, certain wrestlers were so good at portraying their characters and telling a story that fiction and reality seemed blurred at times.
It's not for everyone, but Bobby was great. We weren't on the plane that day and maybe Bobby was having a bad day, but I don't recall anyone ever saying anything bad about him. I'd like to think he was protecting the business.
@Gemyanks10 My mother just posted a story on my Facebook page about Heenan's death. In 1975 there was a shooting at a show in Chicago where a fan got so hot over a Heenan spot in a Bockwinkel vs. Gagne championship match he opened fire injuring five. I think many forget how different wrestling was and how serious many took it. Honestly that's one of the things that attracted me to collecting the cards because it chronicles a different time in America and one we will never see again.
Do you still watch? I sort of lost interest after the attitude era. I have the network, but mainly just to watch the Golden Era up to the late 90's or so. It was awesome when I was a kid. The podcasts these days are very good specifically the Bruce Prichard one....
Edited to say that I also followed and traded for tapes of NWA/Crockett, ECW, and certain Japan stuff....ECW was awesome lol
A little. Not religiously that's for sure. I love Brock. I like Cena and Orton. Unfortunately it just isn't very entertaining most of the time. I hate the "smarks" that armchair book the entire show. When the Ultimate Warrior won the title at Wrestlemania VI I can still remember my twin running down the street screaming Warrior is the champ!!! There are no moments like that today. I have been using the network more rectently. I got a 75 inch Sony smart TV and it is amazing watching it and having the capabilities of the network. I love the classic matches from MSG. Stone Cold was even better than I remember. Razor Ramon was hilarious yet awesome. Brock was litterly a wrecking machine. The Naitch was The Naitch. It's hard to watch new when old was so good!
The heat that heals like Heenan had simply doesn't exist anymore and it was a thing of beauty when fans litterly despised the talent. I hated Bobby Heenan just like every other Hulkamaniac and it makes me smile thinking about it.
Remember Humanoids? LOL
And the Ravishing Rick squash matches. Kansas City Sweat Hogs. Such good stuff.
I agree completely! Like you, I originally watched this older stuff on older washtub style TV's and from VHS's. The video quality of this older stuff on newer smart TV's is amazing. The first PPV I ever saw was Survivor Series 1989 at my aunt and uncles house who had that huge 1980's style black satellite that were like 15 feet tall lol. I was talking to a guy on Facebook today and we were talking about wishing they made Survivor Series the Thanksgiving Eve tradition
Again. I can remember staying up late watching that, and then the next day having family time, food and football....I miss the old days dude.
A quick tidbit about 1989 SS, I can remember my older cousin being pissed that there were a lot of last minute replacements. Going from memory I think Blanchard failed a drug test so he was fired, Windham went back to WCW etc. I could be wrong but that's just from memory. Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but my childhood was wrestling and baseball cards.
With these deaths like Heenan, pieces of our childhoods are being taken away. This one hit me hard as did Savages.
I know this thread is about Heenan -RIP, but I watched Bruno vs. Koloff on the WWE network the other day and the fans, mostly adults, are dead serious. They bought into every move. There was no chanting or music when Bruno came out, just good old fashioned WRASTLIN.
Always looking to buy or trade for Andre the Giant autographs
psacard.com/psasetregistry/non-sports/famous-personage/andre-giant-master-set/alltimeset/180400
The network I'm hoping makes some additions soon, but I know it's a ton of work. I'd like to see some old syndicated shows like Superstars and Challenge.
It's fun watching those old shows and playing "name that jobber". Most of the jobbers went on to land a full time gig or play a certain character.
Knapp I love those matches too! The Wrestling All Stars as some may not be aware were first offered in those programs and other regional territories The Wrestling News made programs for. They were also in the primary magazine of course. In my quest to track down the photos used and advertisements for the cards I purchased so many WWF programs from the 82 to 83 time frame and it was serious business. Because of the WWE Network I have had the pleasure of watching some of the Tuesday Night Titans shows and now I see why old school promoters like Eddie Graham wanted to kill Vince Jr. for turning the business into a cartoon atmosphere. People took wrestling serious and what was so great as you point out about those matches at the Garden is the fans were adults and most either thought it was legit or almost legit. The guy who runs the page I referenced went to tons of matches and he said the crowd was electric. My dad went to the weekly shows here in Orlando at the Eddie Graham Sports Complex and those were bloody matches in 100 degree heat and the fans packed the house. Wrestling was incredibly popular and areas like Memphis had literally 70% viewership on Saturday mornings. Something that will never be repeated. Thankfully the WWE created their network and you can tell it is really starting to gain some traction as the content has steadily improved. WWE's stock continues to climb and while the market for wrestling is flat to down there are tons of people who loved to be entertained and that is what they did.
@georgebailey2 What is it you disagree with about these being in my stack to send in?
Fixed. Must have "butt-dialed" it. Sorry.
This is a cool card. No 10's so far.
They are doing a very good tribute to him on Raw tonight David...
Maybe there's a Heenan "10" resting here frozen in time..along with other 1985-86 WWF memories.
RIP Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
A man that people loved to hate and he was always very entertaining.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
Maybe he was in character. But it left a lasting impression on me. I know when Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan were supposed to be feuding I saw them rent a huge van for Andre and both drove away together. So they weren't in character outside the ring. Like I stated I'd see them traveling coming home on Fridays when they were going to events. Hogan traveled with quite an entourage. Flew with tons of rock stars too. Mostly kept to myself. But on the way to Moncton Huey Lewis would not leave me alone. Made me engage in conversation with the band. Small plane from Toronto. Just your average guy except he was a star.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I can't be the only one who finds that image on the box disturbing. C'mon Opee Chee, there had to be other action shots available.
Longoria Collector. Love the Longo!
600+ PSA Graded 4,700+ unique Longoria cards scanned on TCDB 800+ different Longo autograph cards Jeff
A few years back I was in a used book store and came across The Brain's autobiography. I had to have it! I took it home & cracked it open to begin reading and behold it had been signed! I have no idea who Marcus is or why he got rid of this book but I'm glad he did! Thanks Marcus!
BTW if you haven't read Hennan's book yet you absolutely need to; it's just as good as you'd imagine from a man so gifted with words. RIP Brain.
That's cool as hell man.
That is a great looking autograph in the book.
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
RIP.