Ray Heenan
Born
November 1, 1944
Died
September 17, 2017 (72 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Raymond Louis Heenan was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
Heenan was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. He was paired with numerous wrestlers, including Nick Bockwinkel, whom he led to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and he became an integral figure in the 1980s professional wrestling boom by managing King Kong Bundy and André the Giant in WWE main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III respectively. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career.
Known for his quick wit and comedic ability, Heenan also served as a color commentator and is remembered for his on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoon. Outside of wrestling, Heenan authored two books, appeared on numerous television shows, and briefly hosted a parody talk show titled The Bobby Heenan Show on WWE Prime Time Wrestling. Heenan retired in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven after a seventeen-year stint as a commentator in professional wrestling but he continued to make sporadic appearances in several promotions. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. After his death, multiple wrestling commentators described his manager persona as the "greatest professional wrestling manager of all time."
Biography: Ultimate Warrior
(archive footage)
2021
Biography: WWE Legends
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2021
Sting: The Lost Tape
2020
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
2018
WWE: Ring in the Holiday
2015
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
2014
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
2012
The True Story of WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
2011
WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
2010
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Himself
2007
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Bobby Heenan
2006
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Himself
2006
TNA Turning Point 2005
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
2005
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
Himself
2005
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2
Himself
2004
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
2004
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Bobby Heenan
2004
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
Himself
2002
WWE: Triple H - The Game
Himself
2002
Women of Wrestling
(23 episodes)
2000
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1999
WCW Thunder
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan · (8 episodes)
1998
WCW The Great American Bash 1996
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)
1996
WCW Monday Nitro
(262 episodes)
1995
WCW Monday Nitro
Bobby Heenan · (2 episodes)
1995
WCW All Nighter 1995
1995
Timemaster
Howard
1995
WWF: WrestleFest '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)
1993
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)
1993
Raw
(1 episode)
1993
Raw
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan · (32 episodes)
1993
WBF Championship 1992
Himself
1992
WWE Crunch Classic
Bobby Heenan
1992
WWE Rampage '91
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
WWE SuperTape vol. 4
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
WWE Mega Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
WWE WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
WWE SuperTape vol. 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
WWE The Main Event IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWF Hottest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE SummerSlam Fever
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWF SuperTape vol. 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE WrestleMania VI
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1990
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1989
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Hulkamania 4
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1989
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Himself
1989
WWE Demolition
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
The Bobby Heenan Show
(4 episodes)
1989
The Ultimate Warrior
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE WrestleMania V
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE Survivor Series 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
Hulkamania 3
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1988
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
WWE WrestleFest
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
WWE WrestleMania IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
WrestleMania IV
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1988
WWE The Main Event
Color Commentator · (5 episodes)
1988
WWE Royal Rumble
Bobby "The Brian" Heenan (Manager)
1988
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
1987
WWE Survivor Series 1987
Bobby Heenan
1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
WWF Hulkamania 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
WWE WrestleMania III
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
WrestleMania III
Bobby Heenan
1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
WWE Houston Wrestling: October '86
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Bobby Heenan · (218 episodes)
1986
WWE The Big Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
WrestleMania II
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
WrestleMania 2
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1986
Andre the Giant
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
1985
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1985
Saturday Night's Main Event
(25 episodes)
1985
WrestleMania
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1985
WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
1985
Best of the WWF Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1985
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1985
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1984
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1984
AWA Christmas Night 1983
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1983
AWA Super Sunday
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
1983