Well, we thought that there would be no shortage of Bobby Heenan tributes in the days, and weeks, and months to come following his passing over the weekend, and that’s been very true thus far. There was the initial outpouring of support and sadness immediately following the news, and we here at With Spandex paid homage with some of our very favorite Heenan quotes ever.
Then there were the official tributes, as WWE ran a trio of segments dedicated to the Brain during WWE Raw, including a full video package that highlighted just how much he meant to the sport, and how much joy his repeated, outlandish failings brought to so many.
Bruce Prichard also shared some emotional remembrances of the man he affectionately and jokingly referred to as “Dad.” It’s all heartbreaking stuff, and all of it serves as testament to just how singular and irreplaceable Heenan was.
The latest round of heartfelt praise comes from the man who has sometimes referred to himself as the greatest of all time, Chris Jericho. During an appearance on the Q Radio Show, Jericho laid out the case that, in his estimation, between his work as a wrestler, manager, and announcer, Heenan might just be the best all-around performer in the history of professional wrestling.
“There’s a case to be made that Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan is the best all-around performer in wrestling history. From a commentating standpoint, the best. From a managing standpoint, the best. From a promo standpoint, the best. From a wrestling standpoint, he could work better than 90 percent of the guys. If you watch some of the bumps he would take when he would get hit, he took these tremendous flippy floppy bumps because he started as a wrestler.
“He commentated my matches for three years in WCW. I wasn’t the best, sometimes his commentary was better than my matches, but he always said something funny or interesting. And then when I turned heel and started finding my way, he always subtly supported that as the heel commentator should, whereas the other guys were burying and burying me just trying to get themselves over. Bobby was a true professional, and like I said, there is a debate that he could be the best all-around [performer] of all-time.”
It’s certainly a persuasive argument, and Heenan’s incredible body of work speaks for itself. The next time the discussion comes up about the greatest of all time, and names like Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and the Rock are being thrown around, make sure you take a few moments to remember the Brain might just be in the conversation.
