While Hulkamania ran wild and fans adhered to the good vs. evil dynamic of kayfabe, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan served as the voice of reason. Urging a generation lost in hero worship to see the error of their ways, Heenan combated the blind idealism of wrestling storylines with an acute combination of wit and logic that fueled his actions as a manager and commentator.

As kayfabe - an era of wrestling where fans were led to believe the stories and actions were real - made way for more realistic stories in the '90s, it was clear that Heenan’s worldview contained a sense of logic that wrestling needed all along.

BOBBY HEENAN IN WWF

When Hulk Hogan reigned supreme at the top of the then-WWF’s card in the '80s, he acted as the guardian of all things noble, just, and patriotic. For the time, Hulk Hogan was the hero that we all needed. Geopolitical factors and current events of the decade influenced the storytelling aspects of professional wrestling, leading to WWF seeking an all-American hero to build the company around. During his time in the World Wrestling Federation that Hulk Hogan was in high-profile feuds with the likes of Andre the Giant, the Iron Sheik, Sergeant Slaughter. The “monster heel” and “foreign heel” feuds thrust Hogan into the spotlight where he solidified himself as a real American who fought for the rights of every man.

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However, Heenan fought a seemingly one man war against Hogan. As a manager, Heenan would bring his biggest wrestlers, such as King Kong Bundy or Andre the Giant, to dethrone Hogan. On commentary, he constantly attempted to belittle Hogan's name. One instance saw broadcast partner Gorilla Monsoon noting Hogan’s pointing to “all of his Hulkamaniacs” in the crowd, while Heenan retorted “He's not pointing to anybody, he's showing off how high he can count!” The comment was one of many Heenan made to detract from the prevailing notion that Hulk Hogan was a "good guy" and was in fact concerned only with himself.

HEENAN'S WAR MOVES TO WCW

Drastic changes in the landscape of the World Wrestling Federation occurred in the '90s. Following his feud with Sergeant Slaughter, Hogan would lose two high-profile matches with The Undertaker and Yokozuna. Hogan was also a defendant in a steroid scandal that rocked WWF and owner Vince McMahon. Though the public still mostly loved Hogan, the scandal brought about serious doubts about his character and forced him to take a leave of absence. Hogan and Heenan both left the WWF separately in 1993, but would join the company's chief competitor World Championship Wrestling (WCW) the next year.

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Outside of the ring, the dynamics of professional wrestling were changing too. Wrestling dirt sheets became more sophisticated, and fans began to eschew the suspension of disbelief required to maintain kayfabe. This seemingly newfound cynicism was first espoused by Heenan only a decade earlier. Fans now began to see through wrestling’s theater, and watched with newly skeptical eyes. While both WWF and WCW adhered to the character dynamics of the previous decade, fans grew weary of the antics. As a result, Hogan’s early WCW run fell flat, with fans having grown tired of the Hulkamania they grew up loving.

Meanwhile Heenan thrived on commentary. His witty skepticism was a needed break from ridiculous programming that saw the emergence of gimmicks like The Dungeon of Doom, a band of monster heels who were portrayed as literal monsters coming together to destroy Hulkamania,  but the WWF was no better at the time. Lagging ratings led the WWF to resort to their own ridiculous gimmicks, where wrestling gimmicks such as trashman Duke ‘The Dumpster" Droese or the insatiably hungry Bastion Booger did nothing to complement the presence of performers such as Shawn Michaels on the roster.

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BOBBY HEENAN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG

Fans of both WCW and WWF were adapting to a mind state that Heenan espoused as a heel commentator. WCW addressed this by turning Hulk Hogan into a villain and creating one of the most iconic heel turns the industry has ever seen. Revealing himself to be the leader of the New World Order, Hulk Hogan became one of the monsters he once fought. It was during this moment that Heenan famously deferred from his broadcast colleagues by raising the question “but whose side is he on?” as Hogan made his way to the ring.

“What have I been saying all these years?" Heenan would ask his broadcast colleagues as Hogan talked down to the crowd, "Huh? What have I been saying all these years?... I never thought I'd see people throwing debris at Hulk Hogan. I knew it should have been done a long time ago.”

Forming the New World Order marked a change in Hogan’s once virtuous character that fans had never seen before. Wrestling took on a more realistic approach, with the WWF eventually catching up and creating the Attitude Era. The nWo under Hogan's lead would prove to be a devastating force in professional wrestling, leading WCW to a long string of victories in the Monday Night Wars as Heenan continued to deride Hogan on commentary. Both Hogan and Heenan would leave WCW shortly before the promotion closed doors in 2001. While Hogan would return to WWF in 2002, Heenan would only return for occasional appearances. He passed away in 2017 following an extended battle with throat cancer.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was a breath of fresh air in professional wrestling. During a time when idealistic hero worship was the norm, Heenan viewed things in a way that would shape the industry decades later. Heenan helped usher in a fresh perspective on storytelling that professional wrestling desperately needed. Bobby ‘The Brain" Heenan was the savior of not only the WWE but professional wrestling as a whole. We just never listened.

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