Bobby Heenan

[10.0] "Bobby Heenan was one of the sharpest minds and quickest wits the wrestling business ever produced. As a manager he had a natural ability to get under the crowd's skin, constantly talking, scheming, and backing his wrestlers with total confidence whether they deserved it or not. His real gift was timing and delivery, knowing exactly when to throw in a sarcastic comment or over the top excuse that would make fans laugh while still wanting to see his guy get beaten. Later on commentary he brought that same personality to the broadcast table, reacting to matches like a biased fan while firing off jokes and one liners that made the shows more entertaining!"

[10.0] "Bobby Heenan was not only the greatest manager to ever live (which easily earns him the 10), but he was also an incredible worker. Do yourself a favor and go watch him in the ring if you haven't seen it. It's clear that his ability to connect with a crowd and his excellent timing weren't just limited to when he had a mic in his hand."

[10.0] "Truly the GOAT when it comes to heel managers/color commentators. Universally beloved by everyone on both sides of the curtain, he was impossibly quick-witted, always hilarious, and had that perfect "love to hate him" personality. His ability to make the crowd hate himself and/or his clients was simply magical. Effortless crowd manipulation. I also appreciate his willingness to get into the ring and take bumps from time to time. As a commentator he always made sure to put the babyfaces over even while ridiculing them, which is not easy to do and something lots of heel commentators don't even bother trying to do. Amazing chemistry with everyone he worked with, especially his close friend Gorilla Monsoon, but his work in WCW with guys like Schiavonne and Dusty is great to listen to as well. Absolute legend, and he's still dearly missed."

"Undoubtedly the greatest manager of all time in professional wrestling. Bobby Heenan made his wrestlers opponents look good by bumping his ass off for them. He's managed a Who's who of wrestling, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Andre the Giant, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, etc."

[9.0] "Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was the greatest manager and color commentator in wrestling history. A master of wit, timing, and heat, Heenan could elevate anyone he managed, making fans desperate to see them lose. On commentary, especially alongside Gorilla Monsoon, Heenan's sharp humor and heel bias created some of the most entertaining broadcasts ever. His ability to blend comedy, intelligence, and genuine storytelling made him a one-of-a-kind talent who remains unmatched decades later."

[10.0] "Legendary manager and commentator during his time in WWF and WCW. He is mostly known for the Hernan Family faction and being Andre the Giant's manager."

[10.0] "So much could be said about Bobby Heenan, where can I start? First off, he's the greatest manager of all time, every heel manager that has came after him all emulate him and it's very obvious. Not to mention, his impressive resume: Nick Bockwinkel, Stan Hansen, Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, The Brain Busters, Harley Race, etc. He had insane chemistry with most (if not, all) of the men he managed and elevated them, even if they didn't needed to be. While I'm not fond of comparisons, I do have to give Keivn Nash a solid nod that he said how Heenan and Hennig are like Lennon & McCartney, in a sense that they didn't need each other, but made magic together (random, but The Beatles are my favorite band, just needed to sneak that in lol). On the mic and on commentary, he was just as good, super funny, witty and quick with his quips and insults. Dave Meltzer has said how he could have been a successful comedian and would have ended up as revered as an American icon as Johnny Carson if he did, and I can't say I disagree (again, despite I don't like comparisons, that's how good Heenan is). I absolutely adore his commentary work with Gorilla Monsoon, they were the perfect duo at the desk and could easily elevate any given show you put them on. I would probably put their duo up there with Heyman/Ross for my favorite, but need to think about it more. Listening to Heenan antagonize and make quips towards Gorilla and try to piss him off was a total joy to listen to, they honestly would make a great comedy duo and/or a TV Show. R.I.P. Bobby Heenan"

[10.0] "Greatest manager and color commentator of all time. Many, many announcers and manager or "advocates" have been inspired by Heenan's portrayal. Overly demanding boss one minute then coward begging for mercy the next. He could be hilarious on commentary but also worked hard to really put over the cruiserweights in WCW. The wrestling world is worse by Bobby Heenan no longer being in it."

[10.0] "The greatest wrestling manager of ALL time. No one was as good as Bobby. He was so big in the 80's and 90's where he would sometimes overshadow the wrestlers. Managers typically didnt get as much of a pop as he did. Some of the greatest moments in wrestling history were created by Bobby The Brain Heenan. Watching his biography made me admire him even more and the real Bobby, who was a great personality and natural heel. It was heartbreaking to see how his health had declined when he was inducted into the HOF. RIP Bobby Heenan, you will long be remembered as one of the greatest ever."

[10.0] "There's a reason why Paul Heyman is often compared to Bobby Heenan. The latter is easily the best manager in the wrestling business, and he's also been a solid (if underrated) wrestler who also happened to be a good commentator. He and Gorilla Monsoon had excellent chemistry, to say nothing short of the good work that Bobby Heenan did on numerous WWE shows whenever he was handed a microphone. Some people say he was too good for the wrestling business with his wit, and I would be inclined to agree."

[10.0] "Greatest Manager of all time. Made everyone he stood next to meaningful. Underrated WCW run on commentary as well."

[10.0] "Possibly the greatest manager in Pro Wrestling as well as the best color commentator in WWE history."

[2.0] "I know it was stock in trade for heel announcers, but the lazy racist, sexist, not giving a shit about the WCW luchadores schtick already felt old in the 1990s and has aged incredibly poorly now. Was "ha ha Japanese people like cameras! " funny to anyone?"

[10.0] "Arguably the greatest all around performer to ever be in pro wrestling. The phycology that Bobby brought to wrestling was so far ahead of it's time that it's almost unreal. As a wrestler, he forgot everything he knew about in ring wrestling, and worked as if he were a manager who had never stepped foot inside of a ring, or taken a real bump in his life. He would cower from the babyfaces, he would pick his spots on when to get his small bit of offense in, he would take shortcuts to gain an advantage during a match, so on, and so forth. As a manager, he managed as if he were the world heavyweight champion, and a world class worker. It didn't matter who the guy was in the ring or how talented of a wrestler he was or lack there of the match that particular client was enhanced just by Bobby being out there ringside. His selling, his facials. his movements, everything he did was top tier, and he drew the fans watching at home or watching live more in to the match than whoever his guy was in the ring most of the time. So much that the argument could stand up that he was a better worker than probably all but maybe a count on one hand list of guys that he managed. When he was on the commentary, aside from being a broadcast journalist, his wittiness, comedic timing, and sharp tongue made him always fun to listen to regardless of who he was working with whether it was Monsoon (especially monsoon), Vince, or even Tony Schiavone to a degree. There will never be another Bobby "The Brain" Heenan."

[8.0] "Man was great at his job dont get me wrong, but he is still the most over rated manager of all time. He had 3 true success stories in history, Nick Bockwinkel, Andre The Giant, and Ric Flair. He did ok with Rude, Perfect, Orndorf, and The Brain Busters, but other than that his people were practically jobbers and he is somehow rated the best? He could generate heat sure, but he wasnt the best in history on the mic either. still great though,"

[10.0] "Very best manager. Perfect heel foil to guys like Hogan. Had the crowd doing whatever he wanted, cheering, booing or laughing. As a commentator he could improve a match with his smart thinking."

[10.0] "The only personality in the sport of professional wrestling that never fails to make me genuinely laugh. And he was right about Hogan."

[10.0] "What, are you serious? We are just talking about the greatest heel manager of all time, the greatest heel commentator of all time and the greatest comedy sketch heel of all time! Bobby did it all!"

[6.0] "A hit or miss character for me. I've gone back and watched old stuff and I am almost always very in the middle when it comes to his work wether as a manager or commentator."

[10.0] "Without a doubt in mind he was the greatest announcer of all time. The kind of heel you loved to hate but also couldn't help but laugh at his clever wit. Also a true heat magnet as a manag. Like I said about Mauro Ranallo I've watched some pretty dreadful weekly tv with Bobby Heenan on it that was worth it just to hear him talk. There will never be another Bobby Heenan that's for sure."

[10.0] "Best manager that ever climbed into a ring. Best commentator also. And he had the wrestling skills to back it up when he needed to. Thats a combo you dont see often. And some of the comments he made might be crossing the line today. But things change. His biography is a must read."

[10.0] "An amazing manager and he was even a former wrestler. He was badly injured by the Ultimate Warrior, but before that he was really willing to bump for the other wrestlers, something not every manager was willing to do. An amazing commentator as well. He was a funny heel commentator, something guys like Graves or Lawler needed to learn to do"

[6.0] "I know a lot of people love Heenan. I never saw the appeal. He was decent as a manager, but he's one of my least favorite commentators of all time. He's obviously quite knowledgeable, I just can't stand listening to the man speak."

[9.0] "I have to admit, I did not see a lot of the "In-Ring" active wrestler Bobby Heenan. But as a manager and commentator he is one of the best. His back and forth with Vince, and Gorilla Monsoon, with his pro-heel color commentary is worth watching. Sometimes his humor seemed a little forced, and his initial transition to WCW was a little rough, but these are minor issues that do not detract from the overall package. The humor is a little dated, but on some early RAW matches, his kayfabe disinterest in face/face matches by "clicking" through channels on his monitor while aggravating Vince, was gold then."

[9.0] "As much as I love his 80's material, points docked because around 1992 he fell way WAY off as a color commentator and from there on he got notably worse. Thing is, he was never a really great commentator to begin with; buried too many, recycled the same jokes etc. In WCW he was borderline straight up awful at times and I'm not really sure who was to blame. So I think it's safe to say I did not care for him much in that role. Before his downfall though, he was incredible. Primetime Wrestling is one of my favorite television shows ever, his chemistry with Gorilla Monsoon was tremendous. I can never get enough of that stuff, from Miss Betty to Lance Wilshire and every "face buried in cake" in between. When a wrestler he was a bumping maniac/machine who would turn himself inside out and upside at the drop of a dime. He had insane leaping ability and could coast over the top rope to run from someone like The Ultimate Warrior. Is/was probably the most athletically inclined chicken shit heel ever. As a manager he had a fatal flaw though: more often than not he would over shadow his family member. While I am really not a fan of his 90's work, before that he was just too amazing to deny. 8.75 rounded up"

[10.0] "What distinguishes Heenan, from all of the other great talkers & managers in pro-wrestling history, was that year-after-year he would bump for the faces. Heyman can't, Cornette wore-his-body-out after a few years, Hart's in-ring contributions ended after an infamous '75 plane crash, & Albano wasn't an every-night contributor. As a trained wrestler, he knew how to fling his rather unathletic physique & it cost-him many neck issues prior to the litany of health matters that would eventually take his life. As a child my parents wouldn't allow me to watch much wrestling, but because of Heenan, I would sneak-down every Monday night from '86-'91, 1 to 3 am, to watch the re-run of 'Prime Time Wrestling' mostly to revel in the comforts of the Monsoon-Heenan chemistry. I can't think of another talent who managed over fifty competitors & was equally successful in longstanding Main-Event roles in two major American promotions. Although I didn't think much of his individual matches, he was a one-of-a-kind pro-wrestling entertainer deserving of his top-spot on the Cagematch all-time top list."

[10.0] "The greatest manager ever. One of the greatest commentators ever. No one is a better non-wrestler than The Brain."

[10.0] "The greatest commentator ever, the funniest ever. Many times I only watched matches to hear him talk. I have not seen many of his matches when he still wrestled, but I will always remember him for his jokes. My top 5 wrestling personality of all, no doubt."

[10.0] "Bobby Heenan legitimately could've been a successful actor if he wanted too. He was brilliantly witty, clever, dramatic, and could do it quickly in a single take. He was a gift to pro-wrestling and the likes of him will never be seen again. He's pro-wrestling's Robin Williams."

[10.0] "One of the greatest who ever lived. This man could make me laugh all day long with his hilarious line on commentary. He was also an absolutely spectacular manager and was just GOLD on the mic. Incomparable contribution to the business. Rest well, Brain."

[10.0] "One of the greatest non-wrestlers ever in the industry. Great talker and a very witty commentator who could put over a story with the best of them."

[10.0] "Simply perfect. A brilliant manager and the funniest character in the entire history of wrestling, could even crack up the cameraman and the producers in the back on Prime Time Wrestling alongside Gorilla Monsoon. He had ace chemistry with pretty much everyone he worked with. Brilliant delivery as well, and could play a chickenshit heel manager like no one else. Heenan was a joy to watch, no exceptions, and a true legend whose work will never be forgotten."

[10.0] "Very charismatic and funny, his duo with Gorilla Monsoon is legendary, and his duo with Okerlund is memorable as well. He will certainly be remembered as one of the best managers of all time, if not the best."

[10.0] "The funniest wrestling personality of all time either as a manager or commentator. Had excellent timing in both physical and verbal comedy. Could get whipped around the ring bouncing from corner to corner when needed. His chemistry with both Gene Okerlund and Gorilla Monsoon was tremendous."

[10.0] "The greatest manager of all time, one of the best promo, great commentator and also a very very good wrestler, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is a true legend."

[10.0] "Best manager of all time. Immensely talented at the announce desk. Quick witter and sharp tongued. When it comes to the best of all time, sometimes you don't have to say much to make your point."

[10.0] "Great heel manager. The greatest family ever the Heenan family. Helped and managed so many heel wrestlers in his career. Funny as well. As an announcer he was funny with Gorilla Monsoon. In WCW he was not so great in my opinion."

[7.0] "As a manager, Heenan was great, in so many ways. But as a commentator, Heenan was somewhat overrated. He could definitely be great at times, but Heenan had a tendency to try and throw in comedy, which was hit-and-miss, that didn't add to the match at all, and often detracted from it."

[10.0] "Top 3 manager. In my opinion the number 1 colour commentator. A heat magnet. One of the most memorable of his Era with thousands of iconic lines."

[10.0] "The greatest manager of all time and one of the greatest commentators of all time. Few can really match the genuine amount of wit he has and he always understood his job was to get others over."

[9.0] "Along with Jimmy Hart, he as the best heel manager of all-time. Great commentator and great manager despite me never once cheering for him."

[10.0] "The Brain excelled in any role he was put in. As a manager, he was able to get over both his own clients and their opponents, and was the perfect comedy foil. Possibly the best color guy ever, and his quick wit made even the least interesting match entertaining. He was great at making you hate heels and getting the viewer riled up in support of babyfaces. Listen to how loud the Weasel chants were during Nitros, even as he was at the tail end of his career."

[10.0] "The greatest manager and one of the greatest commentators of all time. A lot of his mic work was comedy gold."

[10.0] "The best manager of all time. One of the funniest personalities in all of wrestling. His contributions to the sport will never be forgotten. RIP"

[9.0] "A generous and unselfish man, he never minded making himself look like a fool to put the other guy over."

[10.0] "Simply fantastic, a loud mouth villain who would take tremendous beatings to the AWA's top heroes who morphed into a fantastic manager and commentator. He was a rare blend of insight and humor who could generate a lot of heat. He clearly was a mainstay, prime time villain during Hulkamania. Hulkamania managed to overshadow everything, but the brain carved out a corner and was a huge success."

[6.0] "A good, old school manager and commentator. No idea why he suddenly rose this high in the cagematch rankings in a couple of weeks, though. Ehr... Maybe some fan is trying to let him reach the top spot or somethin' and is flooding his page with 10s?"

"An all-time legend, the greatest manager in the history of the sport, the greatest color guy in the sport, one of the quickest wits I've ever seen, Heenan ALWAYS had a comeback for everything, and it was always funny. As others pointed out, he deserves nothing less than a 10."

[10.0] "An absolute legend. Untouchable. Best color commentator ever, by a HUGE margin. Probably the greatest manager ever, too. For anyone to give The Brain any rating other than 10 is an absolute farce."

[10.0] "Simply the best colour commentator in Wrestling history, especially when paired with Gorilla Monsoon."