Customer Reviews

Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bobby Heenan was in the the original big three wrestling organizations during each of their peaks. AWA in the early 80's, WWF in the mid 80s to early 90s, and WCW during the late 90s. Throughout the book he details what it was like and several HILARIOUS stories from those days. Among them are stories involving: Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, Harley Race, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, Jesse Ventura, BlackJack Lanza, Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Gorilla Monsoon, Verne Gagne, Mean Gene Okerlund, and many more. The Foreward by Hulk Hogan really says alot about The Brain. The only reason this didn't get five stars is because some of the dates and such are off a bit, but for any wrestling fan or any era that had Bobby Heenan in it, which I guess is every era except this current one, should definitely get this book. Of all of the wrestling books that I have read this one is my favorite.

Few people in the history of professional wrestling were as disliked as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He was smarmy, arrogant and flat out obnoxious. Mostly due to the fact he always gave off an air of being superior to those around him, especially the fans. What I'm saying is meant as a compliment because it was obvious to me that was the full intent behind his character. Bobby was supposed to be all those things and he managed to pull it off as well as anyone I've ever seen. Even as a little kid I knew the guy was something else.

If you are a fan of Pro Wrestling there's no doubt you will really enjoy this book. Fans of all ages will learn a whole lot about the biz. From the squared circle to the behind the scenes action it's all here. Bobby was in the industry for a very very long time and so he knows what he's talking about. The man let's it fly and pulls no punches. It's an enjoyable read. There's even a great foreword by the legendary Hulk Hogan. I would recommend this book to any and all fans of wrestling. You do not have to specifically be a Bobby fan to enjoy this book.

Bobby Heenan... here's a man that didn't finish 8th grade yet became one of the biggest names and most hated men in wrestling history. Bobby fills us in with a plethora of anecdotes about his career and has no qualms about telling you who he didn't like (Valiant Brothers, Haystacks Calhoun, Tony Schiavone to name a few). This is a very loose writing style which covers loads of stories throughout his career, often jumping back and forth in time. Stories are brief and straight to the punch, usually just a paragraph or two. Time periods are based off your wrestling knowledge as Heenan does not identify the year something happened; but if your reading this book, you're probably a fan and know it just by those involved in the story.

There are some great stories involving Andre the Giant, Baron von Raschke, and even his real life appreciation of Hogan. He also really gets into his dislike of how WCW was run and all the positive career chances he received when dealing with WWF. My favorite chapter may have been the run-down of the Bobby Heenan Family which quickly covered most of the men he 'managed'. Overall, quick and fun read, wish it were longer.

Bobby Heenan. "The Weasel." "Bobby the Brain." Call him what you want, but you'd have to admit that he was an "entertainer."

Heenan spent nearly 40 years in the world of pro wrestling. He wasn't your typical wrestler. He wasn't gigantic. He wasn't musclebound. He didn't fly through the air [unless being thrown by the Bruiser or some other good guy].

Fans loved or hated him, but no one was neutral about Bobby Heenan. He could "rassle" with anyone and make them look better. No one could work a crowd like "the Brain." And Bobby Heenan was witty. His one-liners and off-the-cuff comments were at times more entertaining than the matches themselves.

Bobby Heenan has written a book and he "tells all the stories, names all the names and doesn't care who gets mad about it." Hulk Hogan, Andre "The Giant," and Vince McMahon are just a few of the many colorful characters that Heenan discusses.

Heenan's book is available now. So call him what you want... Brain... Weasel... Entertainer... but be sure and add author to the list!

THIS IS ABOUT BOBBY HEENAN LEGENDARY WRESTLER AND MANAGER. BOBBY TAKES US A BIT INTO HIS LIFE BUT MOSTLY HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE WEIRD WORLD OF PRO WRESTLING. BOBBY TELLS US SOME SCARY AND HILARIOUS STORIES COVERING ANDRE THE GIANT, NICK BOCKWINKEL, VERNE GAGNE, VINCES MCMAHON AND RUSSO, AND MANY MORE. BOBBY HAS A QUICK WIT AND IN MANY CASES IS JUST PLAIN HILARIOUS. HIS BOOK IS EASY TO READ AND THE HUMOR HELPS TO EASE THE MIND. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BRAIN. VERY RECOMMENDED.

When I was growing up Bobby Heenan was one of the premiere managers for the WWE. After a while he slowed his schedule down and became one of the best color guys with his best pair up being alongside Gorilla Monsoon. I was really looking forward to this book and it didn't disappoint as the day it came via UPS, I was cleaning the house, opened up the book to flip through and ended up reading it cover to cover in one sitting forgetting what I was in the middle of. While it wasn't at the Mick Foley standard, it was what a book should do, leave someone wanting more. Heenan tells funny stories about how he broke into the business and about the politics behind the scenes all with his dry wit many people have come to love over the years. This is a good light read.

as much as i liked this book it was TOO short...heenen only wrote about 148 pages some of which was the index.. maybe he will write a more in depth book once he beats his cancer...i was very suprised at how he was very close with gorilla monsoon..watching him as a kid i always thought they hated one another but that couldnt be further from the truth..the same can NOT be said for tony shiavone

This book is really entertaining. Bobby Heenan's unmistakable sense of humor embellishes this book from beginning to end. If you were a fan of the old AWA (particularly between the 1960s to the early 80s), or the WWF of the 80s, you will not be able to put down this book. There are incredible anecdotes concerning dozens of well-known wrestlers throughout the book, and some of them had my stomach hurting from laughing so hard. Heenan and Steve Anderson did a real nice job writing at a quick pace that never lags (the book actually could and maybe should have been a bit longer). Heenan's description of reuniting with family he never knew he had was truly touching. His honesty about the inner-workings of the wrestling business was extremely refreshing. Get this book!!!

This book is worth buying for the Andre the Giant stories alone.

One scene describing Andre during his afro years describes Bobby accidentally walking in whilst the big one was enjoying a local groupie in Japan. He description of the scene as appering to walk in on "a lion raping a rabbit" is perhaps the greatest line in literature since Shakespeare.

I was a Bobby Heenan fan from way back in early 70's (AWA days). The stories in the book bring back a lot of memories. The book is broken into sections and cover the early days, AWA, his move to the WWF, the WCW days, etc. He seems to be pretty honest with his praise and criticism.

In these general areas Bobby more or less tells little stories about people, places, or times. Once I started it I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. My only criticism is that the book tends to bounce around a bit (the old days to more current events and back)