Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Steve Anderson (Author)
Key Phrases: weasel suit, New York, Hulk Hogan, Blackjack Lanza (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mick "Mankind" Foley, The Rock and Kurt Angle, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan has become the latest professional wrestler to set his life on the mat to the page. While the book certainly won't challenge for any literary prizes, Heenan-a funny, cocky guy with an intelligence that goes well beyond his 8th grade education-is surprisingly charming. A pro wrestler since the 1960s, Heenan recounts the early days spent wrestling bears in Canada, getting cheated by promoters and bleeding in smoky gyms and halls across the northeast, all for as little as $10 a night. A devoted family man, Heenan finally made a comfortable living off the sport he loves in the 1980s and 1990s and has spent a lifetime reveling in the attention (and venom) his supporters and detractors have thrown his way. 22 pages of b&w photos
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Heenan has been involved in professional wrestling since the 1960s. He's worked empty small-town arenas where a curtain with painted-on faces was used to simulate a packed house for the television audience. He's worked prime-time network television. Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan are among his peers and sometimes clients. Heenan's ongoing role has been that of manager, and if you know the "sport," you know that managers usually show up in a suit, tout their guy, and then wind up in the ring after insults are exchanged. It's all high drama or low theater, and it has played very well to more than a few generations of 13-year-old boys. Heenan relates 30-plus years of often-hilarious, self-deprecating anecdotes, profiling along the way some of the unique individuals attracted to this hybrid of sports and soap opera. Heenan even gets a bit personal, revealing his search for long-lost family members and reflecting on his ongoing battle with cancer. A very entertaining memoir from a man who's been on the inside of a uniquely American entertainment medium. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (IL); First Edition edition (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572434651
• ISBN-13: 978-1572434653
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #656,719 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little bit of Brain is better than no Brain at all, December 3, 2002

By	D. F. Utz "got_rice" (Daly City, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Bobby Heenan since the early 70s when he was "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan and he was managing the likes of the Blackjacks, the Valiant Brothers, and Baron von Raschke in the AWA against foes such as Bruiser and Crusher, Pepper Gomez and Cowboy Bob Ellis. I actually felt sorry for poor Bobby as he was repeatedly bashed and bloodied by the "faces." Years later I re-discovered pro-wrestling and there was ol' Bobby, now known as the "Brain" managing Andre the Giant and so many other greats.

Therefore, it was with great expectation that I purchased this book and read it on a four and a half hour flight recently. While happy to read about Bobby Heenan in his own words, I was disappointed by the book's brevity. This is more a series of anecdotes loosely organized into chapters than a coherent biography of the man and his sport.

The Brain covers his early years in the AWA much too swiftly as he does also with his recent years in WCW. He basically covers his work with the Valiant brothers in one sentence by saying they were awful. He mentions Blackjack Lanza but skips his managing of the Blackjacks (Lanza and Mulligan), which included a feud with Bruiser and Crusher that culminated in a gruesome cage match at Chicago's Soldier Field (where Heenan actually vomited in the ring).

That is not to say that this book is a waste. Even a little Brain is better than none at all. Bobby gives us story after story of how a particular wrestler worked in the ring or how certain promoters screwed over the wrestlers. He gives insight into how wrestlers get along outside the ring and how they manage to protect themselves from over-zealous fans.

The most touching parts of the book are the final chapters in which Bobby discusses his search for his long-lost father and his recent battle with throat cancer. It is in these stories that we see the true man behind the wrestling facade.

While this book could have been much more, I am thankful for this small piece of wrestling history from one of the more important figures in sports entertainment.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bobby "The Brain" Heenan - WWF/WCW/AWA fans this is a must., September 11, 2002

By	M. Riggs (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bobby's the man, April 16, 2006

By	Freddy Graham - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All (Paperback)

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.