Cold November Brain

There are a few reasons why I think of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in November. Most importantly it was indeed his birth month. The legend would turn 78 this year. But also because my favorite piece of Bobby Heenan memorabilia, shown very often on this blog, involves the month of November, as well. No, it has nothing to do with The Survivor Series. But we’ll get to that in a bit. Why not look at some other Heenan memorabilia first? 

I think that I enjoy The Brain for reasons other than most. Of course everyone loved his humor which he brought to any job that he had within the business. Being the Gorilla Monsoon guy that I am, how could I not? I’ve said before and I’ll say again that I prefer the Monsoon-Jesse Ventura team as far as commentary goes, but there were no better hosting duos than The Gorilla and The Brain. Prime Time Wrestling would not be as beloved today had it not been for those two. You can sense the bits that the two came up with on their own that no outside writer could have. My favorites usually involved the two preparing for an upcoming event such as WrestleMania or the premiere of No Holds Barred. The two were gold in the studio but I feel that they truly shined when “out and about.” 

My love of Heenan comes from, as is almost cliché, the “little things.” It’s those things that can turn a good wrestler into a great one. If you’ve read Heenan’s books you already know that his philosophy was to “wrestle like a manager and manage like a wrestler.” It shows. You can literally pick any appearance of Heenan either inside or outside of the squared circle and see this shine through. Watch him come to the ring. There’s always something going on and it isn’t generic. It’s something pertaining to whichever story is being told, and not even necessarily his. He knew that in order for him to look good he had to make everyone around him look good, too. He fidgets. He looks concerned. He’s focused. He’s gleeful. It’s always something. 

What was also rather unique to Heenan, especially in the “WWF golden era” of the ‘80s, is that he could switch between serious or cartoonish in the bat of an eyelash. If he and his charge were hatching a plan to attack another wrestler you were definitely going to see “cruel and calculating” Heenan. If Gene Okerlund chased them down for an interview after the heinous action, Heenan was prepared with a good insult. He also kept it real. When The Brooklyn Brawler took out both The Red Rooster and Gorilla Monsoon on an episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Heenan repeatedly apologized to Monsoon and claimed that the attack on him was not part of his plan. It made sense. Going forward why would Monsoon continue to find amusement in Heenan’s antics had Heenan not shown a little remorse for something so physical? Again, it was the little things. 

Speaking of little things, Bobby Heenan has had a few in the form of action figures over the years. Not only was he one of the manager figures in the LJN Wrestling Superstars line (a figure that he proudly displayed on Prime Time Wrestling), but he was also one of only two managers to make it into the bendies line also from the company. I only got into the bendies after the Hasbro WWF line was released and was absolutely thrilled that both Heenan and Captain Lou Albano could be integrated with the Hasbro figures. Jakks and Mattel really upped the ante with several Heenan figures from each manufacturer. The latest was the Mattel WWE Legends Bobby Heenan in the infamous weasel suit. Beneath it is the first accurate and widely available “wrestling gear” Heenan figure. Sadly, the figure is underrated and undersold. I don’t know if that means that we’re dead as far as future figures of “The Brain” go, but someone desperately needs to produce him in a Hasbro style before the “Retro” craze ends. We could also use several more regular sized Heenan’s as well. You and I both can think of five or six designs right off of the top of our heads. 

Heenan was no stranger to trading cards, magazine and program covers and even coloring books, either, despite being a manager who were sometimes left out of such things. I say “were” as sadly the wrestling manager seems to be gone. Every so often there are glimmers, especially with Paul Heyman still running rampant, but it has yet to truly feel the same. But The Brain made it beyond. Need someone to go on Arsenio, Regis & Kathy Lee or even The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon? Heenan was your man. He even made it onto an episode or two of Hulk Hogan’s Rock n’ Wrestling, though the little merchandise sadly doesn’t reflect that. 

My favorite Heenan item as promised? The November 1970 issue of The Wrestler, of course. I had wanted the issue for years, seeing it listed as a back issue, but even then it was coveted. Finally, in a box chock full of ‘60s and ‘70s wrestling magazines that I picked up at a local convention, there it was. I was able to get The Brain to sign it and, though he was in his later stages where communication wasn’t as easy as in previous years, he positively glowed upon seeing it. A gory and slightly horrifying reminder that Heenan was indeed a wrestler and for more than just comedic weasel suit matches. Bobby was the real deal. 

Now beat it, humanoids!

"Prime" Memorabilia Memories from Prime Time Wrestling

If you are a subscriber to WWE Network, you may have noticed an influx of classic content in the past few months. No one can seem to figure out just what causes the company to suddenly go on an uploading binge for the "Vault" section, but very few are complaining either. While the company may want you to believe that "Holy Foley" and "Camp WWE" are two of its most popular shows, I rarely hear from anyone that admits to watching those. Instead, it's the vintage shows and matches that I see the most feedback on. One of those shows suddenly saw its uploads stop just around two years ago, only to pick up in the last few weeks. That show? WWF Prime Time Wrestling.

Interestingly, Prime Time Wrestling is the show that I saw the most of as a kid, especially in my years as a casual fan. I was out with family during the day on weekends, so I really didn't partake too much in the classic "Saturday morning wrestling." Instead, I most recall catching Saturday Night's Main Event (after all, it was an event) and Prime Time. And even though the show went through a variety of hosts and formats, my brightest memories revolve around the Gorilla Monsoon-Bobby Heenan version.

I still prefer Monsoon with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as a commentary team, but the two didn't do too much hosting of Prime Time beyond some early episodes. The majority of the run featured "The Gorilla" and "The Brain" providing an often hilarious look at the goings on in the World Wrestling Federation. The chemistry between the two has never been matched in wrestling, obviously aided by their real-life friendship that was completely hidden on television. Okay, maybe a few times you got the feeling that Gorilla didn't completely hate "The Brain," but this was still the era of kayfabe.

Most wrestling television shows at the time didn't yield much memorabilia themselves. Heenan and Monsoon did have a few promotional photos together, but the merchandise of the time more or less centered around the wrestlers themselves. That being said, Prime Time Wrestling featured an absolute plethora of WWF items available in the era.

As with WWF Tuesday Night Titans, the LJN Wrestling Superstars figures were often present on the set of Prime Time. Monsoon and Heenan would utilize them to help illustrate the latest feuds between superstars, and would sometimes set them up to reflect the matches featured on that particular episode. On one segment, Monsoon laments that there wasn't a "Gorilla doll" available. You very much get the idea that he would have appreciated it happening, as it absolutely should have. One has to wonder if there was ever any consideration to the idea, considering how associated he was with the company.

The late, legendary WWF Magazine was also prominently featured. If Gorilla wasn't egging Heenan on about his men not being featured, the two would often cite photos and articles from the latest issue. And who could forget..."From the pages of the World Wrestling Federation Magazine, here's 'Update!'" That segment, which always displayed the latest magazine cover ("...on newsstands now!") was usually hosted by Craig DeGeorge, Lord Alfred Hayes, or Mean Gene Okerlund and spotlighted a recent major happening. And when Bobby finally made the cover in 1987? I'm sure "Miss Betty" was never happier!

As the WWF marketing machine grew and grew, so did the merchandise shown on Prime Time. When George "The Animal" Steele's buddy "Mine" started showing up, Gorilla informs us that we can in fact own it ourselves. We all know how few took the company up on that offer. The musical albums produced by the company were pushed heavily, as was the movie "No Holds Barred" upon its release. Posters, banners, and even Hasbro figures and Tonka Wrestling Buddies would eventually show up as set decor as the years went by. When the show changed formats in 1991 and started to feature a live audience, the merchandise faded away almost overnight. Advertisements were still there, but it just wasn't as fun without the camera focusing in on an LJN or Hasbro as the commercial break ended. And it certainly wasn't as entertaining without the Monsoon-Heenan pairing.

By 1993, Prime Time Wrestling was replaced with Monday Night Raw. No one can deny that Raw has had hundreds of memorable moments as the flagship show of the company and changed the way that wrestling was presented on television. Prime Time rarely advanced angles, as it was mainly a magazine/recap style show. Nonetheless, that was part of the magic. Prime Time featured matches that really didn't fit in anywhere else in the WWF lineup at that point. Some were good, some were bad, but Gorilla and Bobby always made it entertaining. Now that we know how much fun they were really having, it makes it just all the sweeter. And speaking of sweet, I'm sure that somewhere, in a place far greater than we know, our late, beloved Prime Time host knows that we did eventually get a "Gorilla doll"...