Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All Reviews

• A little bit of Brain is better than no Brain at all

  
  By A1A1SGTAYQH53D on 2002-12-03
  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.
  
  

• Bobby "The Brain" Heenan - WWF/WCW/AWA fans this is a must.

  
  By A3G8V8H91Q2F1P on 2002-09-11
  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.
  
  

• Bobby's the man

  
  By A1L801NN2ULHYH on 2006-04-16
  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.
  
  

• Very good stories

  
  By AL3CN3V48HCQP on 2002-08-31
  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)
  
  

• Bobby the Brain

  
  By AWHG6Y799WMZQ on 2002-09-29
  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!
  
  

• Great read
  By AFUJYA74Z7I8W on 2004-04-14
  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.
  
  

• Like having a cup of coffee with an old friend.
  By AHJUAN1BN3H5R on 2003-07-30
  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.
  
  
• THIS BOOK TAKES STRAIN OFF YOUR BRAIN
  By A1H4EG6Y38R0EU on 2005-01-29
  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.
  
  
• THE wrestling bad boy
  By A1D702T7C8VDBL on 2006-05-17
  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.
  
  
• Bad Boy Good Book
  By A12FBLMIZPGAA2 on 2002-09-18
  Nice collect of The Brains stories from his life in the buisness.Skips around a lot not in cronalogical order add wish it had been longer thats all that kept it from being 5 stars.
  
  
• brain cramps for heenen
  By A2D7DP3K60PS3N on 2002-12-21
  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
  
  
• a bit short on detail
  By A2FEGRJQNU51P9 on 2002-12-30
  I first encountered Bobby "The Brain" Heenan while watching wrestling on saturday mornings. I was a pretty young kid at the time, less than 10 years old. Heenan, nicknamed "The Weasel" by the fans, was the manager of most of the heel wrestlers. "Heel" is the wrestling term for a bad guy. I never liked the guy, but he was always entertaining. For a wrestler to align himself with Heenan it would instantly turn him into a heel as well. Heenan was that effective in his role as the Heel Manager.

  All wrestling biographies will inevitably be compared to that of Mick Foley's Have a Nice Day . The comparison will be in how truthful the biography is, how much detail it goes into, and how entertaining it is to read. Mick "Mankind" Foley set the bar high. Heenan's book is an entertaining and quick read. It appears to be truthful, breaking kayfabe (wrestling term for protecting the secrets of the business). While reviewers of Hulk Hogan's book take him to task for inaccurate detail, i have not seen any of the same problems with Heenan's book. However, Bobby Heenan does not go into much detail at all. For a biography of a wrestling legend (40 years in the business) to be less than 200 pages, so much seems to be left out.

  As a wrestling fan, it was nice to get a glimpse of a man i knew next to nothing about. That was all it was, though, a glimpse. It left me wanting to know more
  
  

• Must-read!
  By A2SXUDYTBIM89A on 2004-01-07
  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!!!
  
  
• If you love "The Brain," you'll love the book.
  By A180UL42II4MWR on 2002-09-14
  I thought this was a very entertaining book and a quick read. The only problem I had with it was that Bobby talks so highly of Vince McMahon, you'd think he was a saint. Not saying McMahon is all bad, but I think old "Weasel" should have been a little more open about how McMahon is. Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to any true wrestling fan.
  
  
• "I have a problem!"
  By AWBG43KDFAHLC on 2002-09-18
  The problem that I have with Bobby Heenan's book was it was too
  damn short! It was a wonderful insight on some of the people
  I've watched during my years as a fan of pro wrestling. I was sad
  to read how Andre the Giant finally became soured on the fans
  and how Rick Rude was such a loner.
  From his comments regarding WCW and some of his co-workers
  in that (dis)-organization and his respect for both Vern Gange
  and Vince McMahon leads me to say one thing:*

  "Brain! Come back Brain!"

  *With apologies to the people behind the classic movie: "Shane."
  
  

• Outstanding Book....I Mean It !!!
  By A2OGBE9KLX59XL on 2002-09-25
  Bobby Heenan has the gift of gab. His writing is on the mark.
  I read this book twice it was that good. The stories are amusing and very funny. I higly recommend this book to anyone, wrestling fan or not this book was very enjoyable.
  
  
• Fan of Wrestling from 1960 - 1980? Then This is a MUST Read
  By A2QV0KI0M0D58U on 2002-09-29
  When I saw "Bobby the Brain" on the new non-fiction shelf, curiosity got the better of me (and I'm glad it did). Admittedly, I was somewhat ashamed that here I was a grown man buying a book about professional wrestling. However, as a youth, I spent every Sunday morning after church watching All-Star Wrestling (Vern Gagne's outfit) with my cousins. We watched The Crusher, Mad Dog Vachon and his brother, Baron Von Raschke and his infamous claw and all the rest. Every now and then Scrap Iron Gadaski would wallop some "star" but eventually lose out. Occasionally the Crusher would "draw blood" from some bad-guy who had pulled a "foriegn object" from his shorts. And I remember Bobby Heenan well -- he was THE Weasel. And as I grew up and watched wrestling change, The Weasel was still "The Weasel - the guy you loved to hate." And now, as wrestling has dramatically changed, Heenan tells why as he details accounts of his early career all the way to the present. Yes, sometimes the stories scatter in a stream of conciousness style. But, I suppose, that is the mind of Bobby Heenan. The final two chapters even provide you with a peek at a kinder and gentler Weasel. The Hulkser provides a foreward that sets the tone for the entire book. Bobby Heenan's autobiography is a must read for any fan who grew up with wrestling in the 60's, 70's and 80's.
  
  
• Bobby The Brain
  By A1XOUW7DVL28I9 on 2002-11-09
  Bobby Heenan is one of a handful of true wrestling icons! This book gives a great insiders look at wrestling from the manager's point of view! If your like me and you grew up in the 80's loving to hate the Brain then you have got to read this!
  
  
• The Weasel
  By A2O9HU1K7TCF7B on 2002-11-12
  While I am not much of a fan of modern wrestling, Bobby Heenan is perhaps my all time favorite in the business. Heenan was a great entertainer, though not a full time wrestler. In his days with the WWF, his quick jibes always got a laugh out of me.

  In his book, Heenan tells the story of his life and journey through wrestling. While their is no real "dirt" in the book, Heenan's humor is as sharp as it is on the television. Some of the stories are hilarious and give real insight into the business. Heenan also talks about his personal life including growing up without a father and finding his long lost family members only a few years ago. These images give insight as to the real man that is not the character played on camera.

  Heenan is currently battling cancer but maintains excellent odds of recovery. I hope that he can bring the weasel character back to the television again and live a long life.
  
  

• That's why they call him "The Brain"
  By A1ST8K4VBCUP6V on 2002-11-23
  Being a wrestling fan since I was a young boy, I have to say this book is a GREAT READ. However the only down side to this book is it's TOO short, Bobby's been in the business way too long too to write such a short book, even Chyna and Goldberg who've been in only a few years in wrestling wrote their books with more stuff. Bobby I hope you write a follow up with much more stories, other then that I really recomend it, or as The Brain would do, wait for your friend to buy it and take his.
  
  
• A Friend In Need Is a Pest
  By A1K5D3JB4ZDAHT on 2002-12-19
  Bobby Heenan was one of the greatest entertainers to ever appear in wrestling, and here in his own words he relates tales from his time in all of the major feds of the day. This is a very quick and easy read, as The Brain moves from one entertaining story to the next. Not much in terms of straight autobiography here, as the flow is mainly in the stories, which Bobby tells very well. Recommended for wrestling fans from the 70's onward, as younger wrestling fans won't have any idea who a lot of the wrestlers that are mentioned are, while longtime fans will love the stories and memories that Bobby The Brain shares.
  
  
• The Brain Does It Again!
  By on 2002-12-21
  I highly recommend this book to everyone. Bobby the brain has done it again. My only knock on the book is I wanted more. One story after another. Hilarious. Written by someone who's seen it all. I breezed thru it in one evening.
  
  
• Best autobiography since A tale of Blood and Sweatsocks!
  By A2WHGWQYDE3DUG on 2003-01-03
  I had looked forward to reading this book since I first heard about it. It lived up to most of my expectations. The style of the book was written in classic Heenan commentary. The fact that he focused a great deal of the book on his career starting from the beinning and working his way through the years made the book flow very easily. It is written in a nice conversational style that gives the readers a better understanding the way the wrestling world used to be and to some degree still is. Heenan gave many details and particulars of his long career, however I feel that some stories were wrapped up a little too quickly and that only the very surface of Bobby Heenan the man and the performer have been touched on.
  
  
• It's Good!
  By A16FIU1IDOY7N2 on 2003-05-17
  I grew up enjoying professional wrestling as a child and I still enjoy the spectacle of the "show". Heenan is one of wrestling's legendary talkers. He was never blessed with a great build, but nobody can tell a story like Bobby "the Brain". This book would have rated "5 Stars" if it had been longer. If you are a fan of pro wrestling, you'll enjoy having this in your collection. There are some hilarious anecdotes sprinkled throughout. It's almost like sitting down with Heenan and listening to him tell you about his adventures.
  
  
• Really good book from an entertaining character
  By AJEOXSDLEX18K on 2003-10-29
  Growing up watching wrestling in the 1980s, I became a huge fan of Bobby the Brain. He was one of the most entertaining characters in the history of the business. His quick wit and weasil-like antics made him a guy fans "loved to hate".

  I was excited to hear he was coming out with a biography. He was in the business for a long time and was an important part of some of the biggest angles in wrestling.

  His book lived up to my expectations quite well. For those of you who have heard him in interviews, you know he's a great story-teller. He documents a lot of great stories in this book in vintage "Bobby the Brain" fashion.

  My favorite story involved some fans who snuck backstage at an AWA show, leading to an impromptu brawl between wrestling "advesaries"... all in the hopes of preserving the illusiion that wrestling is real.

  Some really great stuff in this book. Bobby seems like a natural writer.

  My only disappointment was that he didn't discuss his time in WCW as much as I would have liked. WCW is where he spent his last years in the business as a commentator, and I was hoping for a little more detail about that time period in his career. Oh well, rumor has it that he's writing another book.

  I highly recommend this book for old-time wrestling fans.
  
  

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