Weasel Tales, Feat. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Some 20 years after starting his writing partnership with Bobby Heenan, resulting in two successful books, Steve Anderson tells the story behind the stories and interviews those who knew and loved "The Brain," regaling fans with their own "Weasel Tales."
In addition, "The Bobby Heenan Archives" are a chance for fans to hear Bobby tell the stories that were published in two books: Bobby The Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All and Chair Shots and Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches.
Weasel Tales, Feat. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Weasel Tales: The Bobby Heenan Archives - Saying "No" To Vince McMahon
Ever wondered what really goes on behind the curtains of professional wrestling? This episode is a must-listen as we sit down with the one and only Bobby Heenan, a true legend in the wrestling world. Bobby shares a gripping tale about a controversial segment Vince McMahon once proposed, involving handcuffs, embarrassing underwear, and public humiliation. Bobby's refusal to participate in this stunt led to an intense face-off with Vince, and he opens up about how this decision was driven by his desire to protect his personal integrity and his family.
But that's just the beginning. Bobby takes us through the grueling workload he managed, juggling multiple roles from manager to producer, all while earning Vince's reluctant respect. You'll gain an insider's perspective on the wrestling industry, filled with behind-the-scenes insights and compelling anecdotes. If you want to understand the delicate balance between personal values and professional demands in the wrestling world, Bobby Heenan's story is one you can't afford to miss.
You listen to me, you go to the top. Bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby. No-transcript. I was working for the WWF.
Speaker 1:Vince came up with this idea about having me handcuffed to the rail, that corral that goes to people back home. And then he wanted the big box men to come out because I was getting his mother so much grief. He wanted the big box men to rip my clothes off me and leave me standing there handcuffed in my underwear. But he wanted me to have hearts on my underwear like women's panties, and I said fine, but I didn't. It's a curse in my mind. He wanted to do this the next day, the next day in New Providence, rhode Island, and I kept thinking about this more and more about it. That's not Bobby Heenan, and you never get heat from the people and it's not entertaining to be embarrassed. My daughter was going to a Catholic school. What are her friends going to say next thing? Her dad's got her heart under work, yeah. Her friend's gonna say next thing her dad's got her heart kind of work, yeah. So I said speckertoth. So I took him in the dressing room. I explained him that I just can't do it. He sat there. I thought he said you can't do it. I said no, as long as you handcuff me to the ring, you just leave me there for the whole hour. Anybody comes to the ring. I'll say would you go get recruit? Would you go get one of the members of the Bobby Hamm family? And all the babyfaces come out and they play with me and they hit me See you the whole night. By the end of the evening they came and let me go For the whole show and it worked out great.
Speaker 1:But Vince is sitting there and he's listening to me telling him why I don't want to do this thing with the hearts on the underwear and shift down and do the nudity thing. And he says you won't do it. I said, vince, I can't do it. He's nodding, it's the work. I said I know that If it's the work, then you change it. I can't do it, it'd be too hard on my kid. You can't do it. I said no and he got up and walked out and slammed the door so hard that the building shook and I didn't do it and I did the other one, the handcuff thing, for the whole evening. But he was very, very upset with me that I told him no. I didn't tell him no, because I just respected him right now and you can't do something right and make it look good if you're not comfortable doing it.
Speaker 1:I never wrestled as a cowboy or a German, because I don't speak with a German accent, I don't wear Western clothes, you know it wouldn't work. That thing just didn't work. I didn't want to do it. That made him upset with me. You know. I didn't want anybody to tell him no and actually on a bigger scale, there's more people who told him no than me. Why do you think? I mean some people probably told him no and he said you're doing it or you're gone. Why do you think he accepted that For me?
Speaker 1:Because I was involved in too many things. I was managing almost every tap day there. I also was doing wrestling challenge. I also was doing primetime. I also was doing the pay-per-views. I was producing the interviews. I was directing and producing the interviews of the talent Plus. I was wrestling and managing, directing and producing the interviews of the talent Plus. I was wrestling and managing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so by giving you an ultimatum he would have. If he'd have given me an ultimatum, I'd have left. I'd have left Because if you give me an ultimatum, that tells me right off the bat, you have no regard for me. I have enough regard for you to tell you I can't do it. And let's think of something else. I have to admit it. Remember what I'm supposed to go. I said I can't do it. I gave you a whole day's preparation so we could be business like and work something out. But there are some people who just don't like to be told no. And you offered him an alternative too. I gave him what I thought was a better idea and something I was comfortable doing. That was entertaining. It was something I was comfortable doing. That was entertaining. When he slammed the door, what were you thinking? I'm done, yeah, I went up to Jack Turney afterwards.
Speaker 1:I said I'm done. He said what do you mean? So I told him what happened. He said nah. So I went up to Jack Landis. I told him what I did. He said yeah, I don't know. Yeah, so that was it. Then I went up to the stands and sat the whole day. Oh, so he couldn't find me. So then I went downstairs about 3 o'clock and started producing the interviews and stuff Never came back or said a thing to me after that.
Speaker 1:Nothing was ever said. Nothing was ever said, got it. Maybe he didn't make a man, maybe he forgot it, but he sure. Maybe he didn't make a bet, maybe he forgot it, but you're true slamming the door. If you want to tell me that, god man, that's okay, there's some things you have to do. I guess I made that decision and my daughter's well-being.
Speaker 1:And you also said it wasn't a Bobby. You said you were a Bobby in character. What about? That's not a Bobby Heenan character. I'm a loudmouth, brash manager. I'm not a creepy little guy like some managers are. I'm a wrestler and a manager and I have a reputation. I've never done that before in the business. That would look like I was gay, wearing underwear with hearts on it, and that didn't make me feel well about doing that and I didn't know how I was standing with all the people looking at me pointing and laughing, in underwear with hearts on it. I don't think I felt pulled off and also because I remember that angle and I don't think I feel full enough, and also because I remember that angle and I didn't think I had that on tape, is that you it has potential to last longer where you can tell a story over the whole hour, as opposed to you can't just keep showing you the initial shock of seeing it is look at that, he's got a heart, he's wearing women's panties or whatever, but then that's it. I mean, you can't. It's done, yeah.
Speaker 1:But this week everybody came out with a different story. If you go back to your room, that could be 50 bucks. Yeah, I'm driving. Well, hey, what a really good pair of turks. You got on, yeah, I remember that For one hour. And then Root came out and that was one of the first times I and you didn't have a key. You came out and don't have a key. What did you come out for? Man? He was yelling at McMahon. Yeah, he was saying get the f***ing key. And I didn't believe in him. I don't remember. It was just he was like right in McMahon's face. Don't you think that was better than? Oh, much better, much better, because it was just kind of a bubbling. I got myself in this situation. Now I got to get myself out, kind of thing. Is that okay, sir? Oh, yeah, that's great. I told her. I said you beat Nick one more time. You get to keep him. Put the word in the streets.