Bobby "The Brain" Heenan interview, New Bradshaw commentary, more Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 2:42 PM EST
Aaron Rift sent in the following:
The following are highlights from Xtreme Mayhem's interview with Bobby "The Brain" Hennan. The interview was conducted by Mike Nagel and Jeff Meacham on November 27th, 2002. Visit http://xtreme.themayhem.com/ to listen to the audio version of the interview!
Tony Schiavone
Mike introduces Bobby Hennan as the greatest broadcast journalist of all-time, and Hennan says that he thought Mike was going to say Schiavone's name instead. Hennan asks Mike to repeat the name Schiavone so he can say what goes through his mind when he hears that name. Mike says the name, and we hear the sound of a toilet flushing on the other line! Hennan says Schiavone isn't much of a person. Hennan would always invite Schiavone to his house, but Schiavone would never invite himself or Mike Tenay over to his place. Schiavone told Hennan that when WCW closed down, they would go their separate ways and never be friends. Schiavone didn't like the wrestling business, the wrestlers, or the fans. During commercial breaks at Nitro, Schivaone would put his head down like a school child so he wouldn't have to be in a conversation with Hennan or Tenay. Six months after Hennan got cancer, Schiavone finally called Hennan and asked him about the cancer, then promptly asked him if he wanted to work with Schiavone in the XWF. Schiavone was a company man who wouldn't let you in on anything, and didn't let Hennan know in advance that he was going to be released from WCW. Schiavone wanted to be in baseball, not wrestling. Hennan said to excuse his speech, and since his tongue was swollen from the radiation, it sounded like his was making out with Mr. Ed. Hennan thinks that Schiavone wasn't working for much in WCW, and that's why he was with the company for so long.
Gorilla Monsoon
Monsoon was the complete opposite of Schiavone. Monsoon passing away was one of the greatest tragedies in Hennan's life. Their two families went on vacations all the time and were very close. Hennan called Monsoon a class act. When he worked with Monsoon, it was one constant laugh after another.
Hennan's Condition
His doctor said that there was an 80% chance of recovery, and by March Hennan will be as good as he can possibly be. Hennan thought that he had a brain tumor at first. He is happy to still be alive. However Hennan's daughter is doing, that's how he is doing.
Rick Rude
Hennan said that he thought Rick Rude was trying to steal his heat. Hennan said he could have stolen Rude's heat anytime he wanted to.
Managing
Hennan loved managing Big John Studd, Blackjack Lanza, Harley Race, Curt Hennig, Blackjack Mulligan, Angelo Poffo, and others.
Hulk Hogan
Hennan says that some people judge good workers by how many hurricanranas or suplexes they can do, but what really matters is how many people they can put in the seats. Hulk Hogan put more people in the seats than anyone else in the wrestling business has or probably ever will.
WWE's Downturn
Hennan says that Vince has given away all of the secrets of wrestling, and now there is no reason for people to watch anymore. The fans are the most important aspect of the wrestling business. They were the ones that put his daughter through college, and they were the ones that gave Hennan his overall wealth.
Tough Enough
Hennan has never watched Tough Enough. He only watches RAW or Smackdown if he sees someone that he knows. However, he does feel that there is a market for Tough Enough.
His WWE Return
Hennan called Vince McMahon after he was released from WCW and offered his services. They finally got back to Hennan and asked him if he wanted to be part of Wrestlemania X-7 and Hennan agreed. Okerlund then called Hennan said asked if Hennan wanted to do a segment on Confidential. Hennan thought it was very nice of Vince McMahon to allow him to plug his book, since Vince didn't make a dime from it. Hennan hasn't been a regular in WWE since he doesn't really fit into the storylines. If they wanted a 58-old guy with a big tongue, that would be fine. Hennan is fine with staying home because he doesn't want to work anyway. Hennan said he would work Confidential with Okerlund if the money was right.
Eric Bischoff
Hennan thinks that Bischoff went to WWE because he was broke. Hennan says it was stupid for Bischoff to have Foley's WWE Title win announced on Nitro. Bischoff was in Ted Turner's wallet more than Jane. Bischoff talked about putting a stake in Vince's heart, then pulling out the stake and stabbing him again. Now, the stake is in another part of his anatomy.
World Championship Wrestling
There were some good people in that company, and he lists some names. Hennan thought it was stupid to take the WCW Title from Goldberg and put it on David Arquette. He thought it was stupid to make Judy Bagwell one half of the WCW Tag-Team champions. Hennan said it was one thing to brag about being #1 for 83 weeks like WCW did, but it was another thing to be #1 for 20 years like the old WWF was. Hennan said that anyone, including himself, could have made WCW #1 if he had Ted Turner's wallet. Hennan said WCW didn't become #1 until they signed Hogan, Savage, himself, Okerlund, Hall, Nash, the Nitro girls, and the Mexican wrestlers. Hennan thought it was stupid to have the Nitro girls wrestling. The only reasons he went to WCW were because it was closer to the University of Alabama where his daughter was attending, and he was able to get Health insurance for the first time in his life.
The Brian Pillman Incident
At a 1996 Clash of the Champions, Brian Pillman grabbed Hennan, who responded by blurting out the "F" word on national television. Hennan said you always had to watch the monitor, and not watch what was going on in or out of the ring. Hennan requested to the boys that nobody would ever touch his neck. Pillman was outside the ring, and since Hennan wasn't looking, Pillman pulled a friendly rib by pulling Heenan's coat down over his shoulders. Hennan thought it was some fan that jumped over the rail. Hennan said that Pillman didn't mean to hurt him and he was a nice guy.
Vince Russo
Hennan says Russo had no talent in the business. In WWF, Russo's ideas just went to McMahon, and it was McMahon who tweaked it and made it more interesting. Hennan called Russo a proven failure. Russo wanted to hire actors that would become wrestlers since they would work cheaper. Hennan says you have to listen to the fans. Wrestling needs to be good against bad with entertainment. Wrestling needed interviews, guys getting their finishers over, and having their characters over.
Hennan's Future
This weekend, Hennan is going to his first indy show to announce the main event, which is being headlined by Curt Hennig and Sean Waltman. He wants to see an old-fashioned wrestling show where he can see everybody in the audience. He doesn't want to see a 20,000 seat arena with half-naked women, since the only place he should be seeing women like that is in his own room.
The Gobbledy Gooker
Hennan says that people thought a Playboy bunny or someone that looked like King King Bundy was going to come out of that egg. Instead, it was Hector Guerrero, who Hennan says had skinnier legs than that of a bird. Hennan thought the dancing with Okerlund with great entertainment. What were they going to do with the Gooker, fry him?
Hennan's Book
After Hennan started writing his book, he found out that not only he had cancer, but his wife got cancer for the second time as well. Hennan said they joked around about the cancer. The book is currently in its third printing. Hennan is going to be working on a second book.
The Camel
Anybody could ride a camel, so Hennan rode it backwards to do something different. Hennan told Savage to show Hennan's underwear.
Name Association
1. Vince McMahon - Genius. 2. Eric Bischoff - Lucky. 3. Jim Ross - Good friend. 4. Hulk Hogan - Guys would always want to work on the same card with Hogan. 5. Ric Flair - Tremendous entertainer. 6. Lex Luger - Good guy who didn't take crap from anybody. Luger saved his money and knew that he wouldn't get punished for things he did. 7. Steve Austin - Doesn't know him well. 8. Dusty Rhodes - Very entertaining and did one of the best interviews. 9. Andre The Giant - The boss. Nobody could beat Andre if he didn't want to get beaten. If Andre promised something, you could trust him. Andre wanted the match with Hogan because he knew he was on his way out. Andre was in tons of pain because of his disease but went through with his match. Andre wasn't a drunk because he was from Paris. Andre just liked to play cards and drink wine. Andre had a great sense of humor: In the elevator with Hennan and some old ladies, Andre would fart and tell the old ladies to stop it. Andre hated The Iron Sheik. Guys would try to shoot with him in Japan: Andre would would put a full nelson on the guy, get in front of him, and would fall face forward. Hennan is surprised that the guy lived. 10. Larry Zbysko - Good talker, good bs'er and good hand. He always liked Larry and they were good friends. 11. Bret Hart - Very nice and polite. Hennan doesn't understand what happened with Bret and Vince. Hennan said Vince had to do what was best for business. Hennan thought that Bret was wasted in WCW and he might as well have been Tag champs with Judy Bagwell. 12. ECW - Hennan never watched it. 13. Kevin Nash - Tall. Another guy he doesn't know well. 14. The Undertaker - A great guy. Hennan introduced Taker to Vince, and Hennan also suggested that Taker came out in a hearse at Summerslam 1992.
Check out Bobby Hennan's book, which is available at Amazon.com and any book stores. If you love wrestling, Hennan has some great stories to tell. Hennan also has some pictures in the book that are from his personal collection. Check out BobbyTheBrain.com for some merchandise and the latest on what Hennan is up to!
New photos from Storm, new diaries from Bradshaw What's it like to be a WWE Superstar on an international tour? Find out from Lance Storm and Bradshaw. Lance sent photos from the RAW Superstars' trip to India. Meanwhile, Bradshaw is back on the road -- this time, in South Africa. Once again, he's keeping an open diary of his travels.
To see the pictures and read the commentary, CLICK HERE
Lesnar to appear at Connecticut charity football game Brock Lesnar will be the special celebrity referee this Saturday (Nov. 30) at a charity football game in Stamford, Conn. The former WWE Champion will officiate the "Championship Saturday Night" Firefighters Local 786 charity touch football match at Boyle Stadium, 55 Strawberry Hill Ave. (behind Stamford High School).
