chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,936 
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Post by chazraps on Dec 24, 2015 0:17:04 GMT -5
I honestly think he's extremely overrated in general on this forum as a broadcaster. Maybe I was spoiled by Jesse but I always preferred the action to be taken more seriously instead of the banter that accompanied a significant portion of the matches Heenan called. I'd say he's considerably below Ventura and Heyman on the color commentator hierarchy. Would you stop! |
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tms
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,901
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Post by tms on Dec 24, 2015 1:40:58 GMT -5
I honestly think he's extremely overrated in general on this forum as a broadcaster. Maybe I was spoiled by Jesse but I always preferred the action to be taken more seriously instead of the banter that accompanied a significant portion of the matches Heenan called. I'd say he's considerably below Ventura and Heyman on the color commentator hierarchy. Would you stop! One of my favorite Heenan moments actually happened in WCW's later years during a hardcore match involving Raven and Chastity against another duo (don't remember who). A fire extinguisher was used on Chastity's butt, and during the slow-motion replay at the end of the match (one of my favorite WCW staples), Brain says "if you smell gas, put out the fire." |
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Post by brooklynmets on Dec 24, 2015 12:39:17 GMT -5
I've noticed him mouthing what the other one is saying during promos, like when he's interviewing Flair or talking to Piper on the "Funeral Parlor" with Paul Bearer. Yeah he does that a lot, go watch the segment when Mr.Wonderful turns face. |
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Bub (BLM)
Patti Mayonnaise
advocates duck on rodent violence
Fed. Up.
Posts: 37,742
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Post by Bub (BLM) on Dec 24, 2015 12:46:57 GMT -5
I honestly think he's extremely overrated in general on this forum as a broadcaster. Maybe I was spoiled by Jesse but I always preferred the action to be taken more seriously instead of the banter that accompanied a significant portion of the matches Heenan called. I'd say he's considerably below Ventura and Heyman on the color commentator hierarchy. I think he gets a bad rap for ignoring the action, especially in his WCW work. There are a few guys, Dean Malenko for example, where he'd spend the entire match putting over how awesome they were at wrestling. |
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FHgrad99
Vegeta
Never mind that s***, here comes Mongo!
Posts: 9,013
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Post by FHgrad99 on Dec 24, 2015 14:18:35 GMT -5
I've read both of Bobby Heenan's books and he said that part of the reason why he wasn't happy in WCW was because he had a broadcast partner, Tony Schiavone who didn't really want to be there. He was working for WCW because he wanted a chance to be an announcer for the Atlanta Braves, which Ted Turner also owned. Heenan never felt like he had the chemistry with Schiavone like he had with Gorilla because Gorilla knew how to go with whatever Heenan was doing.
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Post by MrElijah on Dec 24, 2015 15:01:04 GMT -5
I honestly think he's extremely overrated in general on this forum as a broadcaster. Maybe I was spoiled by Jesse but I always preferred the action to be taken more seriously instead of the banter that accompanied a significant portion of the matches Heenan called. I'd say he's considerably below Ventura and Heyman on the color commentator hierarchy. I've always separate the two like this: -If you want a sport slant you listened to Jesse. -If you want a outrageous slant you want Bobby. Two sides of a Heel coin. |
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Dec 24, 2015 15:57:46 GMT -5
I've read both of Bobby Heenan's books and he said that part of the reason why he wasn't happy in WCW was because he had a broadcast partner, Tony Schiavone who didn't really want to be there. He was working for WCW because he wanted a chance to be an announcer for the Atlanta Braves, which Ted Turner also owned. Heenan never felt like he had the chemistry with Schiavone like he had with Gorilla because Gorilla knew how to go with whatever Heenan was doing. Wow, that's a whole lot of blame shifting onto someone who genuinely seemed to be trying his best even when being ordered to say inane BS. If he didn't like calling the action Schiavone, why didn't he ask to be moved to the other half of Nitro? Heck, he had the sway to get Schiavone moved but he'd rather commentate drunk like a pro. |
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Post by 2coldMack is even more baffled on Dec 24, 2015 16:01:53 GMT -5
I honestly think he's extremely overrated in general on this forum as a broadcaster. Maybe I was spoiled by Jesse but I always preferred the action to be taken more seriously instead of the banter that accompanied a significant portion of the matches Heenan called. I'd say he's considerably below Ventura and Heyman on the color commentator hierarchy. I've always separate the two like this: -If you want a sport slant you listened to Jesse. -If you want a outrageous slant you want Bobby. Two sides of a Heel coin. Also, Jesse was, as a character, a lot more self-aware. When a heel would cheat and Heenan was calling it, he'd try to bend reality to make it so the heel didn't cheat, rationalizing and whatnot. Jesse would just go, "Yeah, he cheated, and what a good job he did of hiding it from the ref, too!" |
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Post by willywonka666 on Dec 24, 2015 16:02:09 GMT -5
I've read both of Bobby Heenan's books and he said that part of the reason why he wasn't happy in WCW was because he had a broadcast partner, Tony Schiavone who didn't really want to be there. He was working for WCW because he wanted a chance to be an announcer for the Atlanta Braves, which Ted Turner also owned. Heenan never felt like he had the chemistry with Schiavone like he had with Gorilla because Gorilla knew how to go with whatever Heenan was doing. Wow, that's a whole lot of blame shifting onto someone who genuinely seemed to be trying his best even when being ordered to say inane BS. If he didn't like calling the action Schiavone, why didn't he ask to be moved to the other half of Nitro? Heck, he had the sway to get Schiavone moved but he'd rather commentate drunk like a pro. I think Tony lost a bit of his passion, because if you look back at the old NWA stuff, there's a big difference-and he's not being fed stuff to say as you pointed out. That and Heenan remarked that Tony never invited him to dinner-maybe Tony wasn't that kinda guy, I wouldn't think it was a bad thing, but it bugged Bobby somehow |
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Post by Citizen Snips Has Left on Dec 24, 2015 16:12:41 GMT -5
I wonder what would've happened if Bobby had fought back against Brian Pillman. If he had been angry enough to curse on live tv, perhaps he could've gotten physical. If Brian had tripped and fallen or something to the like, the Loose Cannon character would've been done before it started. We would have seen a Bad Heenan Moment of Pillman absolutely kicking the shit out Heenan on live TV? Pillman was trained by the Harts and once beat up Sid, so I doubt a retired manager with a bad neck would have posed any sort of physical threat. |
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Post by Nickybojelais on Dec 24, 2015 23:12:28 GMT -5
The "debate" he had with Ken Patera. Heenan was a heel but he came off more as a face during that segment. Also, he legitimately got hurt and it was the beginning of his neck problems. I put this down to Patera coming across like an unrepentant ranting lunatic during this segment rather than blaming Heenan. If Patera showed a bit of remorse and appeared more apologetic he might have gained some sympy from the audience. |
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Dec 27, 2015 11:39:23 GMT -5
Mick Foley in his first book explicitly credits a commentary moment from Heenan and someone else as the reason why he left WCW - when Vader powerbombed Mick on the concrete a year to the day of when it paralysed him, and Heenan's call was 'That will give you Excedrin headache number nine.'
In fairness Heenan likely had no idea of any of the history there.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 27, 2015 19:28:37 GMT -5
I sympathize with Bobby given some of the circumstances occurring during it, but that one shot of him staring daggers through the side of Schiavone's head and muttering hard as Tony spoke was definitely not one of his better on-screen moments. I believe it was later in the same episode Heenan paid tribute to Monsoon.
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Post by 2coldMack is even more baffled on Dec 27, 2015 19:34:03 GMT -5
I sympathize with Bobby given some of the circumstances occurring during it, but that one shot of him staring daggers through the side of Schiavone's head and muttering hard as Tony spoke was definitely not one of his better on-screen moments. I believe it was later in the same episode Heenan paid tribute to Monsoon. There's also one moment, I wanna say Uncensored 96, where Bobby basically throws a temper tantrum, turning his chair away from camera, and saying something like "I'll just wait over here until you tell me I can talk", or something to that effect. Like, it ALMOST works for his persona, but it was way too awkward to be anything scripted. |
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Post by kidtamagotchi on Dec 27, 2015 22:49:58 GMT -5
The worst moment I remember was when Madusa lost her Title vs. Career match at Great American Bash. Tony was selling how unfortunate it was that she lost and what a great wrestler she was and what a career she had, and Bobby Heenan was just straight up rude and disrespectful towards her. It was weird.
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DjZonk
Don Corleone
Where's my cat?
Posts: 1,325
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Post by DjZonk on Dec 28, 2015 13:45:25 GMT -5
Heenan was either halfassing it, or flat out drunk through his WCW run. I know it's cool to say 'Oh well the product was terrible so no wonder he didn't try', but he didn't make things any better, he made no attempt to and that is all on him. Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay had to call the same product and deal with more interference through the earpiece, yet they acted like professionals to the bitter end while Heenan just turned up and did whatever for far more money, there's no wonder Schiavone seemed legitimately agitated by him at times. Worth pointing out Heenan felt Tony would sandbag him on purpose, basically no selling his act. This probably contributed to him not giving a toss. |
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