Brian Damage
“I could take any Ham and Egger and make them a star.” – Bobby Heenan
Bobby ‘the Brain’ Heenan is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in pro wrestling history. Heenan has managed some of the all time greats in wrestling including Nick Bockwinkel, ‘Mr. Perfect’ Curt Hennig, ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude, Andre the Giant and ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. As impressive as that list is, Bobby was also a star himself. Bobby Heenan’s gift of gab and quick wit made him perhaps the most hated and beloved manager in the history of the WWF/WWE.
The Brain could make anybody into a legitimate star…he was that good. In 1989, that theory would be put to the ultimate test. Around 1988, Heenan was managing a wrestler named ‘The Red Rooster’ Terry Taylor. The storyline was, Heenan micromanaged Taylor’s career by constantly shouting orders at ringside. After losing a match, Heenan slapped Terry Taylor in disgust and Taylor finally snapped. The Red Rooster broke away from the Heenan Family and went his own way.
On the January 21, 1989 edition of Primetime Wrestling hosted by both Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon, Gorilla invited The Red Rooster to be a special guest on the program. During the show, Taylor and Heenan were constantly throwing insults at one another. Bobby finally appeared to be sorry for his mistakes and offered Taylor an olive branch by apologizing to him and willing to shake Taylor’s hand. As the two shook hands, Heenan once again slapped Taylor across the face.
It was at that moment, somebody hit Terry from behind with a stool. The same mysterious individual hit Gorilla Monsoon in the back while Monsoon was in the middle of the melee between Heenan and Taylor…knocking him out as well. Bobby Heenan began barking orders at this person to continue to attack Taylor by screaming out things like “Choke Him,” “Kick him” and “slam him.” The mysterious attacker would turn out to be none other than perennial jobber Steve Lombardi. Heenan dubbed Lombardi ‘The Brooklyn Brawler’ and he became the newest member of the Heenan Family. How did this partnership come about? Why did Bobby choose Steve Lombardi out of everybody on the WWF roster? While Steve Lombardi was a “jobber” to bigger stars of the company, in reality, he was very well respected by his peers. Lombardi was employed by the WWF since 1981. He actually replaced another journeyman named Johnny Rodz as top enhancement talent on the roster.
What that meant was, when new stars were brought into the company, they were all put in a match against Johnny Rodz. Rodz would then report to management and let them all know if the new star was worth keeping or getting rid of. Steve Lombardi took over that role around 1985/1986. When the angle between Bobby Heenan and The Red Rooster took place, Vince McMahon asked Heenan who he wanted to come in and replace the Rooster. Heenan personally chose Lombardi to manage out of his admiration for him. Bobby Heenan legitimately became a mentor to Lombardi as he came up with the Brooklyn Brawler gimmick. He suggested that Lombardi wear a New York Yankees shirt, because according to Heenan…the Yankees were a hated baseball team around the country and it would generate instant heat.
Heenan also advised Lombardi to wear torn clothes and even told him to roll around in dirt outside the arenas before matches to make him look tougher and meaner. According to Lombardi, his mother called him up complaining about his new look. She felt hurt that The Brooklyn Brawler looked like a dirt bag and that she didn’t raise her son like that. The Brooklyn Brawler and the Red Rooster would feud for the next few months. Eventually, after the feud with Rooster culminated…The Brooklyn Brawler and Bobby Heenan “mutually parted ways” with Lombardi returning to enhancement status. Heenan would continue to praise the Brooklyn Brawler while the Brain was on commentary for his matches.
