10 Best Members Of The Heenan Family, Ranked

Bobby Heenan was one of the best parts about wrestling during the 20th century as an ever-present figure that was endlessly entertaining. ‘The Weasel’ made everything he was a part of amazing which included his ‘family’ of clients throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

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Across various promotions and most notably in WWE, Heenan managed some of the best talent of the generation, as well as some performers who sorely needed his help. He worked his magic with all of them to promote some of the best wrestlers of the era

10 Paul Orndorff

Heenan made a name for himself during the start of his WWE tenure by antagonizing its biggest star, Hulk Hogan. He would gather a collection of opponents for the babyface hero to take on, with one of his most famous rivals being ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff.

The two former friends engaged in an underrated rivalry throughout 1986, as Heenan backed Orndorff in his attempts to capture the WWE Championship. A serious injury to his client made ‘The Brain’ part ways with Orndorff, who was replaced by ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude.

9 King Kong Bundy

Another wrestler that Heenan used to try and get at ‘The Hulkster,’ King Kong Bundy was a mountain of a man that almost could not be toppled. He headlined WrestleMania 2 against Hogan in a failed attempt to win the WWE Championship in a steel cage match, which ended up being the peak of his career.

Bundy was one of Heenan’s more trusted clients before his first run in WWE came to an end in 1988. He would return six years later to be part of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation, but his second and final run in the company would only last a year.

8 Nick Bockwinkel

An early success story for Heenan was his association with former AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel during the 70s and 80s. Before he made it to WWE, Bobby’s most decorated client was the great technical wrestler Bockwinkel, who became one of the most revered and respected names of his generation.

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Both men profited greatly from each other's various skills, as they made for the perfect heel act that the AWA found a lot of success in promoting. Their association ended in 1984 when Heenan jumped over to WWE along with a lot of other AWA stars, including Hulk Hogan.

7 The Brain Busters

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard became one of the best tag teams of the 80s as part of The Four Horsemen, where they were accompanied by their great manager, J.J. Dillon. When The Brain Busters forayed into WWE for a year-long stint in 1988, they found themselves a new manager in Bobby Heenan, and it was a perfect combination.

The legitimacy of Anderson and Tully as a team, alongside Heenan’s managerial credentials, made the act one of the best of its era. It is just a shame that it did not last long, as the Brian Busters would return to the NWA/WCW just a year later.

6 Ric Flair

Another member of The Four Horseman that would become associated with Heenan was the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. After coming to WWE in late 1991, Flair immediately became a big concern within the company in no small part due to his alliance with Heenan, who promoted him on an equal level to WWE Champion Hulk Hogan.

As Flair’s ‘Financial Advisor,’ Heenan would assist him in becoming the WWE Champion at the 1992 Royal Rumble. Their association would end a year later when Flair returned to WCW in 1993, only to return to WWE almost a decade later.

5 Harley Race

As a multiple-time world champion within the NWA over the course of a lengthy career, Harley Race finally made his way to WWE in 1986, managed by Bobby Heenan. WWE felt they could not acknowledge Race’s previous accomplishments in wrestling which led to him becoming King of the Ring in the same year he debuted.

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King Harley Race was clearly not displaying the performer in his prime, but it was an entertaining gimmick that also helped establish Heenan as a menace to the stars through the various clients he managed.

4 Haku

Another King under Heenan’s watch, Haku took the title from Race whilst he was recovering from injury in 1988. This led to a match at the Royal Rumble in 1989, where the formidable Haku defeated the legendary Race to become the undisputed King within WWE.

After this, Haku became one of Heenan’s more successful clients as he challenged for the WWE Championship on a number of occasions and formed the Colossal Connection alongside Andre the Giant. As great as Haku was at being terrifying, Heenan’s influence elevated him to an even higher level.

3 Rick Rude

'Ravishing' Rick Rude was one of the most underrated superstars of his generation, as he was the full package and should have been a top guy in the industry. His time spent with Bobby Heenan from when he debuted in WWE in 1987 was tremendous, as he ascended his way up the card to become an Intercontinental Champion by shockingly defeating the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 5.

Rude would even challenge for the WWE Championship during this time, whilst always being one of the most entertaining performers in the company throughout the late 80s. Unfortunately, a dispute with Vince McMahon stunted Rude's rise up the card in 1990, which would lead to him exiting the company at the peak of his powers.

2 Mr. Perfect

After an undefeated start to life in WWE and a reign with the Intercontinental Championship, Mr. Perfect enlisted the help of ‘The Brain’ as his new manager in 1990. The partnership was ‘perfect’ as it made the gifted technical performer even more main event worthy.

Perfect also became associated with Flair during his time in WWE, which may have actually detracted from his own rise to stardom. It is still baffling that he never became WWE Champion, especially when Heenan was in his corner.

1 Andre the Giant

One of the biggest stars of WWE's Golden Era and by far Bobby Heenan's most famous client, Andre the Giant was a force to be reckoned with especially once he turned heel. The two became associated when Andre decided to go after his former friend Hulk Hogan's WWE Championship in 1987, leading to their monumental clash at WrestleMania 3.

Despite his scary presence being a big part of his character, Andre was never the best at communicating to the crowd using promos, so Heenan was a perfect addition to his act. It formed one of the most memorable wrestling heel runs of all time and was a major career highlight for both men.