Weasel Tales: The Bobby Heenan Archives - Musings On The Biz FEAT Vince, Bischoff, Piper, & Cactus

Text Me, Ya Ham And Egger

What happens when you fuse the relentless spirit of Vince McMahon with the dynamic world of professional wrestling? Join us as our guest takes us back to Vince’s flamboyant days in the 60s, riding in convertibles and mastering dance routines for SummerSlam. We recount Vince's unwavering dedication to the sport and his uncanny ability to bounce back stronger every time he's counted out. This episode promises a deep dive into the psyche of a man who thrives on competition and the energy it brings to the wrestling industry.

You'll hear thought-provoking personal stories and behind-the-scenes tales, highlighting the respect wrestlers garner as performers and the fine line they walk between authenticity and entertainment. Our guest offers an insider’s perspective on the intricate dynamics between wrestling giants like WWE and WCW, exploring pivotal moments and key figures that have shaped the industry. This is an episode packed with nostalgia, admiration, and a critical look at the wrestling world. Tune in to explore a realm where athleticism meets showmanship, and passion drives success.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You listen to me you go to the top.
Bobby Bobby, bobby, bobby,bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,
bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,
bobby Bobby.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Bobby.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby, Bobby,
bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,bobby, bobby, Bobby, bobby,
bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,bobby, Bobby, bobby, bobby,
bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,Bobby, bobby, bobby, bobby,
bobby, bobby, bobby, Bobby.

(00:36):
But for all the money he'sworth, I wouldn't take those
bumps.
You don't have to.
You have to take them sometimes, you don't have to.
Yeah, you have to take himsometimes you don't have to.
Well, that was two of them.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
He doesn't have to do that.
He loves it.
Yeah, vince is just loves it.
I mean, in the very 60s he wasa Dr Jerry Grave in New York and
Dr Jerry bleached Vince's hair,gave him a red ruffled shirt.
He was driving around on atop-down convertible smoking
cigars.
His dad thought I was killinghim but he just wanted to be out

(01:08):
there.
He said look at that SummerSlamwe had from Vegas, from Lansing
.
One time Vince was out theredoing a dance routine with
dancers.
They sang.
Remember that.
Yeah, and he worked hard.
I watched him all day longrehearse with the dancers.
He really wanted to do a goodjob.
Well, that man is aprofessional he really is, and

(01:28):
I'm not setting up him for a jobbecause I don't want to work
anymore.
I just admire what he did.
He's all right with me.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
No problem, and I think too, the minute people
count him out and say oh, he'sdone, he's over, then he does
something, that's why there hasto be another wrestling group.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
He has to be in a fight.
He has to be in a fight.
He loves that.
Al Smart in the guy he loved.
Al Smart.
He loved it.
If your juice is going,sometimes people think it's real
, so they look good.
They don't realize that peoplehave a lot more respect for you
as an actor than as a fighter.

(02:12):
Yeah, because people don'tbelieve it, and when you tell
them it's real now, they'llnever believe you.
You've insulted them, orintelligent, and it's over.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
And what Piper did was he spent a lot of time in
his book ripping on the businessand ripping on WWE, and the
first chance he got to come backhe did you know he was there
and he probably would have beenwith WWE if he was any place in
his life.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, that's why I never knock Vince.
I worked for him for 10 years.
I'd be knocking myself On WCWshows.
Big Shuffle's knocking.
We've got a smarter side to BigShuffle.
You can put this in there.
One night they had a match onRaw Vince's show and it was a
tape match.
But Mick Foley cashed his backand won the belt.

(03:03):
So they've announced on theirlive TV show that what you're
going to see on Raw on USA cableis a paid match of Mick Foley
winning the belt.
It's not right.
People don't turn to watch.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
USA.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
He told them, we're a title change.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
That's why some people in our business shouldn't
be.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
That's why WCW is where it is now Down the toilet,
because of mismanagement bypeople like him.
I'm sorry, I don't knowanything about the man's life or
family or personality oranything.
I just know he wasn't good forour business.
He hired me.
I had six years there, but youdidn't just hand me the money, I

(03:50):
earned it.
I earned my money.
Robbie Hingis, never takencharity from anybody.
I've earned my money.
If not, you know how it goes,brother and I.
I give you a blade, I'll take ablade.
When you take a bunch, I'lltake a bunch.
We'll see what happens in theevening.
I'm 180 pounds and I'm crippled.
They'll never beat me.
Oh, they'll never beat me.

(04:14):
No, they didn't know.
They didn't know.
And everybody that wanted to bea wrestling promoter, they
didn't know anything about thebusiness.
After a while, what's the firstthing they do?
They bleach their hair, orbecome a manager or a heel or
something.
Look at Eric Bischoff.
He won a abortion.
In the ring there was a guythat had the AWF.
I'll appreciate it.

(04:35):
He bleached his hair.
Look at him.
The only guys I knew in thisbusiness that got into it as a
promoter and never worked wereDennis Hilgard in Milwaukee and
Sam Lesnick in St Louis.
Wow, and the ring was so damnhard it was unbelievable.
Everybody said Sam won't put anew ring in here.

(04:55):
I said I don't know how to geta new ring in there.
He said how I said every Fridaynight after the national anthem
one of the boys slammed Sam.
He slammed him he said he has todrop his big ass in that ring.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Four times a month.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
There'll be a new ring in there.
I said what the heck but.
Sam was an older man.
He wasn't a wrestler, he was asports writer in a newspaper.
He was a newspaper man for StLouis.
So it all comes from every walkof life.

(05:29):
But everybody that's in thisbusiness thinks they can do it.
I remember this guy, russo.
He was going to hire actorsonce you get rid of all the
wrestlers.
He said they can do the samething as you guys do.
Can't be done, can't be done.
And you can't take a bunch ofwrestlers in there and put them

(05:50):
on Broadway.
Can't be done.
It's a different form of acting.
It's a different business.
You've got to be in thisbusiness to understand it.
I told Warner, if you beat Nickone more time, you get the
keyboard put the word in thestreets.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
Thank you,