American professional wrestling manager Raymond Louis Heenan, better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, died on Sunday, according to . He was 73.
His cause of death was not announced.
Heenan, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, was hailed as one of the greatest WWE managers, with a career spanning more than four decades.
He was the man behind some prolific superstars, including the likes of WWE Hall of Famers Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, Mr. Perfect and Andre the Giant.
WWE Superstars under Heenan’s guidance came to be known as the “Heenan Familyâ€, a moniker meant to show the strength of their alliance against the opposition.
Heenan was known for his quick wit and sharp tongue, which earned him the nickname “The Weasel†by former AWA wrestler Dick the Bruiser.
During his career, Heenan’s big-talking skills translated to the broadcast booth where he was part of the original broadcast team for Monday Night Raw and later became one of the voices of WCW Monday Nitro. He also had his own short-lived series, “The Bobby Heenan Show,†on USA Network for a short period of time.
In 2002, Heenan was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent reconstructive jaw surgery in 2007, that drastically changed his physical appearance and hindered his ability to talk.
Following his death, the wrestling community paid tribute to the hall of famer on Twitter.
RIP Bobby "The Brain" Heenan - one of the GREATEST and most influential personas our business has ever known.
— Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley)
...one of a kind.
— Triple H (@TripleH)
Today we lost one of our legends.
— Bubba Ray Dudley (@bullyray5150)
Im just happy the last words I said to him were, "I love you Bobby."
RIP Bobby Heenan
Bobby Heenan died today and it has left me very sad. He was the best of the best in the biz and a friend. RIP Bobby. Praying for you Cindy
— Ted DiBiase (@MDMTedDiBiase)
The news of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's passing today gutted me.
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ)
I loved our time together.
No one ever did it better than the Wease.
One of the greatest managers and announcers in WWE history. Our thoughts are with the Heenan family.
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon)
Heenan is survived by his wife Cynthia and their daughter Jessica.