Cornette or Heenan

[strummer 0]

For me, Heenan. I like both, but I thought Heenan was better on the mic and a lot funnier. I did not see a lot of NWA in the 80s, so I missed Cornette's prime. Cornette's WWF run was far from stellar, although one could argue it was because of the talent he was given to work with. His WWF peak was during Yokozuna's monster heel push in 93, drew good heat and helped Luger get over. . He helped Vader initially get over as a monster, before being humiliated by Jose Lothario. Camp Cornette was OK, but I don't think the fans bought them as a huge threat

 

Heenan was great. Helped draw big heat for Hogan/Orndorff, Hogan/Andre, Andre/Studd. Helped Rick Rude and Hennig get over as heels. Just tremendous in getting over Flair in 92. And the best color man in wrestling history, just hilarious. He made watching wrestling fun.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Tough choice... Cornette always made me laugh with his crazy $10 suits, and the cheating with his tennis racket (as well as playing to the crowd more and yelling at camera man trying to sneak in an evil plan)

 

Bobby Heenan I loved on commentary (in the WWF, that is). He was a great mouth piece for a talentless sack of crap, and he took better bumps than most of the guys he managed.

 

I'll go with Heenan though, since I've seen about 50x more of him thanks to being a bigger fan of older WWF.

[Guest bigm350]

I'd go with Heenan, becuase he was funnier than shit. But Cornette, especially in his NWA-MX managing days was awesome. The two greatest managers of alltime, with Heenan better by a hair.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Cornette easily. He was funnier and more of a natural on the mic, he could get heat at the drop of the hat, could get anyone over on commentary, and had a tremendous personality. To be honest, I've never thought that much of Heenan, either as a manager or commentator. I didn't think he was bad by any means, but I never saw him as any kind of great manager, merely adequate.

[Jingus 0]

Tough call, cuz they're both damn good, but had some differences in between them.

 

Cornette "entertained" me more of the two. He was funnier, had better one-liners, and generally stooged and overacted more than Heenan did. He was also the better commentator in my opinion, since Bobby tended to make jokes and put himself over while Corny tried to stress the importance of the matches and the angles in between his funnies. However, Cornette always seemed like he was just trying too damn hard; a streak of insincerity ran thru everything he ever did or said.

 

Heenan was much more realistic; he got you to genuinely believe that he really was that kind of quick-witted asshole. He was more understated and subtle in his managing, doing much less of the goofy scenery-chewing that Cornette favored. (To put it another way: which guy could you see as a cornerman for a boxer?) He was also a far superior bumper, willing to launch himself right onto his permanently-broken neck at the drop of a hat.

 

So, to sum up: I prefer Cornette behind the camera, and Heenan in front of it.

[nl5xsk1 0]

As a straight-up manager, no other factors included? Cornette by a mile. His work with the Midnites (even in the WCCW days) and Big Bubba Rogers was awesome. The guy was a heat-magnet. You're not doing him justice to go only by his wwf tenure.

 

As an announcer? Heenen by a mile.

 

Total package, including both of the above plus behind-the-scenes things? Cornette

[strummer 0]

For those who saw Cornette in his prime, what made him so funny?, I really can't imagine him being funnier than Heenan, but to each his own I guess. I certainly didn't find WWF work that funny.

 

And for those who criticize Bobby for not focusing on the match, watch Royal Rumble 92. He could focus on the match when he wanted to, but it just didn't suit his personality or character

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

For those who saw Cornette in his prime, what made him so funny?, I really can't imagine him being funnier than Heenan, but to each his own I guess. I certainly didn't find WWF work that funny.

 

And for those who criticize Bobby for not focusing on the match, watch Royal Rumble 92. He could focus on the match when he wanted to, but it just didn't suit his personality or character

Cornette was funny because he was so charismatic on the mic. Not a larger than life Rock-type way, but in a wrestling manager-type way. What made him so tremendous on the mic was that he was not forcing anything; he came across as such a natural on the mic, that it didn't feel like he was pitching anything or trying to con you in any way. You could watch a Cornette promo, and very easily believe that Cornette meant everything he said.

 

 

As for Heenan's announcing, if his character isn't one that can focus on matches and get them over, he shouldn't have been announcing in the first place. An announcer's job is to get the wrestlers and matches over, and if his character prevented him from doing that, he had no business commentating at all.

[strummer 0]

but you can argue that Bobby's favoring of the heels and making fun of the faces DID get the wrestlers over. Bobby might not have explained the psychology of the match or explain certain nuances of in ring wrestling, but he did put the wrestlers over through his heel persona.

[razazteca 0]

Its hard to compare them since Heenan was primary one of the if not the best announcers in wrestling while Cornette was a gimmick manager with the tennis racket and bright color suits. The main reason to be a fan of Heenan for me was all of the Hogan humanoid hate that he would do as a commentator. The main reason to be a fan of Cornette would be that you would know that his tag team would have a good match that night.......since Jim Cornette is the god of tag team wrestling.

 

I would have to pick Cornette because I am a NWA/WCW fan.

 

An announcer's job is to get the wrestlers and matches over, and if his character prevented him from doing that, he had no business commentating at all.

I thought it was the heel announer's job to put over the wrestlers while it was the face announcer's job to put over the workrate. WCW's 3 man announce team of Heenan, Shaivonie, Tenay was near perfection. Bobby and Tony would argue over Hogan while Tenay would invent names for the new moves.

[Guest MikeSC]

Cornette easily. He was funnier and more of a natural on the mic, he could get heat at the drop of the hat, could get anyone over on commentary, and had a tremendous personality. To be honest, I've never thought that much of Heenan, either as a manager or commentator. I didn't think he was bad by any means, but I never saw him as any kind of great manager, merely adequate.

Corny had one of the funniest lines I'd heard at the time.

 

"When Dusty's daughter puts her head on his chest, she isn't hearing the heartbeat of America. She's hearing the burrito he had for lunch that day"

-=Mike

...I thought Heenan tended to be repetitive. Cornette in the NWA was something special...

[strummer 0]

BTW, Cornette considers Heenan the best wrestling manager ever and is one his wrestling idols

[Guest MikeSC]

BTW, Cornette considers Heenan the best wrestling manager ever and is one his wrestling idols

I thought he idolized Jimmy Hart.

-=Mike

[Dobbs 3K 0]

As far as Jimmy Hart, I think Cornette believes Hart was one of the best Memphis managers in the '80s, but not an all time great in the wrestling world or anything.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

WCW's 3 man announce team of Heenan, Shaivonie, Tenay was near perfection. Bobby and Tony would argue over Hogan while Tenay would invent names for the new moves.

One out of three announcers making an attempt to get the matches and wrestlers over is near perfection ? Heenan, by his own admission, was terrible in WCW. He was using 15-year old jokes and references, and was woefully behind the times. Tony was ok, but he lost credibility when he kept calling terrible Nitro's "the best ever". Tenay was great, though, as long as everyone else wasn't trying to talk over him or shout him down.

[strummer 0]

again Bobby did put over the wrestlers and the match, he just didn't do it by talking about the psychology and workrate. His mocking of the faces and praising of the heels put the wrestlers over. Tenay put over the psychology, moves and workrate and Bobby did the insulting and heeling. I wast just watching an old Thunder from 99 and Bobby and Tenay worked fine together, it was actually Tony getting in the way. Tenay loved working with Bobby, and I think both couldn't stand Tony.

[Guest Pariah]

For me it comes down to this... Cornette could get himself and others over at the same time, Heenan could only ever get himself over, usually at the expense of someone else.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

And remember how Heenan was his usual bad joke telling self during the Owen Hart Memorial match ? He couldn't even drop the gimmick for that.

[strummer 0]

For me it comes down to this... Cornette could get himself and others over at the same time, Heenan could only ever get himself over, usually at the expense of someone else.

Bobby didn't help Andre, Studd, Bundy, Orndorff, Flair?

[Fro 0]

I'd say Cornette is better because he's a great booker when he has full control (SMW or OVW) and he's a FANTASTIC announcer in OVW... every bit as good as Ross in his prime. He's actually better as a PBP guy than a color guy.

 

So I think he's better than Heenan for that reason. There's no question Heenan is funnier though.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I found Cornette way funnier than Heenan. I saw tons of Heenan's stuff, and he never once made me laugh.

[strummer 0]

and Bobby may have lost his comedic touch for a few years, but he got Jim Ross and Paul Heyman to break character at WM 17 with his "Hey Tony!" line at the beginning of the gimmick Battle Royal. And he got multiple standing ovations during his HILARIOUS HOF induction speech in 04

[Guest Pariah]

And remember how Heenan was his usual bad joke telling self during the Owen Hart Memorial match ? He couldn't even drop the gimmick for that.

Yes, I remember watching the match a few days ago on the Benoit DVD, his comments stick out like a sore thumb in that match and come across as amazing distasteful.

 

Bobby didn't help Andre, Studd, Bundy, Orndorff, Flair?

 

Andre/Hogan was always going to be a huge match, granted Andre needed someone to talk for him because of his accent but Heenan didn't make Andre any more over by being his manager, the heel turn and the fact it was on Hogan made Andre so over.

 

Studd and Bundy were never truly over and any heat they had once again came from their clashes with Andre and Hogan

 

And Orndorff and Flair didn't need Heenan to get them over, they were already over or would have easily have been capable of getting themselves over if need be.

[strummer 0]

I found Cornette way funnier than Heenan. I saw tons of Heenan's stuff, and he never once made me laugh.

WOW, I think that's the first time I've ever read that on a wrestling board. I thought everyone found Bobby funny, but to each his own

[Guest LooneyTune]

Tenay/Heenan/Schaivone combo was a train wreck. Heenan admited in his shoot that he didn't carer and just went out there to get his paychecks. Heenan hated Schiavone, who became Mr. Shill (BEST NITRO EVER! DONT FORGET SURGE!), and Tenay got the least amount of talking time despite being the best of the three at that time.

 

Also I gotta agree, Heenan trying to make jokes during Hart/Benoit was bad. Almost as bad as Lawler trying to make a joke out of the J-Cup reference from the RAW in Japan.

[strummer 0]

And remember how Heenan was his usual bad joke telling self during the Owen Hart Memorial match ? He couldn't even drop the gimmick for that.

Yes, I remember watching the match a few days ago on the Benoit DVD, his comments stick out like a sore thumb in that match and come across as amazing distasteful.

 

Bobby didn't help Andre, Studd, Bundy, Orndorff, Flair?

 

Andre/Hogan was always going to be a huge match, granted Andre needed someone to talk for him because of his accent but Heenan didn't make Andre any more over by being his manager, the heel turn and the fact it was on Hogan made Andre so over.

 

Studd and Bundy were never truly over and any heat they had once again came from their clashes with Andre and Hogan

 

And Orndorff and Flair didn't need Heenan to get them over, they were already over or would have easily have been capable of getting themselves over if need be.

The fans hated Heenan, and then by proxy anyone associated with Heenan. Heenan helped Andre because Bobby was the thorn in Hogan's side, always trying to end Hulkamania. He talked for Andre and was able to get the match over as a spectacle, an ultimate confrontation.

 

He helped Orndorff for the same reason. He didn't get him over, but helped him get more over.

 

Bundy and Studd were over in mid 80s WWF, if you see the HOF DVD, Studd was getting mega heel heat during his run.

 

His constant praising of Flair helped out with the fans who may not have known about Flair's NWA days. Heenan put over Flair as a wrestling God

[MikeJordan23 0]

Hennan. Jim gets annoying real quick. Though he's funny as hell, in short spurts...

[tbondrage99 0]

Heenan all the way. Cornette is good and all but he sure as hell aint no Bobby Heenan.

[Guest Hass of Pain]

Easily Jim Cornette, and I think given the path of his career he's really more comparable to Paul Heyman than Bobby Heenan. I would say that Jim Cornette is maybe the smartest guy in the wrestling business of the last 20 years in my opinion. He's never done an average job on anything that he's ever touched, he's just been amazing in every single aspect of the wrestling business. He was arguably the best manager of the last 25 years. And then he went to color commentary and became one of my all time favorites. Then he built an incredible promotion that really made no mistakes besides being too old fashioned in a market that wouldn't support it. And then he went on to become an all around blessing to the wrestling business, taking a bunch of green wrestlers in a below average facility and turning them into stars on the best weekly wrestling show on television most weeks. The guy knows wrestling as well as anyone alive, and he's fearless when it comes to stating his opinion on absolutely anyone, even if they are paying his paycheck.

 

Bobby Heenan was one hell of a manager, maybe the best ever, and a great color man. He and Jim Cornette are characters bigger than just about anyone in wrestling today, but Jim Cornette is more complete all around and a little bit more colorful in my opinion. Watch Bash '89, it's AMAZING to see Jim Cornette get a bigger reaction than a single wrestler on the card did when he was swinging his tennis racket around before his tuxedo match with Paul E Dangerously. The guy is a legend in every sense of the word. His wit is a little more clever and sharper than Heenan too, and where as a good Heenan joke will make me smile, when Cornette nails one I'm usually hunched over laughing.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Jim Cornette was the best Promo man from a Manager stand point, with Heenan second.

 

Hennan was the best in-match manager, with Jimmy second.

 

Its a push as a manager, Heenan wins overall becuase Cornette couldn't do a whole match in his gimmick without getting annoying as a commentator. And Cornette could never find someone who he had as much charisma with in comparison to Hennan/Monsoon.