Bobby “The Brain” Heenan passed away at the age of 72 Sunday due to organ failure caused by throat cancer, according to his obituary in the Tampa Bay Times.

Heenan received the cancer diagnosis in 2002 and had been in remission since 2004, according to his daughter Jessica Solt. “It was just his time,” Solt told the Tampa Bay Times.

Heenan, whose real name was Raymond Louis Heenan, is widely regarded as the greatest manager in WWE history. Wrestlers he managed were dubbed members of the Heenan Family, which included the likes of Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), and Harley Race. He also managed the top enemies of Hulk Hogan, most notably King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania II and Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III.

Heenan, who was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2004, also had a successful run as a WWE commentator. His infectious personality created wildly entertaining segments with fellow WWE Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon and “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He also had a brief stint as host of “The Bobby Heenan Show” on USA Network.

Wrestlers past and present posted heartfelt reactions to Heenan’s death. During Monday night’s Raw, the WWE aired an incredible tribute to Heenan, which can be viewed below.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Hall of Fame manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan died on Sunday at the age of 73, according to the WWE.

Heenan, known for his sarcastic wit and telegenic presence, was widely considered one of the great managers in WWE history. In later years, Heenan became arguably the greatest heel TV announcer of all-time. During Heenan’s time as a manager, he managed such wrestling stars as Andre The Giant, Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, King Kong Bundy and countless others. Heenan had been out of the spotlight in recent years as he had his jaw removed due to throat cancer.

Here is the WWE’s complete statement:

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 73. 

With a career spanning more than four decades, Bobby Heenan was the “The Brain” behind some of the most prolific Superstars in sports-entertainment history. Heenan plied his trade as their mischievous manager by running his mouth on their behalf with a sarcastic wit considered among the best in the business.

Heenan named competitors under his guidance as the Heenan Family, a moniker meant to show the strength of their alliance over any of their opposition. Members of the Heenan Family in the AWA and WWE read like the who’s who of sports entertainment, including legends and WWE Hall of Famers such as Nick Bockwinkel, the Blackjacks, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), Harley Race, and of course, the first WWE Hall of Famer, Andre the Giant, whom Heenan led to the ring at WrestleMania III before 93,173 fans.

As impossible as it may seem, Heenan’s overwhelming success as a manager was matched by that of his announcing career. Heenan’s constant verbal jousts with fellow WWE Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon and “Mean” Gene Okerlund on USA Network remain among the most entertaining moments in sports-entertainment history. In fact, “The Brain” was so entertaining, that “The Bobby Heenan Show” had a brief run on USA Network as well.

In addition “The Brain” was part of the original broadcast team for Monday Night RAW in 1993, and is the only person to have sat at the announcers’ table for both Raw and WCW Monday Nitro.

WWE extends its condolences to Heenan’s family, friends and fans.

Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Bobby’s daughter informed those close to him via Facebook and said he was surrounded by family when he passed. His daughter noted that he’d been sick, but his passing was sudden.

A source close to the Heenan family told PWS that Bobby became immobile near the end of August and that’s when things began to worsen.

The news first broke on Twitter after Jim Ross tweeted, “The news of Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan’s passing today gutted me. I loved our time together. No one ever did it better than the Wease.”

All of us here at Wrestling News Blog would like to extend our condolences to the Heenan Family and friends.