American professional wrestling manager Raymond Louis Heenan, better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, died on Sunday, according to World Wrestling Entertainment. 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 Family”, 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.

 

Heenan is survived by his wife Cynthia and their daughter Jessica.