Young Bobby Heenan Had a Famous Fan

Heenan from his days giving Indiana crowds the what-for
Photo Credit: Pro Wrestling Illustrated, via WWE.com

It's always neat to see guys you know from their earlier days looking similar but also unfamiliar. For example, Ric Flair used to be a big man wrestler. "Precious" Paul Ellering had long flowing locks and a much more imposing frame. And Bobby Heenan wasn't always the chubby Svengali-slash-late stage Borscht Belt comedian. In his younger days, he actually was quite handsome and fetching, as the above picture details. Before he made his way to Verne Gagne's AWA, he was a terror in the territorial days, specifically in his home state of Indiana. For fans of late night television, another famous talker also hailed from the Hoosier State.

David Letterman, like Heenan, was known a lot for his quick and cutting wit, and some might say that he may have gotten some of his style from The Brain. As it turns out, a young Letterman was quite taken with pro wrestling, and would often go to shows where Bobby Heenan from Beverly Hills would antagonize the local babyfaces like Dick the Bruiser. The video below shows Letterman talking about going to those Indianapolis shows in his youth with one Bob Costas.

letterman on bobby heenan pic.twitter.com/qW6CNulVH1

— daniel (@early90spants) May 9, 2017