When it comes to the greatest managers in WWE history, it should come as no surprise as to who remains atop the list, more than 20 years since his WWE Hall of Fame induction, and eight years after his death. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan is simply in a class by himself when it comes to his legacy as a manager, and on top of that, he was adept as a wrestler, and his work as a commentator was also Hall of Fame-worthy on its own.

It’s the manager Heenan, however, that stands out more than anything else in his career for myriad reasons. Aligning with Andre the Giant in his run toward WrestleMania III is probably what most wrestling fans recall first about the man sometimes also known as “The Weasel,” but his murderer’s row of “clients” is essentially its own Hall of Fame class. To have Heenan in your corner was to have an instant boost in credibility, stature, and the potential to capture championship gold. Aside from Andre, the likes of Adrian Adonis, Big John Studd, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard as The Brain Busters, Haku, Harley Race, King Kong Bundy, Lex Luger, Mr. Perfect, Paul Orndorff, Ric Flair, and “Ravishing” Rick Rude were all managed by Heenan as part of The Heenan Family—and even that is an incomplete list that only encompasses WWE. Nick Bockwinkel, Ernie Ladd, and Angelo Poffo highlight runs in the AWA, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and WWA, and the lists go on and on to the tune of more than 50 wrestlers managed by Heenan, most of them being relative household names.

Heenan was both comedic and conniving, the perfect complement to the top heels of any territory. And like any good bad guy, after years of being hated, he became adored. Heenan’s returns to WWE over the years were always met with love, and his reunion with “Mean” Gene Okerlund to call WrestleMania X-Seven’s “Gimmick Battle Royal” was the perfect touch for a match all about nostalgia. Heenan’s death in 2017 was mourned by colleagues and fans across the world and his legend as wrestling’s greatest manager of all time carries on.