In early 1979, Heenan left the AWA to work in the National Wrestling Alliance's Georgia Championship Wrestling group (the kayfabe reason for his departure being given as a one-year suspension from the AWA). While Bockwinkel and Stevens feuded with The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser, Bruiser famously called Heenan 'Weasel' this led to faces calling Heenan 'Weasel' throughout the rest of his wrestling career. While Bockwinkel was AWA champion, in 1976, Lanza and Duncum captured the AWA World tag team title, making Heenan the first manager in history to simultaneously manage both a major promotion's singles and tag team World champions. In 1975, with Heenan in his corner, Bockwinkel captured his first of several AWA World titles, ending the seven-year reign of perennial champion Verne Gagne. The AWA was the starting point for Heenan's first Heenan Family, which consisted of Bockwinkel, Stevens, Bobby Duncum Sr., and Blackjack Lanza.

In 1969, Heenan joined the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a manager and occasional tag team partner of The Blackjacks, eventually moving on to managing Nick Bockwinkel and Ray 'The Crippler' Stevens, a duo which became several-time AWA World tag team champions under Heenan's leadership. Heenan did not like the term 'stable', stating that it should only refer to a place to keep horses. Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan went on to manage some of the most successful wrestlers in the world, creating ' The Heenan Family', a stable that existed in several different reincarnations and wrestling promotions for over 20 years. At the time, heels were often given managers to speak for them in interviews, rile up the crowd during matches, and cheat on their behalf. His gimmick over the years has more or less remained the same, a tough talking big mouth who cowered in fear when being physically confronted.

Heenan entered the wrestling business as a heel manager in 1965. Always a fan of wrestling growing up in Chicago and Indianapolis, Heenan started in the wrestling profession early on 1961, carrying bags and jackets for the wrestlers, and selling refreshments at the events.

Bobby the brain heenan