Legendary WWE and WCW backstage announcer “Mene” Gene Okerlund has passed away at the age of 76.
Via WWE.com:
“Mean Gene,” as he was named by fellow Minnesotan, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, first came to prominence as an interviewer in the American Wrestling Association. In 1984, Okerlund made the move to WWE where he became as recognizable as the Superstars he asked the tough questions to, including “Macho Man” Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and, perhaps Okerlund’s greatest guest, Hulk Hogan. Countless Hulkster interviews included the indelible phrase, “Well you know something ‘Mean’ Gene!”
Needless to say, Triple H’s words probably sum up the feelings of Wrestling fans who grew up during the 80’s and 90’s when reminiscing about Mean Gene.
Okerlund first joined the WWE in 1984 and quickly grew to prominence interviewing some of the greatest professional wrestlers the business has ever seen including the Ultimate Warrior, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and probably the most notable Hulk Hogan.
Okerlund eventually moved on to WCW in 1993 where he remained during the Monday Night Wars and the rise of the NWO. In fact “Mean Gene” was right there interviewing Hogan during WCW’s Bast at the Beach in 1996 when Hollywood Hogan and the NWO was born.
Okerlund though eventually returned to the WWE in 2001 shortly before Vince McMahon purchased the WCW where he took a less prominent role with the company but did host various WWE related programming.
“Mean Gene’s” legacy was cemented in 2006 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Hogan.
