Mean Gene has died

[OAKAS]

The world of professional wrestling is grappling with the death of one of its most beloved figures.

Announcer ?Mean? Gene Okerlund died Wednesday at the age of 76, according to an announcement by World Wrestling Entertainment, which employed him on and off since 1984. No cause of death was announced.

Okerlund began his career in 1970 working for the American Wrestling Association before joining WWE, according to For The Win.

When he wasn?t announcing matches, he interviewed stars like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Macho Man Randy Savage, and also hosted several shows.

Okerlund sang the National Anthem before the first WrestleMania event in 1985, and even dropped a version of Little Richard?s ?Tutti Frutti? for WWE?s ?The Wrestling Album,? released that year.

Okerlund was given the nickname ?Mean? Gene by Jesse ?The Body? Ventura, who later became Minnesota governor, though he was reportedly one of the friendliest people in pro wrestling, according to Fox News.

 

[Old School]

The Greatest straight man ever in the Biz

 

[yyz]

I would have guessed him to be much older. I was watching him when I was 10!

 

[StevieD]

One of the all time greats.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[MadJack]

I never even heard of him. :lol:

Shows how much I paid attention to wrestling.

 

[Cricket]

Mean Gene is the shorter guy.RIP

 

[Penguinfan]

I would have guessed him to be much older. I was watching him when I was 10!

Exactly what I was thinking. He had to be older than reported, 76 just doesn't make sense.

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

I loved when he would interview the Macho Man. He was great.

 

[kickserv]

The Greatest straight man ever in the Biz

He only laughed once in all those years doing interviews..........




<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QbQDXFF0X9w" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[kickserv]

I never even heard of him. :lol:

This is bullshit, in the 80's he was all over tv and movies, the guy made millions of dollars off of endorsements alone. Hell he did like a billion tv commercials in the 80's.

How the hell could you never have heard of him:shrug:


And in the 80's flipping through the channels it was impossible to avoid the WWF, hell Mean Gene was everywhere.

 

[yyz]

He only laughed once in all those years doing interviews..........




<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QbQDXFF0X9w" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When he lost it, it almost had me thinking wrestling was fake.

 

[hedgehog]

RIP Mean Gene, I remember him from the 80?s, loved wrestling back then

 

[kickserv]

When he lost it, it almost had me thinking wrestling was fake.

yep, almost.

 

[MadJack]

When he lost it, it almost had me thinking wrestling was fake.

:lol:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[redsfann]

And super Dave Osborne died, too. :sadwave:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[redsfann]

Mean Gene has died

Okerlund began his career in 1970 working for the American Wrestling Association before joining WWE.

Sunday afternoons when I was a young kid were spent watching Mean Gene and the rest of the gang from AWA wrestling.
Nick bockwinkel, Verne and Greg Gagne, the Crusher and the Bruiser and the crippler. Bob Backlund and Jumpin? Jim Brunzell. Who could ever forget Dusty Rhodes and Sgt. Slaughter?
Baron Von Raschke and Mad Dog vachon were the villains everyone loved to hate.
And of course no list of former AWA wrestlers would be complete without mentioning Bobby ?the brain? Heenan, who died in 2017.

 

[yyz]

And super Dave Osborne died, too. :sadwave:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

His casket will be sealed with genuine Saskatchewan seal skin bindings.

 

[redsfann]

And since these celebrity deaths always seem to happen in 3s....
The Captain of Captain and Tennille died yesterday of renal failure at the age of 76.