On Wednesday, the WWEannounced that Hall of Fame announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund passed away at the age of 76.
WWE.com called Okerlund "the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history," and that's the honest truth. While he spent roughly 14 years working as a ring announcer and interviewer in Minnesota's American Wrestling Association territory, Okerlund left in 1984 to work for the WWE, where his humor and impeccable microphone skills were a staple of the WWE's nationally televised broadcasts during their late-'80s/early-'90s run. He perfected the art of asking the right questions for stars like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage to cut some of their most engaging and memorable promos from that era.
Okerlund became a constant on WWE programming of the era, from singing the National Anthem at the very first WrestleMania in 1985 to hosting many of the WWE's shows, from Prime Time Wrestling and Tuesday Night Titans to Wrestling Challenge.
Okerlund ended up leaving the WWE in 1993 to work for World Championship Wrestling, adding his signature flair to their Monday Nitro show for stars like Sting and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.
After his tenure with WCW ended in 2001, Okerlund returned to the WWE to make sporadic appearances for the company, hosting WWE Madison Square Garden Classics on MSG among a number of series highlighting the previous four decades of WWE history in various capacities. He also leant his voice to the animated series WWE Story Time on the WWE Network. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
Many took to social media to share their condolences in light of Okerlund's passing.
As of this writing, there's no word on the cause of Okerlund's passing. Fans of professional wrestling worldwide will miss his voice and his charm. Rest in peace, "Mean" Gene.
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