| Gene Okerlund | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | "Mean" Gene Okerlund |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1. 75 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 212 lb (96 kg/15. 1 st)[1] |
| Born | November 29, 1938 Robbinsdale, Minnesota[1] |
| Debut | 1974[1] |
Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund (born November 29, 1938), is a former American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Robbinsdale is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff An interview is a conversation between two or more people (the interviewer and the interviewee where Questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from An announcer is a Voice actor who works in Television, Radio or Film, usually providing Narrations News updates Station He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of members of
Contents |
Early life and career
A graduate of West Virginia University, Okerlund got his start at an AM talk radio station, KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska, as a disc jockey. West Virginia University is a Coeducational public Research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Koil is the Tamil name for a Hindu Temple. The word literally means "abode of the king" ( Ko = king il = residence A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience
Professional career
American Wrestling Association
He segued out of radio into a position at the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the early 1970s, where he occasionally filled in for ailing ring announcer and interviewer Marty O'Neill, eventually becoming O'Neill's permanent replacement by the end of the decade. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The American Wrestling Association (AWA was an American Professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis Minnesota that ran from 1960
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
1984-1993
He would stay with the AWA until 1984, when he was one of many AWA personnel to join the expanding World Wrestling Federation (WWF). World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet, He would stay with the WWF for nine years as their top interviewer, and was host of such WWF shows as All-American Wrestling and Tuesday Night Titans. Tuesday Night Titans (abbreviated TNT) was a weekly Professional wrestling program produced by the World Wrestling Federation, that
In 1984, Okerlund was a one-time wrestler as he and Hulk Hogan faced Mr. Fuji and George Steele in Minneapolis. Terrance "Terry" Gene Bollea (born August 11 1953 better known by his Ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Actor, and retired professional Harry Fujiwara (born May 4 1935) As a manager he would often throw salt in the eyes of face wrestlers William James Myers (born April 16, 1937 in Detroit Michigan) better known by his Ring name George "The Animal" Steele He was supposed to stay on the apron and let Hogan fight, but when Hogan gave him a high-5, the referee mistook it for a tag. Okerlund had to go in, but before his opponent touched him, he quickly got out of the way and tagged Hogan back in. The result: Okerlund pinned Mr. Fuji for the victory.
He sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the first WrestleMania. " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the National anthem of the United States of America WrestleMania (chronologically known as WrestleMania I) was the first WrestleMania Professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling
On November 12, 1985, Okerlund, along with Hulk Hogan, Bobby Heenan, Ricky Steamboat, Davey Boy Smith, Corporal Kirchner, Dynamite Kid and Big John Studd, appeared on The A-Team. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days The year 1985 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1985. Richard Henry Blood (born February 28, 1953 in West Point, New York) The British Bulldog redirects here for other uses see British Bulldog. Michael Kirchner (born September 7, 1957) is a former professional wrestler who is most remembered for his characters Corporal Kirchner Thomas Billington (born 5 December 1958 in Golborne Lancashire is a retired English Professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation John William Minton ( February 19, 1948 – March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and Actor, The A-Team is an American action Adventure Television series about a fictional group of ex- United States Army Special Forces
Okerlund was also part of one of the most infamous bloopers in pro wrestling history at WWF SummerSlam '89. A blooper usually describes a short sequence of a film or video production which contains a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew SummerSlam (1989 was the second annual SummerSlam Professional wrestling Pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation Okerlund was set to interview WWF Intercontinental Champion Rick Rude and Rude's manager Bobby Heenan prior to Rude's title defense against The Ultimate Warrior when the SummerSlam backdrop fell backwards. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE Intercontinental Championship is a Professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. Richard E Rood ( December 7 1958 – April 20 1999) better known by his Ring name "Ravishing" Raymond Louis Heenan (born November 1, 1944) better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, is a former American Professional For the South Korean film Ultimate Warrior see Musa (film. For other uses see Warrior (disambiguation. The shot of the Summerslam backdrop falling can be seen in the video induction of Mean Gene at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. In Professional wrestling, the WWE Hall of Fame (formerly WWF Hall of Fame) is an institution that honors selected former and current employees of World Wrestling An off-camera Vince McMahon could be heard saying "Nice move", followed by Okerlund yelling "Fuck it". Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24 1945 popularly known by his Ring name Mr The cameras immediately cut away to a live shot of the crowd, with play-by-play announcer Tony Schiavone and color commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura attempting to restore order. Play-by-play, in Broadcasting, is a North American term and means the reporting of a Sporting event with a Voiceover describing the details of the action Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone (born on November 7 1957) (pronounced "sha- VAHN -ee" is a sports radio host and former Professional A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951 as James George Janos) also known as "The Body", "The Star", and "The After a short while, Okerlund's interview with Rude and Heenan went as planned.
World Championship Wrestling
1993-2001
In September 1993, he left the WWF, and would become an interviewer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) He was with WCW until it was sold on March 26, 2001 to the WWF. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
Always considered a neutral commentator throughout his career, he was given a "dirty old man" gimmick by Vince Russo in WCW, where he would stare at the breasts of the women he interviewed and would lust after WCW interviewer/announcer Pamela Paulshock. Vincent James Russo (born January 24 1961) is an American writer of Italian origin known for working for American Professional wrestling Pamela Paulshock (born January 5, 1970 in Baltimore Maryland) is an actress model and a former Professional wrestling interviewer
Due to a neck injury he suffered in WWE/WWF during his first stint there, he couldn't take any punishment from wrestlers to further angles or characters, as it is common practice for wrestlers to "rough up" announcers to do so. In Professional wrestling, a bump occurs whenever a wrestler hits the mat or the arena floor after receiving a move from his/her opponent The best example of this is when he was about to be the recipient of a "Cutter" move from Chris Kanyon, only for the camera to cut away. Christopher Klucsarits (born January 4 1970) better known by his Ring name Chris Kanyon (or simply Kanyon) is a American By the time the camera shifted its way back to his position he was already down, indicating he didn't really take the move.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
2001-present
Okerlund then returned to WWF (renamed WWE in 2002), as his first post-WCW assignment for the company was as a commentator for the Gimmick Battle Royal during WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, along with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. In Professional wrestling, a battle royal (sometimes battle royale; plural battles royal or battle royals) is a multi-competitor match type WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania Professional wrestling Pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Raymond Louis Heenan (born November 1, 1944) better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, is a former American Professional He would go on to host WWE Confidential in 2002, which lasted for two years. WWE Confidential was a World Wrestling Entertainment television show that aired on Spike TV late Saturday nights following Velocity The year 2002 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2002. Today, Okerlund still makes occasional WWE appearances.
Gene also hosts WWE Madison Square Garden Classics, a weekly series, airing on the MSG Network, featuring classic WWE matches that took place at Madison Square Garden from the last four decades. WWE Madison Square Garden Classics is a Professional wrestling Television program on the MSG Network, produced by World Wrestling Entertainment The Madison Square Garden Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic and focused on New York Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. He also is the host for the WWE 24/7 Hall of Fame section, which takes a look at a different WWE Hall of Famer each month.
Okerlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame[2] on April 1, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois. In Professional wrestling, the WWE Hall of Fame (formerly WWF Hall of Fame) is an institution that honors selected former and current employees of World Wrestling Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. During his WWE Hall of Fame acceptance speech, he requested to be buried face down upon his death so his critics can "Kiss my ass. In Professional wrestling, the WWE Hall of Fame (formerly WWF Hall of Fame) is an institution that honors selected former and current employees of World Wrestling "
In June 2008, Okerlund began hosting WWE Vintage Collection, a program which showcases archive footage from the extensive WWE video library. WWE Vintage Collection is a Professional wrestling Television program from World Wrestling Entertainment showcasing action from the extensive The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE video library is currently the largest collection of Professional wrestling videos and copyrights in the
Personal
He was given the nickname Mean Gene by Jesse "The Body" Ventura. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951 as James George Janos) also known as "The Body", "The Star", and "The [2]
His name has been associated with fast food chain, Mean Gene’s Burgers, and a chain of pizzerias located within bowling alleys, Mean Gene's Pizza. These are owned by Hot Stuff Foods, which was headed by two of his nephews. Early in 2006, Okerlund and Hot Stuff split. Okerlund and one of the nephews were planning to start their own food company on the brands, but Hot Stuff sued, claiming they had "Mean Gene" trademarked. Okerlund lost, with the judge saying that Okerlund can't use the name "Mean Gene" for his new food company. Okerlund succeeded in cancelling the trademark registrations held by Orion, but remains enjoined from competing with Orion.
Gene's son Todd starred on the University of Minnesota ice hockey team from 1983 to 1987. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Todd played in the 1988 United States Olympics team that competed in Calgary. At the 1988 Winter Olympics one Ice Hockey event was held men's Ice Hockey 2008 World Championship roster The following players were most recently named to represent the United States at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, finishing in 6th place Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada He played four games with the NHL's New York Islanders. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The New York Islanders are a professional Ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. A chronic knee injury ultimately forced his early retirement.
In 2004, Okerlund received a kidney transplant, and fully recovered from the operation. Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the Organ transplant of a Kidney in a patient with End-stage renal disease.
In his interviews, Okerlund would often refer to numerous celebrities as his "Close, personal, long-time friend. "
References
- ^ a b c d OWW - Gene Okerlund Bio. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2007-12-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways
- ^ a b WWE - Gene Okerlund Bio. WWE. com. Retrieved on 2007-12-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways
External links
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