"Mean" Gene Okerlund has died. He was 76 years old.
Okerlund will certainly go down as the greatest pro wrestling interviewer of all time due to his memorable dry wit and expert skills at getting the best out of his interviewees. Being a central television figure during the biggest booms in the industry and having a close association with some of the most famous wrestlers also helped his enduring legacy.
Whether it was during his early start in the heyday of the AWA, the prosperous years of the WWF, or even the doldrum days of WCW, "Mean" Gene was always one of the true highlights of any wrestling program. He helped take part in several of the biggest moments in wrestling history: the wild and crazy interactions with "Macho Man" Randy Savage (most notably the "cup of coffee" promo); his many boisterous talks with Hulk Hogan, which produced the famous retort "Let me tell you something, 'Mean' Gene!"; and of course standing in a trash covered ring in order for Hogan to express his hatred for his fans and the rise of a "new world order of wrestling" at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996.
Many fans will also remember his more infamous interviews, such as Summerslam 1989 when he declared "Fuck it!" live on air when a blown take with "Ravishing" Rick Rude was accidentally shown. Or his penchant for corpsing in front of the camera, most notably when he interviewed a woman-seeking David Schultz. And who could forget his weaselly antics at getting kids to ring up their parents' phone bills by calling his hotline 1-800-909-9900 in order to get the scoop on some devilishly insider knowledge.
He will sorely be missed.
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