By Melissa Antoinette Garza
This is a difficult way to start 2019! WWE announcer, legend, hilarious interviewer, rock star and overall fabulous gent ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund passed away.
For the younger wrestling fans, Okerlund was like no other. He would interview wrestlers and chide them while feigning innocence, he would stand up to the big guys, but would be mush around any pretty lady, whether she was a villain or a baby-face.
On the surface, Okerlund looked as though he could have been a reporter anywhere. He dressed in a suit, was a short and serious looking fellow. His moustache was always perfectly groomed and his genuine smile was charming. Underneath the exterior, he could be a wild man. One of the most hilarious segments ever on wrestling, was Mean Gene in a neon wig singing Rick Derringer’s ROCK & ROLL HOOTCHIE KOO in an elaborate music video.
Okerlund just got it. He always understood what the fans wanted and made certain he gave it to them. If they wanted him to act as though he was asking sincere questions, he could turn it on. If he needed to make the bad guys look dumb, he excelled. If he had to come across like a buffoon, he was confident enough to portray a hilarious, smitten fool to any gal who batted her eyes.
No one since has had the mic skills or the versatility within these short interviews to convey what he did with such ease. He interviewed the best in the business and always shined. He helped Rowdy Roddy Piper and Cowboy Bob Orton, Hulk Hogan, Elizabeth and Macho Man, Classy Freddie Blassie, Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Shiek, Tito Santana, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, Sensational Sherry, Rick Flair, Nancy Benoit, etc., etc., showcase their skills. He could easily steal every scene, but instead would often take a back seat and help build the wrestler’s persona. If a wrestler stumbled or messed up on live TV, he was there to fix it, take the blow himself, or use some other technique to assist rather than hurt the performer. He gave so much to professional wrestling and the entertainers he worked with.
Though it’s a sad day here, Heaven just got even brighter. I hope he’s sitting on the coolest cloud in the sky, watching the best old-school wrestling with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan beside him. His legacy will live on forever and his insights and talent helped create some of the greatest memories in professional wrestling that will forever be beloved.
Shine on you crazy diamonds
