Sunday, January 6, 2019

Mean Gene


Only a day or two in and we've already have our first deaths... legendary wrestling announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Mean Gene Okerlund passed away on January 2nd.

Mean Gene... everyone has said their words on the influence and the aura that this man projected with his segments better than I could properly put into words. Mean Gene, in his best days, whether it'd be in the seventies where his best stuff resided, or during his WWF and WCW stints, would conduct the best interviews because regardless of whether he was interviewing Hulk Hogan or any of the big stars, or if he was interviewing some lower tier guy, he was able to make those interviews seem important and made you pay attention. Hell, if you weren't sold on a show, those Mean Gene segments would sell you those shows.

Gene Okerlund brought an air of legitimacy to his segments... not quite legitimacy, but rather importance. His presence, his quick wit, his tone, his timing, his deep voice, his professionalism made those interview segments that would be skippable fare if they were done by anyone else seem important and worth watching. Whether it was cutting interviews, hosting television segments such as WWE Confidential or the various retrospective specials... or whether it was being a character on something like the short-lived Legends House, Mean Gene brought the goods and that's what made him great.

There will never be another Mean Gene Okerlund.

Godspeed, Mr. Okerlund. And thanks for the memories. You'll be sorely missed.

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