Gene Okerlund is known as the "Mean" Gene before a pro wrestling event. The interviewer for pro wrestling superstars "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "The Ultimate Warrior" and "Hulk Hogan" died at the age of 76. Sisseton is where Okerlund grew up.
Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund died in 2019. The story is being recirculated on other platforms as if it happened yesterday.
Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund, who made a ringside fixture of himself by interviewing pro wrestling superstars like "Macho Man" and "The Ultimate Warrior", has died. He died at the age of 76.
Okerlund's death was announced on World Wrestling Entertainment's website. Okerlund's son told The Associated Press that his father died early Wednesday at a hospital in Florida near his home.
The son of a man who had undergone three organ transplants said his father fell a few weeks ago and went from bad to worse.
The American Wrestling Association had an interviewer named Okerlund. He hosted several shows for the World Wrestling Federation, including "All-American Wrestling," "Tuesday Night Titans" and "Prime Time Wrestling." He was the company's lead locker room interviewer.
Jesse Ventura, who wrestled as "The Body", called Okerlund "Mean Gene".
Gene Okerlund was a long time World Wrestling Entertainment personality.
Ventura told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that in an interview he called him "the Mean Gene Hot Air Machine."
Ventura said Okerlund was the best interviewer in wrestling history.
Ventura told the AP that he only had to tell Okerlund how to sell a wrestling story once. He's like a carnival barker. He was the best salesman. He never did any retakes. It was not Gene's fault if an interview went wrong. That's how good he was.
The native of Sisseton, South Dakota was known for his mustache and natty attire. He was a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
The national anthem could be sung and performed by Okerlund. He sang "Tutti Frutti" for the WWF.
His son said he was the ultimate entertainer.
In a 2015 interview with the Star Tribune, Okerlund credited the late pro wrestling pioneer Verne Gagne for his start.
Gagne's AWA was based at the television station where Okerlund worked and he had experience in radio. Okerlund recalled that Gagne approached him in the hallway when the regular interviewer couldn't make a taping.
I said, "Verne, I don't know about wrestling." He asked if you have a suit and tie. That's all you need. "There were a few bucks involved, so I dived in."
There are pending funeral arrangements.
In 2006 Okerlund was inducted into the entertainment company's Hall of Fame and continued to appear in the company's programming over the past decade.
The 12 specially designed burgers are in this year's Burger Battle.
Hogan wrote "I love you my brother" on his social media account after learning of Okerlund's death. Triple H said he was a voice and sound track to an entire era of our industry.
He was an interviewer, pitch man, or host. Steve Austin paid tribute to the best in social-media. "Total professional with quick wit, sarcasm, humor, and that golden voice." Condolences to his family and friends.
The Gene Carroll and the Shades band was inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He studied broadcast journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
A name is involved in a trademark dispute.
13 years ago, a lawsuit was brought against Okerlund's 'Mean Gene' persona.
In 1998 Okerlund collaborated with a South Dakota-based company to create 'Mean Gene' burger and pizza franchises. Hot Stuff Foods was founded in 2005.
In May 2006 Hot Stuff filed a federal lawsuit against Okerlund, accusing him of trying to steal the brand.
Okerlund was accused of conspiring with former Hot Stuff employees to sell their own line of foods, also featuring the "Mean Gene" name, by sending letters to Hot Stuff franchisees with a logo identical to the one used by Hot Stuff and marked with Okerlund's signature.
Hot Stuff was accused of wrongly using his nickname by Okerlund in a countersuit.
Mean Gene's Burgers was registered as a federal trademark by Hot Stuff. The judge ruled that Hot Stuff's marketing agreements with Okerlund meant that it had a license to use the trademarks, but it didn't own them.
Hot Stuff was allowed to use the name as long as the company continued to maintain the franchises and pay royalties.
Gene Okerlund, the interviewer for the WWE Hall of Fame, died at the age of 76.
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