RIP "Mean" Gene Okerlund | The Wrestling Estate

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we pay tribute to the late, great “Mean” Gene Okerlund.

What do you consider the legacy of “Mean” Gene Okerlund?

Jack Goodwillie: Wrestling interviewers are a hot topic in today’s mainstream wrestling. Nowadays, you have these robots that almost seem like WWE picks them out of a factory. They don’t even sound human, or say things humans normally say! Mean Gene was anything but robotic. Full of life on the microphone, and his ability to engage the talent and his appreciation for show business was a real boon to the wrestling blowout of the 80’s.

Calvin Gibbon: I think he’s the most influential and recognizable backstage interviewer in wrestling still to this day. His one of a kind personality and frank, honest, believable delivery grabbed your attention every time he held a microphone. “Mean” Gene is one of the most universally liked people from that 80’s/90’s era of wrestling, which is worth more than any of the other accolades I could lavish him with.

Chad Gelfand: He’s the quintessential backstage interviewer. When you think of wrestling backstage interviewers, you think of “Mean” Gene.

John Corrigan: I first saw him very late in the game as the host of WWE Confidential. He was my wrestling grandpa every Saturday night, recalling tales of yesteryear or breaking down real-life situations like the Montreal Screwjob or Stone Cold’s walkout that my young mind didn’t fully understand. He carried that role over into WWE On Demand and the Legends of Wrestling roundtable. Even in the 1980s, he seemed like an elder statesman making sense of the cartoonish world in which he inhibited.

Steven Jackson: “Mean” Gene’s legacy is that of the ultimate backstage announcer. His deadpan sense of humor and trademark microphone stance produced some of the most memorable promos from the golden age of pro wrestling.

David Gibb: No non-wrestler has ever been as good or natural on-screen with wrestlers as Gene Okerlund or been so successful at helping wrestlers connect with the audience. He blurred the line between real life and shtick so perfectly that he somehow made the showbiz world of Hulkamania seem more feasible by his participation in it.

Jenna Leigh: Mean Gene’s legacy is extensive. First and foremost, his voice is strong, assertive and undeniable. Beyond that, he had a gift for getting the best interview out of wrestlers. Even if you were less than magnetic on the mic, Mean Gene could make you look like a star! He knew not only WHAT to ask, but HOW to ask it and WHEN. By the same token, he knew when magic was happening, and knew to simply hold the mic and let it flow!

Who was your favorite to see him interview?

Goodwillie: Obviously Hulk was always a memorable interview, but I’ll give you a couple other names: Jake Roberts and Randy Savage, two over-the-top characters whose interviews were equally, if not more important, than what they did in the ring. Watch Jake’s memorable promo from WrestleMania VI. Gene asks a question, Jake gets the wheels rolling, cuts his promo and Gene ends the segment with, “Longfellow, couldn’t have said it better.” That, folks, is how you put a bow on a segment.

Gibbon: Wow, this is a tough one, but every Macho Man interview with “Mean” Gene was solid gold in my book. I would check those out first if you haven’t before. But there are incredible ones with Hogan, Flair, Piper, Diamond Dallas Page, too many legends to count.

Gelfand: Mine is Randy Savage. Savage was always so over the top and intense in his interviews while Mean Gene was always completely professional, no selling the insanity. It was a great dynamic between the two of them.

Corrigan: “Meeeeeeean WOOOOOOO by God, Geeeene!” Ric Flair and Okerlund’s real-life friendship came across on television, immediately making you feel as if you were seated at the bar while they were throwing back cocktails and shooting the shit.

Jackson: My favorite “Mean” Gene interviews came courtesy of the “Macho Man” Randy Savage. While Hulk Hogan and Gene were more iconic, Randy Savage and Gene Okerlund’s chemistry was thoroughly entertaining. The quick wit of both men combined with their contrasting body language will continue to endear fans until the end of time.

Gibb: Anybody crazy. Randy Savage is the obvious choice, but I have a major soft spot for his work with Road Warrior Hawk. Gene just laying out and “actively listening” to someone drop some high-level nuttiness was my favorite.

Leigh: I always loved watching him interview the loud, boisterous, outspoken guys. WrestleMania IV might not rank highly on everyone’s list, but that night should have been the coronation of Macho Man Randy Savage. Throughout that evening, Savage was on top of his game, and Mean Gene was right beside him steering the madness forward! Oooooh yeahhhh!! Another great that simply CANNOT go unspoken is the “Nature Boy” himself. The post-match interview after the incredible 1992 Royal Rumble is a classic. “PUT THAT CIGARETTE OUT!!” Need I say more?

What’s your favorite “Mean” Gene Okerlund moment?

Goodwillie: FUCK IT. But honestly, you have to love the promo where Piper and Gene just make dick jokes for two minutes. They really don’t make ’em like either of those guys anymore.

Gibbon: There’s a couple that stand out for me. Mean Gene’s acting across from Macho Man in the infamous “Cream of the Crop” interview was top notch. But tied for first in my book is the interview he had with Ric Flair after he had won the WWE Championship for the first time. Thanks for the memories, “Mean” Gene Okerlund!

Gelfand: My favorite Mean Gene moment was one backstage segment where he’s interviewing Macho Man and Mean Gene says “Can I ask you a question” as Savage is already wandering off and you just hear in the distance Savage shout back “No more questions!” to which Mean Gene replies “I’m sorry about that, “Macho Man” Randy Savage!”

Corrigan: “Who are you to doubt El Dandy?”

Jackson: There are a lot of “Mean” Gene moments I love, but my favorite is without doubt the SummerSlam botch with Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude. The perfect timing of Gene’s reaction as well as his out-of-character expletive will never fail to make me laugh!

Gibb: “Put that cigarette out!”

Leigh: Narrowing it down is tough, but for me it’s when he was interviewing Rick Rude in front of the SummerSlam backdrop… And splat! It fell. Okerlund is always cool as a cucumber, unshakeable, unflappable….except here. As soon as the backdrop hits the floor, Gene loudly yells “f**k it!” I was so amused by this that for years, I used that sound bite as my text notification.

His voice was one of the voices of my childhood. He’s one of the few people who never seemed to have a single enemy, and seemed universally loved by all. My heart just breaks for his family and friends, and I pray they find peace. Rest easy, Mean Gene.