Okerlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan. [8], Okerlund appeared as a "Celebrity Prognosticator" on ESPN Radio's The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on November 27, 2013.[9]. Ventura instead made fun of Okerlund's on-air gaffe and jokingly regarded Okerlund as a "troublemaker.". WWE commentator "Mean" Gene Okerlund's death was the result of a fall he suffered in December, his son claims. [12][13] It was revealed by his son, Todd Okerlund, that he had received three kidney transplants and had suffered a fall which caused his health to deteriorate in the weeks leading up to his death. On January 22, 2018 at Raw 25 Years, Okerlund made his final WWE appearance where he interviewed AJ Styles. He stayed with the WWF for nine years as their top interviewer and was host of such WWF shows as All-American Wrestling and Tuesday Night Titans. Simply the best,” tweeted “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. (Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage)Source:Getty Images.
Todd told TMZ his family has been touched by the outpour of support from the wrestling community. Okerlund was set to interview WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude and Rude's manager Bobby Heenan prior to Rude's title defense against The Ultimate Warrior when the SummerSlam backdrop fell backwards. In 1984, Okerlund and Hulk Hogan faced Mr. Fuji and George Steele in Minneapolis. He was supposed to stay on the apron and let Hogan fight, but when Hogan gave him a high five, the referee mistook it for a tag. MEAN GENE OKERLUND has sadly passed away, WWE confirmed today. Three years later, his contract with WCW expired and he was off television for two months in the fall of 1996. Okerlund appeared at SummerSlam 1993 and made his final WWF appearance of the 1990s on the September 18, 1993 edition of Superstars. Okerlund had talks with the WWF during this time, however, they could not come to terms. “As an interviewer, pitch man, announcer, or host, he was untouchable. He stated in an RF shoot interview, that although he probably could have re-negotiated a new contract, he was never actually offered one, thus opting to become an interviewer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WWE said in a statement that it is "saddened" to learn about the announcer and host's death, and extended its condolences to his family, friends and fans. [14], American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer, American Wrestling Association (1970–1984), WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "WWE commentator 'Mean' Gene Okerlund's cause of death revealed | Fox News", "Longtime Wrestling Announcer, Former Radio Host 'Mean Gene' Okerlund Dead At 76", "Good Gene: The Career of Mean Gene Okerlund", "Legends' House Finale: Pat Patterson's big moment", "Inductee - The South Dakota Rock and Roll Music Association", Gene Okerlund, gentlemanly announcer of pro wrestling, dies at 76, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund Injured In Bad Fall Last Month, Led To His Death, "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS", "December 5, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame with 4 inductees", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gene_Okerlund&oldid=965642699, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 July 2020, at 15:00. Okerlund wrestled twice in WCW. A chronic knee injury ultimately forced his early retirement. Vince McMahon tweeted about Okerlund’s passing last night and said, “It was impossible not to crack a smile whenever ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund entered a room. His name has been associated with fast food concept, Mean Gene's Burgers, the brainchild of food-distributor Orion Food Systems (headed by two of Okerlund's nephews), which appeared on college campuses including Duke University and West Virginia University, as well as Mean Gene's Pizza, a chain of pizzerias located within bowling alleys. Okerlund lost, with the judge saying that Okerlund can't use the name "Mean Gene" for his new food company. WWE mourns after death of legendary announcer ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund The son of one of the most important figures in professional wrestling history has given an insight into what caused … He was rushed to a hospital on Thursday, where he died with his wife Jeanne at his side. Todd Okerlund told TMZ his father suffered multiple broken ribs during a fall at home last month in Florida.
Okerlund served as best man at the Iron Sheik's wedding.