Source: Bryan Bedder / Getty “Mean” Gene Okerlund Dead At Age 76 For those of you who remember when the WWE was the WWF , you’ll undoubtedly be as saddened as we are at this breaking news. Legendary ringside announcer “Mean” Gene Okerlund has passed away at age 76. WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 76. https://t.co/DyPiEiVLoV — WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2019 In his early days, “Mean Gene”, as he was named by fellow Minnesotan, Jesse “The Body” Ventura first came to prominence by interviewing the greatest stars of the AWA, including Ventura, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Hulk Hogan. In 1984, Okerlund made the move to WWE where he became a staple on national cable television by continuing to interview the biggest names in sports-entertainment like Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and many more. Okerlund branched out from interviewing by providing ringside commentary and hosting several shows, including All-American Wrestling, Tuesday Night Titans, Wrestling Challenge and Prime Time Wrestling. Announcing wasn’t all that Okerlund could do with a microphone, as his distinct voice sung the National Anthem at the first WrestleMania in 1985. Later that year, Okerlund would sing “Tutti Frutti” on WWE’s The Wrestling Album. Legend https://t.co/iAT7I1UnkL — $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) January 2, 2019 As you can imagine, this is a huge loss for the wrestling community and the tweets are pouring in from current grapplers and those who worked with Gene in the past. RIP “Mean” Gene. Thanks for the memories and being a Gentleman. God Bless. pic.twitter.com/AJn3HsY7Am — Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) January 2, 2019 Flip the page to see more heartbroken reactions. Continue reading →