"Mean Gene" Okerlund | |
---|---|
Birth name | Eugene Arthur Okerlund |
Born | Brookings, South Dakota, U.S. | December 19, 1942
Died | January 2, 2019 Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | (aged 76)
Alma mater | University of Nebraska |
Spouse(s) |
Jeanne Okerlund (m. 1964) |
Children | 2; including Todd Okerlund |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Gene Okerlund |
Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] |
Billed weight | 212 lb (96 kg)[1] |
Billed from | Robbinsdale, Minnesota[1] |
Debut | 1970[1] |
Retired | 2018 |
Eugene Arthur Okerlund[2] (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019) was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host. He was best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling. Okerlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan. He was signed to a lifetime contract with WWE and later worked for promotional programs. He has been described by some journalists as the best interviewer in the history of professional wrestling.[3]