WWE interviewer 'Mean Gene' Okerlund dies at 76

WWE broadcaster "Mean Gene" Okerlund has died at age 76.

WWE confirmed Okerlund's death Wednesday, remembering him as "the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history." A cause of death was not specified.

After beginning his career in radio, Okerlund started as a fill-in ring announcer for the American Wrestling Association in 1970, transitioning over to the World Wrestling Federation (later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment) in 1984. He left WWF a few years later to join its competitor, World Championship Wrestling, only to rejoin in 2001. He was a regular presence in the world of WWE, sometimes serving as commentator and once even performing the National Anthem before a show.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In recent years, Okerlund had narrated a WWE Network original animated show called WWE Story Time, and he appeared on Raw as recently as January 2018 to conduct an interview with AJ Styles. His longtime colleagues paid tribute on Wednesday, with wrestler Triple H calling him "a voice and sound track to an entire era of our industry" and WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon saying he was an "incredibly rare talent" who "made everything and everyone better." Hulk Hogan, who in 2006 inducted Okerlund into the WWE Hall of Fame, wrote, "Mean Gene I love you my brother."