Evolution Schematic 07.11.07: Mean Gene Okerlund
Posted by Mathew Sforcina on 07.11.2007
Well, you know something, Mean, WOOOOOOOOOO, by God, Gene!
Writer's Notes
Actually, for the record, I did intend to start Flair, but I realised this would require, in 6-8 weeks, to talk about, in length, He Who Must Not Be Named By WWE. And I'm not sure everyone is quite ready for that at that point. So I swerved you all instead. Ha-ha.
Overview
Professional Wrestling, for all it's bad rap recently, isn't as totally body obsessed and hard on the physical wellbeing as many claim. Sure, for those who actually get into the ring and wrestle, it's hard, no-one's disputing that outside some idiots who once spent an afternoon on a trampoline. But there are plenty of jobs in the industry that don't require you to get beat up and thrown about. You can be a technical guy, helping to set up the ring, or drive the trucks, or blow up pyro. You can be a receptionist, assistant, or anyone of the dozens of offsider type roles in any large company. Or you can be a ‘creative' type, design posters, t-shirts, compose music, interview people…
Ah, there's a key one. Interview people. That's a fairly good non-wrestling job. You act like a reporter, you stand there with a mic, ask questions, get responses. Sure, like any job in front of a camera in the industry, you might get roughed up on occasion, but it's few and far between. It's a safe, but active job in the industry. And no man has made the role his own quite like (Eugene) ‘Mean' Gene Okerlund. A career spanning over 30 years, across 3 major companies, Mean Gene has been the face and voice of the guy holding the microphone for years. Both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair did their best work when Mean Gene was on the other end. But has he evolved? Has he changed?
Not really, outside a period when he went through a mid-life crisis. Mean Gene has just done his job, and done it well. But that in of itself, 30+ years, little change, is worthy of comment itself. Albeit short comment.
But still worth it.
Origins- From the mean, ice cream streets of Robbinsdale, Minnesota…
Born in the late 1930's (He'll be 70 next year), Gene Okerlund got his start in the field of professional talking as an AM talk radio host, KOIL-AM 1280 in Omaha, Nebraska. A graduate of West Virginia University (Go Mountaineers! And if anyone's reading from the Uni, you owe me 10 bucks. Or just a 6 pack.), Gene worked as a DJ, talking most of the day. It was a good, decent job. But then, as he looked to supplement his pay check, destiny happened.
Debut- "Gene Okerlund, filling in for Marty O'Neill, Wrestling Fans!"
The American Wrestling Association, the AWA, as lead by the Gagne's, which taped in nearby Minneapolis, had a ring announcer/interviewer in Marty O'Neill. A veteran sports broadcaster from the area, he would announce the participants to the ring, call the matches, then conduct the post show interviews, at least for those at the shows and the local areas. The syndicated shows had the play-by-plays dubbed by more generic and less region specific Rodger Kent, but he still performed the interviews and ring announcing.
But as the 70's forged ahead, Marty's health began to fade. So, in 1974, 3 people would rotate and fill in for him while he was out, battling his long-term illness. Filling in for ring announcer was program producer Al DeRusha. Interviews were conducted by both Kent and one Gene Okerlund, whose experience with Talk Radio gave him interviewing skills and a good, rich voice. The fact he was both short and not at all physically gifted and thus made all the wrestlers look that much better was a bonus.
After debuting in 74, Gene slowly became a more and more permanent fixture in the AWA. By 1979, Marty's health had gotten so bad he retired, and ‘Mean' Gene as Jesse ‘The Body' Ventura (not one H. Hogan) had dubbed him was his permanent replacement.
Phase 1b- The AWA years.
Mean Gene remained as Interviewer for a few years, learning his trade, becoming friends with Hulk Hogan, and basically doing his job. Eventually though, the WWF began it's talent attraction, sucking up several names and identities. And Mean Gene was one of them, jumping ship in 1984.
Phase 2- The WWF Years.
Almost immediately, Mean Gene's stock rose. Whereas the AWA had been down to earth, in the ring technical prowess and thus most wrestlers didn't feel the need to jabber on and thus his role was limited, in the WWF everyone wanted time to speak, time to talk, and thus Mean Gene became a very usual sight on-air. Sure, he hosted a lot of programs and such in his time, but for the most part, it was holding up the microphone for Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage and others that most people remember him for. It's certainly what got him out there, ‘Well you know something, Mean Gene!' being part of Hulk Hogan's catchphrase list certainly helped his popularity and overall stock in the company.
Mean Gene did many things in his time in the WWF as part of the Rock N Wrestling period. He sang The Star Spangled Banner at WM1. He sang "Tutti Frutti" and helped do commentary bridging songs on The Wrestling Album and performed "Rock 'N Roll Hoochie Koo" on the Piledriver album. He interviewed all the stars. He hosted many WWF Madison Square Garden cards alongside Gorilla Monsoon, WWF All American Wrestling with Bobby Heenan, numerous WWF Coliseum Home Video tapes, and other assorted shows. He swore on-air at Summerslam 89.
But he also had a wrestling match…
Phase 2b- The Tag Match
It was 1984, shortly after Mean Gene had come to the WWF. He and Hulk Hogan were best friends, and Hulk was riding high as WWF champ. In July, the WWF was at Minneapolis, and Hulk defended and defeated George ‘The Animal' Steele. Mr. Fuji, George's manager, didn't like this, and challenged Hulk to a tag match the next month when they were back in the area. Hulk agreed, and then, through some rather odd turns of events, Home Town Boy Mean Gene was chosen to be his partner. No-one had any illusions he could wrestle, but a run-down manager like Fuji, he was an equal with. And in the end he didn't do much, getting the win as Hogan slammed him onto Fuji and the two lay there, KOed, Gene pinning Fuji.
This was near the start of a long career in the WWF, interviewing all sorts of people. But eventually, the WWF tired of Mean Gene, and a phasing out began, the idea seeming to be to transfer his role to Joe Fowler. He saw the writing on the wall, and after Summerslam 93, he jumped ship from WWF to WCW.
Phase 3- The WCW Years
He instantly became WCW's #1 Announcer, as most former WWF stars tended to jump straight to the top when they made the jump to WCW at the time. Hosting the WCW Hotline, Mean Gene was a major face and voice on WCW programming, being the man there to announce Hulk Hogan signing on, being there as the Horseman became an entourage, the guy in the ring as Hulk Hogan formed the nWo, the guy there when Ric Flair went nuts every week, Mean Gene was front and center as the main Interviewer.
Mean Gene always tried to remain impartial, or at least professional. He often times had to talk to people he found distasteful, had to interview people after heinous acts. And while he never hid the fact he disliked people and their actions, would tell them they were making bad calls, that they were doing wrong things, he always did his job and interviewed them. But eventually, he did find something to fight for, something to take a stand on.
Boobies!
Seriously!
Phase 4- Boobies!
In 1999, after the Powers That Be, a.k.a Vince Russo took over, Mean Gene threw caution to the wind. After a night out with the Mamalukes, Mean Gene would shamelessly stare at the chests of any women he happened to interview, and would on occasion come onto them. The focus for this attention was split between Mona's tits (given her outfit highlighted them so nicely) and Pamela Paulshock's…everything. This character trait got him in hot water on occasion, eating a Kanyon Cutter one time when he was distracted by Miss Jones. Eventually though, his hard work paid off, albeit after he took a true stand.
Phase 5- Boob… I mean, Millionaire's Club! Yeah!
For when the great Russo/Bischoff merger happened, and the New Blood/Millionaire's Club battle lines were drawn, Mean Gene took sides for perhaps the first real time in his career as he sided with the Club, interviewing them exclusively and feuding with Pamela, as she sided, out of necessity, with the Blood.
But soon enough, that war died down. But for Mean Gene, another started.
Phase 6- Mean Gene vs. Mark Madden
For reasons even I can't figure out, Gene and Madden got ta feudin'. Something about Mark being a fat idiot, I'm not too sure. Regardless, their issue built and built until finally, Wednesday August 16th, 2000, on Thunder, the ‘Match Of The Millennium' took place between the two.
Law dictates that, since kids might read this, I cannot discuss the match in any detail outside the finish in case of mental scaring and anguish.
Eventually though, Pamela ran out and helped Gene win when she rolled him out of Madden's Bonzai Drop reach, then low blowed the fat guy and watched him fall to the mat, Gene getting the pin.
And let us never speak of this again.
Phase 7- Rolling to the end.
Pamela and Gene's relationship seemed to end as she got canned, and Gene stayed on until WCW folded and got sold to WWF.
Today- Back to WWF…E!
Mean Gene was picked up almost immediately, at first just to commentate the Gimmick Battle Royale at Wrestlemania X7. He went on to host WWE Confidential, as well as take part in various DVDs, 24/7 hosting duties and other small time, occasional appearances, give or take a kidney transplant or two. Although he's officially retired and a WWE Hall Of Famer, he still might turn up, given that the voice is still there, and he still makes everyone else look so tall…
Conclusion
It's hard to conclude a career with so little variation. What can Mean Gene teach us? Company Loyalty? Eh. How to hold a mic? Who can't do that? How to look at boobs? And get caught at it.
But actually, there is something Mean Gene shows us. That consistency is a good thing. Mean Gene was consistently good at his job, and also was a constant thread to the business. Like Howard Finkel, like Vince McMahon, like Bobby Heenan, some guys not in the ring get engrained into the business, and help give it a sense of history, of tradition. Of the business really being one big, long story, rather than lots of little ones.
And in the end, isn't that important?
Well for me it is, for the rest of you he's just an announcer.
