WWE Hall of Famer and legendary interviewer Gene Okerlund has died, World Wrestling Entertainment announced. He was 76.
"WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history, has passed," the organization said on its website.
WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, one of the most recognizable voices in pro wrestling, has died at age 76, WWE says.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 2, 2019
Okerlund, named "Mean Gene" by wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura, rose to prominence by interviewing some of the greatest stars of the American Wrestling Association, including Ventura, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Hulk Hogan, according to the WWE. He got his start at Omaha radio station KOIL and later moved to Minneapolis, where he worked for a local TV station.
He focused on wrestling starting in 1970.