Life and Death of the Voice of Wrestling

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Mean Gene Okerlund – Early Life and Music

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Gene studied broadcast journalism and landed his first job on-air on the popular Omaha radio station, KOIL. He later moved to Minneapolis, where he worked for a local television station’s front office.

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Being the true gentleman that he was, Okerlund always kept a spare suit in his locker room or dressing room at the studio where he worked, and when he got the call from Verne Gagne in 1970, he was ready to go.

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During his time with the AWA, Gene Okerlund was given the nickname "Mean Gene" by Jesse’ The Body’ Ventura. This was meant in irony as many wrestlers and promotion staff considered Okerlund the business’s friendliest person.

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Mean Gene loved clowning around with his long-time friend, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

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[{"selector":"#anim-f72d4324-0e60-47b8-8ec7-89d2fcef9e86 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-16.053541605548276%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33da04f7-2922-48d5-ba30-38e0cc635791","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3de095f2-2e1c-42c5-90f8-c0edeb37da0b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 186.91484%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] "I remember Bobby Heenan had a great rapport with Gene because they spent a lot of time together in Minneapolis. [When filming promos for the various markets], they did a little thing for the amusement of the boys insinuating that Bobby Heenan was having an affair with the Fabulous Moolah." Read More

Swipe up to discover more about Mean Gene Okerlund

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Life and Death of the Voice of Wrestling

Mean Gene Okerlund

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Mean Gene Okerlund – Early Life and Music

Gene studied broadcast journalism and landed his first job on-air on the popular Omaha radio station, KOIL. He later moved to Minneapolis, where he worked for a local television station’s front office.

Being the true gentleman that he was, Okerlund always kept a spare suit in his locker room or dressing room at the studio where he worked, and when he got the call from Verne Gagne in 1970, he was ready to go.

Mean Gene Okerlund Gets His Start in Wrestling

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During his time with the AWA, Gene Okerlund was given the nickname "Mean Gene" by Jesse’ The Body’ Ventura. This was meant in irony as many wrestlers and promotion staff considered Okerlund the business’s friendliest person.

Read More

Mean Gene loved clowning around with his long-time friend, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

Swipe up to discover more about Mean Gene Okerlund

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