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Home , Gene Okerlund, Professional wrestling, Triple H

'Mean Gene' Okerlund was one of professional 's biggest stars - *{ {lived in Burnsville 20 years} l*-l Ci " ** *+ 'il ln this luly 37, 1988 photo provided by the WWE, 'Meon" addresses the crowd before d pro wrestling event in Milwoukee. Okerlund, who interviewed pro wrestling superstars "Mocho Man" Randy Sovage, and Hulk Hagan, has died. He was 76. WWE onnounced Okerlund's deoth on its website Wednesday, Jon. 2, 2079.

By Jace Frederick I [email protected] I Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: January 2,2019 at 4:53 pm

"Mean Gene" Okerlund, a longtime Minnesotan and one of the iconic voices of , died at the age of 76 at a hospital in Florida, his son Tor confirmed Wednesday.

Okerlund had battled kidney issues, but the specifics on the cause of his death - which came just weeks after a fall - weren't immediately known. Okerlund did it all in pro wrestling - interviewing, announcing and commentating - working across the industry from the American Wrestling Association starting in 1970, to the World Wrestling Federation to World Championship Wrestling before returning to WWF, which was rebranded as World Wrestling .

The Sisseton, S.D., native lived in Burnsville for about 20 years. lt's where he raised his children before eventually moving south to Florida in the mid-.

While he looked nothing like an athlete and rarely stepped into the ring, Okerlund was one of the sport's biggest stars. "" - WWE executive vice president of talent, live events and creative Paul Michael Levesque - tweeted that Okerlund was "a voice and soundtrack to an entire era of our industry."

An industry Okerlund came to work for almost entirely by accident.

Tor said his father was originally a disc jockey, working for KDWB and WDGY. He then moved on from his broadcasting roots to sell spot TV times for WTCN channel 11 before opening his own ad agency. Tor said it was an on-air talent that gave Okerlund opportunities to get in front of the camera, doing news, a day-time show and, yes, even wrestling. Okerlund repeatedly was called back after his first couple of appearances.

"Quite by accident, the wrestling thing stuck," Tor said. "lt was definitely his gig."

First and foremost, pro wrestling is entertainment. And Tor said his father was "the consummate entertainer." He produced entertaining back-and-forths with the likes of Randy Macho Man Savage, Sid Vicious and Andre the Giant and even trained with .

"Very seldom does an interviewer become just as popular, and at times even more popular, than the superstars he/she interviews," former wrestling tweeted. "Gene Okerlund was that person." Tor said to the best of his knowledge it was former Minnesota Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura who gave his father the "Mean Gene" nickname.

"ln the world of wrestling, flash means everything," Tor said. "l think understood that. He worked it for himself and he worked it for everybody else around him, including my dad."

ln reality, the nickname was ironic. Okerlund was "beloved by all who got to work with him," according to Levesque. tweeted that Okerlund is one of his "closest friends." tweeted that Okerlund was "untouchable. Simply the best. Total professional with quick wit, sarcasm, humor and that golden voice."

Tor said his father was "totally passionate," about wrestling and broadcasting alongside many of the sport's most notable personalities.

"(He) loved the business, loved the people," Tor said. "lt's really all he wanted to do, so he was a lucky guy in that respect. He was great at it, and that's what he loved to do."

Tor said his father worked as recently as a month ago.

"lt was definitely the people that he worked with and his passion for the business and entertainment that continued to drive him to work all the way until the time of his death," Tor said, "so it's a thing."