Gene Okerlund Eugene " Mean Gene " Okerlund ( November 29 , 1942 ) is a semi - retired American professional wrestling interviewer , announcer and wrestler . He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling . He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan . He is currently signed to lifetime employment with WWE and works for promotional programs mostly for television shows on " WWE Classics On Demand " and occasionally makes special appearances and also the host of " WWE Vintage Collection " . Professional career . American Wrestling Association . He left the radio industry for a position at the American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) in the early 1970s , where he occasionally filled in for ailing ring announcer and interviewer Marty O ' Neill , eventually becoming O ' Neill ' s permanent replacement by the end of the decade . World Wrestling Federation . 1984 – 1993 . He would stay with the AWA until the end of 1983 , when he was one of many AWA personnel to join the expanding World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) . He would stay with the WWF for nine years as their top interviewer , and was host of such WWF shows as " All - American Wrestling " and " Tuesday Night Titans " . In 1984 , Okerlund and Hulk Hogan faced Mr . Fuji and George Steele in Minneapolis . He was supposed to stay on the apron and let Hogan fight , but when Hogan gave him a high - 5 , the referee mistook it for a tag . Okerlund had to go in , but before his opponent touched him , he quickly got out of the way and tagged Hogan back in . The result : Okerlund pinned Mr . Fuji for the victory . On November 12 , 1985 , Okerlund , along with Hulk Hogan , Bobby Heenan , Ricky Steamboat , Davey Boy Smith , Corporal Kirchner , Dynamite Kid and Big John Studd , appeared on " The A - Team " . Okerlund was also part of one of the most infamous bloopers in pro wrestling history at WWF SummerSlam 1989 . Okerlund was set to interview WWF Intercontinental Champion Rick Rude and Rude ' s manager Bobby Heenan prior to Rude ' s title defense against The Ultimate Warrior when the SummerSlam backdrop fell backwards . The shot of the SummerSlam backdrop falling can be seen in the video induction of Mean Gene at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 . An off - camera Vince McMahon could be heard saying " Nice move , " followed by a startled Okerlund yelling " Fuck it ! " , among other heated words with no audio . The cameras immediately cut away to a live shot of the crowd , with play - by - play announcer Tony Schiavone and color commentator Jesse " The Body " Ventura attempting to restore order . After a short while , Okerlund ' s interview with Rude and Heenan went as planned . According to a shoot interview with Okerlund , conducted by RF Video , the SummerSlam 1989 blooper was actually taped beforehand . Okerlund explained that the wrong tape was aired during the live broadcast . Meanwhile , a frantic Vince McMahon was on a headset instructing Jesse Ventura to cover for Okerlund . Ventura instead made fun of Okerlund ' s on - air gaffe and jokingly regarded Okerlund as a " troublemaker . " World Championship Wrestling . 1993 – 2001 . After SummerSlam 1993 , he left the WWF , stating in an RF shoot interview , that although he probably could ' ve re - negotiated a new contract with the WWF , he was never actually offered one , thus opting to become an interviewer for World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) after being offered his beer and braut that Hulk Hogan had denied him of years before . His contract expired with WCW and he was off television for a couple of months in the fall of 1996 . Mike Tenay took over Special Interviews and the Pay Per View Reports . After that , he was with WCW until it was sold on March 26 , 2001 to the WWF . During an interview with Booker T , Stevie Ray , and Sister Sherri at Spring Stampede 1997 , Okerlund was talking about a clique when Booker T went on a rant in which he accidentally called Hulk Hogan a " nigga " . Always considered a neutral commentator throughout his career , he was given a " dirty old man " gimmick by Vince Russo in WCW , where he would stare at the breasts of the women he interviewed and would lust after WCW interviewer / announcer Pamela Paulshock . Due to a neck injury he suffered in WWE / WWF during his first stint there , he couldn ' t take any punishment from wrestlers to further angles or characters , as it is common practice for wrestlers to " rough up " announcers to do so . The best example of this is when he was about to be the recipient of a " Cutter " move from Chris Kanyon , only for the camera to cut away . By the time the camera shifted its way back to his position he was already down , indicating he didn ' t really take the move . Okerlund did however get in the ring twice in WCW . The first would be in mid - 2000 when he and Buff Bagwell would face Chris Kanyon and fellow announcer Mark Madden . Bagwell and Okerlund would win that match up . However , Madden wanted Okerlund back in the ring the next week in a one on one match - up . The two would wrestle again and Okerlund would win the match . World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment . 2001 – present . Okerlund then returned to WWF ( renamed WWE in 2002 ) , as his first post - WCW assignment for the company was as a commentator for the Gimmick Battle Royal during WrestleMania X - Seven on April 1 , 2001 , along with Bobby " The Brain " Heenan . He would go on to host " WWE Confidential " in 2002 , which lasted for two years . Today , Okerlund still makes occasional WWE appearances . Gene also hosts " WWE Madison Square Garden Classics " , a weekly series , airing on the MSG Network , featuring classic WWE matches that took place at Madison Square Garden from the last four decades . He ' s also the host for the WWE Classics On Demand Hall of Fame section , which takes a look at a different WWE Hall of Famer each month . Okerlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1 , 2006 During his acceptance speech , he quoted a Bobby Knight speech and requested to be buried face down upon his death so his critics can " Kiss my ass " . In June 2008 , Okerlund began hosting " WWE Vintage Collection " , a program which showcases archive footage from the extensive WWE video library . On April 4 , 2009 , the night before the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania , Okerlund inducted longtime WWE ring announcer Howard Finkel into the WWE Hall of Fame . On the June 7 , 2010 , edition of Raw , Okerlund appeared to help save Quinton Jackson , who was being held hostage by Ted Dibiase , Virgil , Irwin R . Schyster , and Roddy Piper . Okerlund conducted the interviews on the three - hour " Old School " episode of " Raw " on November 15 , 2010 , where he interviewed John Cena , Randy Orton , members of The Nexus and Mae Young in similar fashion as to how interviews were done in the 1980s . Okerlund also appeared in a few Old School merchandising segments , promoting WWE ' s new Old School merchandise line . Okerlund made an appearance at WrestleMania XXVII in a segment with The Rock and Pee - wee Herman . On April 10 , 2012 , during the WWE Smackdown : Blast from the Past , Okerlund teamed with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus , in a winning effort , against the team of Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio . On the December 17 , 2012 edition of WWE Raw , Gene Okerlund appeared alongside Jim Ross and Ricky The Dragon Steamboat to announce the winner of the Slammy Award for Match of the Year . On March 4 , 2013 edition of " Raw Goes Old School " , Okerlund appeared at for Mae Young ' s 90th birthday party which was interrupted later by CM Punk . On January 6 , 2014 edition of " Raw Goes Old School " , Okerlund made an appearance , in which he made references to the premium rate " wrestling hotlines " of the 1980s and 1990s . Okerlund inducted Mr . T into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6 , 2014 . On August 11 , 2014 Okerlund made an appearance at Hulk Hogan ' s Birthday celebration on Monday Night Raw , celebrating in the ring with many other WWE legends . Other Media . It has been confirmed that Okerlund will appear on WWE Network ' s WWE Legends ' House which is currently in production . Personal life . In his AWA days , Okerlund was given the nickname " Mean Gene " by Jesse " The Body " Ventura – an irony , considering that throughout the years many wrestlers and promotion staff considered Okerlund the friendliest person in the game . His name has been associated with fast food concept , Mean Gene ' s Burgers , the brainchild of food - distributor Orion Food Systems ( headed by two of Okerlund ' s nephews ) , which appeared on college campuses including Duke University and his alma mater West Virginia University , as well as a chain of pizzerias located within bowling alleys , Mean Gene ' s Pizza . These are owned by Hot Stuff Foods , which was headed by two of his nephews . Early in 2006 , Okerlund and Hot Stuff split . Okerlund and one of the nephews were planning to start their own food company on the brands , but Hot Stuff sued , claiming they had " Mean Gene " trademarked . Okerlund lost , with the judge saying that Okerlund can ' t use the name " Mean Gene " for his new food company . Okerlund succeeded in canceling the trademark registrations held by Orion , but remains enjoined from competing with Orion . Okerlund , like WWE owner Vince McMahon , is highly bothered by cigarette smoke . He once infamously told an off - screen production member to " put that cigarette out " during a post Royal Rumble interview with Ric Flair . Okerlund has been married to his wife Jeanne since March 27 , 1964 and has 2 grown children . Gene ' s son Todd starred on the University of Minnesota ice hockey team from 1983 to 1987 . Todd played in the 1988 United States Olympics team that competed in Calgary . He played four games with the NHL ' s New York Islanders . A chronic knee injury ultimately forced his early retirement . In 2004 , Okerlund received a kidney transplant , and fully recovered from the operation . In his interviews , Okerlund would often refer to numerous celebrities as his " Close , personal , long - time friend . " His name has been associated with fast food chain , Mean Gene ’ s Burgers , and a chain of pizzerias located within bowling alleys , Mean Gene ' s Pizza . These are owned by Hot Stuff Foods , which was headed by two of his nephews . Early in 2006 , Okerlund and Hot Stuff split . Okerlund and one of the nephews were planning to start their own food company on the brands , but Hot Stuff sued , claiming they had " Mean Gene " trademarked . Okerlund lost , with the judge saying that Okerlund can ' t use the name " Mean Gene " for his new food company . Okerlund succeeded in cancelling the trademark registrations held by Orion , but remains enjoined from competing with Orion .