5 Best 'Mean' Gene Okerlund Moments

The year 2019 did not get off to a great start for wrestling fans, as we had to say goodbye to the greatest professional wrestling interviewer of all time, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund.

'Mean' Gene Okerlund passed away on the morning of January 2, 2019, at the age of 76 in a Florida hospital, with his family by his side. The WWE Hall of Famer had received three kidney transplants and had suffered a fall which caused his health to deteriorate in the weeks leading up to his death.

Over the course of his near 50-year long career, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund was an interviewer for the AWA, WCW and of course, WWE. He was famous among fans for his friendship with Hulk Hogan, where Hogan would give the most famous wrestling interview quote of all time, ''Well let tell you something Mean Gene! ''. Okerlund made his last appearance on WWE TV, appearing on the 25th-anniversary episode of RAW, interviewing then WWE Champion AJ Styles.

Although now gone, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund has left use with a lifetime of memories, and here are what I feel are his top 5 best moments.

#5 'Mean' Gene Okerlund Interviews The NWO

In what is still the most shocking heel turn in history of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan did the unthinkable at WCW Bash At The Beach in 1996 when he turned his back on WCW and joined forces with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the New World Order.

The post-match interview, conducted by 'mean' Gene Okerlund, is often regarded as one of the best and most important in wrestling history. As incredible as it was, I think one big thing about it that is often overlooked is how important it was that it would be Mean Gene to be the one who interviewed them for it.

I think this plays a highly important part as the fans all knew how close Gene and Hulk Hogan were as friends, and to see Gene in the ring as disgusted as he was with Hogan and telling him so, really brought more emotion to the incredible scene.

#4 The 1989 SummerSlam Blooper

This is one of the more funniest moments in all of WWE history.

As 'Mean' Gene Okerlund was set to interview then WWE Intercontinental Champion 'Ravishing' Rick Rude and his manager Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan, all of a sudden the SummerSlam backdrop sign fell off the wall. A startled Okerlund hilariously said:

'' F##k it! Damn it who put that up? Is that $200 an hour? ''

Okerlund later claimed in a shoot interview that the interview had been pre-recorded, and was somehow accidentally played instead of the second replacement one they did. He also said Vince McMahon was frantic on a headset as he instructed announcers Jesse Ventura and Tony Schiavone to cover up the situation.

The moment can now often be found on WWE blooper reals throughout the WWE Network. Gene has also said that while he knows airing the interview was an accident, he still thought that the interview happening to begin with was a rib being pulled on him.

#3 'Mean' Gene Okerlund on Legends House

When the WWE Network kicked off back in 2014, it's first really big hit in original programming was WWE Legends House.

WWE Legends House saw eight WWE legends all living together under one roof for a few months. The legends were the late 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, Jimmy Hart, Hillbilly Jim, Tony Atlas, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Pat Patterson, Howard Finkel and of course, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund.

The legends had to perform different challenges and tasks in each episode, including LARPing, making their own TV business commercial, performing a roast, becoming male strippers and more hilarity. While each cast member was funny in his own way, Okerlund brought a lot of humor to the series particularly almost baring all when he was performing the striptease.

Okerlund had a lot of entertaining arguments and banter with his co-stars that truly makes Legends House still arguably WWE's most entertaining original Network series.

#2 'Mean' Gene Okerlund in The Hall of Fame

After 26 years in the professional wrestling business, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund would take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, joining the already esteemed class alongside Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, the Blackjacks, Sensational Sherri, Verne Gagne, and his Legends House co-star Tony Atlas.

Okerlund's Hall of Fame position was more than well earned. Although not a wrestler, Okerlund had an incredible career in WWE and WCW, and provided us with countless unforgettable moments. Okerlund would be inducted into the Hall of Fame by his good friend Hulk Hogan, and there was really no other better candidate as the Hulkster spoke proudly on Okerlund's career.

During his acceptance speech, Okerlund hilariously quoted legendary basketball coach Bob Knight when he said he would request to be buried face down upon his death so his critics can "Kiss my ass".

#1 'Mean' Gene Okerlund Trains & Teams With Hulk Hogan

Back in 1984, as 'Mean' Gene Okerlund and Hulk Hogan had a growing bond on television, they were challenged to a tag team match by Hogan's rivals, Mr. Fuji and George 'The Animal' Steele.

This would lead to a series of hilarious segments of Hogan training Gene for the match. Hogan would make Gene wake up at 5 am for training every day, drink raw eggs for breakfast, made him quit smoking his cigars, constant jogging, a rigorous gym workout, and carry the taller and bigger Hogan up a flight of stadium stairs.

When the match itself came, Okerlund would spend the majority of it on the apron and let Hogan compete. During the action, we had a very comical moment of Hogan giving Gene a celebratory high five while the match was in progress, which the referee mistook for a tag and made Gene legal. Okerlund had to go in, but quickly tagged out before he was physically touched.

The end of the match saw Hogan tag in Gene once again, and dump him on Mr. Fuji to score the victory.