Gene Okerlund

Gene Okerlund (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019) was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer, and television host. He gained prominence for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling. Okerlund was known for his exceptional interviewing skills and was often praised as the best interviewer in the history of professional wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan and had a lifetime contract with WWE. Okerlund also worked for various promotional programs throughout his career. Born in Brookings, South Dakota, Okerlund grew up on an Indian reservation and graduated from Sisseton High School. He studied broadcast journalism at the University of Nebraska before starting his career as a disc jockey at KOIL, a popular radio station in Omaha.