Well let me tell you something, Mean Gene! Brutha, RF VIDEO is excited to announce the latest edition of our industry leading shoot interview series. We sat down with one of the true icons of wrestling, 2006 WWE Hall of Famer Mean Gene Okerlund! Everybody knows Mean Gene and his distinctive voice as Okerlund has been a staple of pro wrestling for the last three decades. From the Minnesota based AWA, through WWF’s national expansion, onto WCW during the peak of thier history, and back to the WWE, Mean Gene has seen everything there is to see in this business and he sat down with us to talk about it all.
Okerlund talked about his experiences with all the big names, including Verne Gagne, Hulk Hogan, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, Andre the Giant, Eric Bischoff, and scores more. There’s not a single personality in the industry Mean Gene hasn’t spent time with! Mean Gene went through his legendary career that went all over the wrestling landscape. This exclusive shoot interview will provide Gene’s uncensored thoughts on all the behind-the-scenes stories from the AWA, WWE, and WCW! Okerlund takes us through the ribs, the road stories, the best (and worst) at ring psychology and work rate, watching WWF explode, and working with Bobby Heenan among many other subjects. Gene is insiteful and a blast to listen to, making this shoot one DVD that all wrestling fans are going to want to add to their collection!
- Were you a wrestling fan growing up
- What is your broadcasting background pre-wrestling
- How did you get into wrestling
- Initial impressions of Verne
- What kind of lengths did they go to in order to kayfabe you early on
- How long was it before they smartened you up
- Did anyone rib you
- What was the hardest thing to grasp about announcing the shows
- Did anyone give you bullet points and if so who
- Who did you work the closest with early on
- Initial memories of meeting Hulk Hogan
- How did your friendship grow with him early on
- Who were some of the guys you were closest too
- Did anyone ever give you the feeling “oh your not one of the boys” since you are an announcer
- How soon into it did you realize you wanted to do this full time
- Who gave you the name Mean Gene
- All AWA:
- Early memories of Jesse
- Memories of Crusher and Bruiser
- Memories of Ken Patera
- Do you think that Verne was too much a mark for himself
- Do you remember a young Ric Flair
- Memories of Nick Bockwinkel
- What are some of your favorite matches you called that you even remember today
- Was there one match in particular that you listened back to when you realized, “I am good at this.”
- What was a typical day of TV like
- Memories of Ray Stevens and Harley Race
- Memories of Larry Hennig
- You seemed to be more relaxed than most wrestling announcers, did veterans take that as a sign of disrespect or you weren’t taking it seriously
- Did anyone ever approach you about something you may have said about them on commentary
- Who was the best at psychology during that time period
- Memories of Bruiser Brody
- Memories of Bobby Heenan
- Memories of Lord Al Hayes
- Memories of Mr. Saito
- How hard did Verne take it when Hogan left
- When did it become apparent to you and the boys that Vince was expanding nationally
- Do you think Verne really offered Iron Sheik 100 grand to break Hogan’s leg
- How did you wind up in the WWF
- Initial thoughts upon meeting Vince
- How did Verne take it when you gave notice
- What was Vince’s pitch to you
- Did you offer Verne a chance to match Vince’s offer
- What were the differences when you first started in a typical day of tv for Vince as compared to Verne
- You started as an announcer and moved to interviewer for Vince, why and how did that change come about
- How did life change for you when the WWF blew up
- Who’s idea was it for you to start doing songs like on the Wrestling Albums, etc
- What was doing TNT like
- Was it hard for the guys to stay serious during those goofy segments on TNT
- Who’s idea was it for you to wear pantyhose on TNT when you sang Tutti Fruitti
- Did Hulk change by the mid-80s with success
- Who’s idea was it for you to wrestle with Hulk in Minnesota
- Did Fuji rib you at all
- When you came over to the WWF, did anyone over there try to kayfabe you since you were new and an announcer
- Were you surprised when you saw more of your old AWA peers come over
- How real is the rivalry between Hulk and Jesse
- What were the politics like in the 80s between Hulk and Roddy
- How nervous was Vince going into the first Mania
- You were the first person to ever sing the national anthem at a wrestlemania. Who’s idea was that?
- When did you realize that the WWF was now engrained as a part of pop culture
- There is an infamous promo going around the Internet these days from the 80s with you and Wendy Richter where you just start laughing at her, do you remember that promo
- Did you get any heat for the infamous “fuck it” Summerslam promo with Rick Rude
- How crazy did things get with the ring boy scandal
- Who were your favorite and least favorite guys to interview and work with during this time
- Do you remember the big fight between the Rougeaus and the Bulldogs
- Did you see anyone crack due to the road schedule during this time period
- Who would go over bullet points with you for promos during this time
- How did Vince change with success
- What were some of your favorite goofy skits that you did
- How important was your role or that of the promo guy in getting someone over
- How long were the tv taping days
- Memories of the Ultimate Warrior
- Memories of the post Royal Rumble interview with Flair and Hennig
- Were you there when the Ultimate Warrior tried to hold up Vince at Summerslam
- What do you remember about when Nailz attacked Vince
- How was Dusty treated when he came over
- Memories of Randy Savage and his issues with Elizabeth
- Memories of Andre the Giant
- Any good road stories
- Any good ribs
- Was there someone you saw or interviewed come in that you thought would be a big star that didn’t make it or someone who surprised you
- How accessible was Vince to you
- What are some of your favorite matches during your time in the WWF
- Did you ever have any problems with alcohol or the party lifestyle
- Memories of Kerry Von Erich when he came over
- Is there a time where you think the stress got to you and you weren’t having fun
- How did you wind up leaving
- Did you want to stay
- Did you leave on good terms with Vince
- What were your initial post-WWF plans
- Was it hard adjusting to life without the WWF
- How soon did you make the deal with WCW
- How did it come about
- Initial thoughts on Eric Bischoff
- Early on, what did you notice about the differences between WCW tv and WWF tv
- Were you surprised when Vince created Scheme Gene
- Talk about the hotline, was it a big money maker for you
- Did you ever feel sleazy by some of the cheap teases you’d give for it
- Do you think the Internet ruined that business
- What do you think of wrestling newsletters
- Did you think Nitro would work
- You and Flair seemed to have great chemistry in WCW, why do you think that is
- Do you think that Hulk was a good or a bad thing in the end for WCW
- Did he try and look out for you there
- What do you think of his reality show
- How did things change with the explosion in the NWO
- How out of control did things get in WCW
- Was it frustrating with Eric’s constant attempts at trying to work the locker room and the boys
- How did you wind up in the Millionaires Club angle and memories of feuding with Pamela Paulshock
- How did Eric change with success
- Memories of another famous interview on the Internet, your interview with Bret on El Dandy
- How much leeway did you have in both WWF and WCW as far as ad libbing
- When is a line crossed between getting yourself over at the expense of the boys
- Any good road stories from WCW
What was Eric’s biggest mistake - How did things change when Russo came over
- Do you think Russo was in over his head
- Bobby Heenan talks a lot about Tony Schivonne being untrustworthy and slimy, do you agree
- Thoughts on Mike Tenay
- Thoughts on Mark Madden and your match
- What are your thoughts on Vince making good looking women and guys interviewers these days as compared to guys with credibility and a wrestling background
- Thoughts on Dallas Page
- Thoughts on Goldberg
- When did you realize WCW was in big trouble
- How did you find out about the sale of WCW
- Did you talk to anyone in the WWF
- Vince is known nowadays for giving his announcers lines constantly in a headset, what are your thoughts on that
- Thoughts on Jim Ross, Michael Cole, and Joey Styles
- How soon were you contacted by WWE after the sale
- Memories of initial conversations with Vince
- How good was it to come back at Wrestlemania
- Memories of calling the battle royal with Bobby
- Do you think Confidential exposed the business too much
- Do you think it crossed the line on the Elizabeth story
- How did things change as far as production as compared to when you were last in the WWE
- Thoughts on being inducted in the Hall of Fame
- Talk about Vince today and changes he has made over the years
- Thoughts on Stephanie and Shane
- Thoughts on HHH
- Thoughts on the deaths over the last few years with Bossman, Curt, Hercules, Hawk
- Best ribs you ever saw
- more road stories
- Are you surprised by guys like Hulk and Flair who have been around this long
- Who do you think will be the next big thing in the business
- What are your thoughts on WWE looking out of the pro wrestling world for announcers and apparently preferring that you don’t know anything about wrestling to get a job there
- What advice would you guys to talent wanting to get a job in the WWE
- Thoughts on seeing Lex Luger at the convention several months ago
- Did you ever have any aspirations to book
- What’s going on with your Mean Gene burgers
- If you were working an independent today and you were the same age as you were when AWA got you, do you think you would get a shot in the WWE
- Who do you think deserves to be in the Hall of Fame
- Thoughts on Bruno and Vince’s relationship
- Were you surprised to see Bret return
- What made Pat Patterson a great finish man
- Can a good television writer write good wrestling
- Can the southern style of wrestling still get over today