Gene Okerlund - How Hulk Hogan Ditched AWA for WWF

Mean Gene Okerlund discusses how Hulk Hogan left AWA and Verne Gagne for Vince McMahon and the WWF. Stream New Shoot Interviews 📺 TitleMatchNetwork.com
RIP to the late-great Mean Gene. Mr Okerlund talks about his decades long history with Hulk Hogan dating back to their time together in Minneapolis with AWA.
Find out what Gene says regarding Hulk's departure to WWF, the feud between Hogan and Roddy Piper, WCW and Hulk inducting Okerlund into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Originally produced by RF Video Inc in 2005. Licensed for exclusive distribution on Title Match Network.
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[@TitleMatchWrestling]

RIP to the late great Mean Gene Okerlund Stream the Full Shoot Interview (2005) ➡titlematchnetwork.com/wrestling-shoot-interviews-results/

[@chickey333]

Mean Gene with a voice that could get anyone's attention. He could have been the next Walter Cronkite. RIP

[@EricJGaming]

It's sad 😢 that nobody goes to his funeral ⚱️ but it's a legendary voice and interviewer

[@KizzMyAbs]

What why didn’t anyone go?

[@TheTrueR1val]

@@KizzMyAbs the wrestlers that knew him are all stuck up losers...who would not wanna leave their 5mill $$ home to go to the BEST refs funreal that they prob havent talked to in 10 years....DDP was talking about how he was like 1of5 wrestlers that went there.........he thought it was going to be a "who is WHO' at the funeral

[@kenterminateddq5311]

​@@KizzMyAbs maybe cause they found out that Mean Gene wanted to be buried face first so his critics can kiss his rear. But, seriously, that's sad when Gene's good friends didn't went to his funeral.

[@robzilla730]

SMH... 🤔

[@SAnd-pd1ou]

I think DDP went?

[@Rob78169]

That voice. The best!!

[@EmpyreanFrost]

His voice...lives rent free in my head. Same with The Fink. And Gorilla and the Brain.

[@rickstalentedtongue910]

@@EmpyreanFrost WWF had the best voices locked down in all those positions, makes it a legendary era and you have not even brought up the wrestling talent yet. People like talent and continuity, Vince was smart enough to keep those guys around through the ages and not make changes until he had no other choice.

[@dougfredricks2017]

​still 😂 at Gorilla:"Will you Stop it!"

[@danieldeblasio9368]

He was an asset to WWF.

[@rickstalentedtongue910]

Massive asset.

[@kenterminateddq5311]

IMO, the "Mean Gene" shoot interview is one of the best from RF Video.

[@kevinbrooks1104]

Shout out to mean Gene, one of the best voices out there. There are 2 voices I can recall instantly Morgan freeman and good Ole Gene rip

[@crazycountryboy8941]

Mean Gene the goat

[@vallangaard]

This is amazing Gene was OLD when I was young! And I am pretty old now! He's an amazing oracle and one of the best things wrestling ever produced :)

[@Paperbag-om6mh]

True legend. One of the few guys that could transfer his personality to any other professional sport

[@fratbronation]

Well let me tell you something Mean Gene

[@julezjohn5785]

I always liked when he would say, “Shut up, Mean Gene”, whenever he was angry lol

[@dan7478]

"Well let Mean Gene tell ya something, brother!!"

[@jerricafrench1384]

God bless!!! Love you Mean Gene!!!!

[@mikejejenich-pb5zx]

Gene is a icon of wrestling. 🎤 💯

[@nostalgiaman6816]

“Don’t touch me! I got a fleet of lawyers!” - Bash at the Beach 1996

[@rondorthecruel124]

Funniest part of this interview is when mean gene mentions he has a barber 🤣

[@ericdravenX00X]

No without the Reboot of Hogan Turning Heel and the nWo forming that Red N Yellow Hulkster Gimmick was already becoming the thing of the past and Burning Out.. Mr.Okerlund what an Announcing Legend! R.I.P. "Mean" Gene Okerlund

[@maodijong3661]

Verne's own fault that Hogan left. Verne did not give Hogan that title belt...imagine if he had.

[@rayhoyer4829]

I was about to say something similar

[@walker1984]

Verne was weird like that. He only believed in putting the belt on the guy who was a plus wrestler in the ring and not on the guy that was bringing in the fans who was capable in the ring in Hogan.

[@maodijong3661]

@@walker1984 It wasn't so much the wrestling ability in this instance. He wanted the face to chase the heel...poor booking that was also present in WCW at times.

[@thehammockdistrict5355]

Hogan would have left within a year at most, he was ALWAYS going to make his way to New York and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional

[@bryondavey3763]

Mean by God Gene

[@gtapache]

Gene Mean!

[@biggiefitz6275]

Gene Mean ...forever humbled us...😉 Forever a Legend..Forever THE voice of the WWF/E..Forever a Husker. RIP

[@Davepool-hs7vr]

Hogan should have attended Mean Gene’s funeral

[@toddmontondo364]

Absolutely all products wrestlers should of I lost all respect for all who didn't...the guy was just a lovable uncle to all...

[@KA-te7xk]

💯💯

[@Darren-su2gm]

I can still hear Ric Flair say Mean Gene!

[@pauljames21]

Love Mean Gene. ❤

[@rondorthecruel124]

There’s a reason Verne was the one of the only promoters that almost every wrestler just left without seeing him in person. He was a massive egotistical hothead and would’ve legitimately tried to hurt most of them (or had someone else do it) so that they couldn’t go work for his competitor. That’s what “old school” means. The iron sheik rumor isn’t a rumor lol.

[@Spaceman1968]

This isn’t what Bobby Heenan said. He said Verne expected you to be on time and be professional. He said I have no problem with Verne.

[@tarzlegacy9446]

Mean Gene is the best!

[@robertdiotalevi285]

"From coast to coast and border to border..." Still hear that voice from my youth....R.I.P.

[@centrist1008]

Gene didn’t walk among legends, he was one.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

Yeah..... But he still walked among them. I think you need to add the word "just"

[@JasonQuinn-qq4om]

Mean Gene criticized the way Hulk Hogan left the AWA but Greg Gagne said Mean Gene did the same thing to the promotion.

[@J_Cubed]

1. Gene actually had a face to face conversation with Verne & Greg 2. They didn't even try to counter Vince's offer. Add up the grains of salt taken with anything Greg Gagne says and you can de-ice Antarctica

[@undertakerfanz628]

Mean woooo by god Gene

[@ManicaCereus]

Loved this dude 🫡

[@LinuxCity79]

mean gene the first thing you need to do is to tell these people to shut up if you want to hear what i gotta say

[@NEALPUCCISWEDEN]

I miss. mean gene and bobby the brain and monsoon legend on the mic all great I watch them has a child in the 80... gene had. radio voice.

[@astrosjer822]

Mean Gene and Hogan left AWA together and that started the fall of the AWA

[@Joker058]

R.I.P. Mean Gene

[@slimjohn2090]

Pure gold

[@ChiMulaa]

RIP Gene, sad to know non of the wrestlers other than DDP && 1 other wrestler went to ur funeral, just sad

[@TheTrueR1val]

RIP THE BEST WWE ANNOUNCER

[@GOOSE-1334]

Meannnnn Geneeee Wooooooo

[@lect0n7]

*Mean Gene:* Do People think I’m Sexy?! *Jimmy King:* I THINK you’re sexy Mean Gene…really…I do…

[@HoustonIsImmortal]

I love all the pro wrestling characters I grew up with, but I think it's unfair how today's fan expected Hulk Hogan to be some type of benevolent savior for others in the business. That landscape was dog-eat-dog and the man simply looked out for himself first and helped others when he could, as any man should. It wasn't his job to help another man's career. That's just a crutch other less successful guys used to justify their shortcomings.

[@chrisgrudge6964]

I don’t think it has much to do with wanting him to be a savior, but he’d actively derail other people’s careers. That’s a big difference.

[@davidworden4470]

Not a Hogan fan but in Japan he wrestled just like Brett Hart he was a great worker

[@terminat1]

Bret.

[@Nostalgia9478]

Hogan was still uncoordinated, unathletic, and sloppy in Japan

[@davidworden4470]

For hogan size he was very impressive and again I'm not a fan of his

[@Nostalgia9478]

@@davidworden4470 Im a huge fan of Hogan, but he was uncoordinated and unathletic even for his size

[@theradgegadgie6352]

I think that's a MASSIVE exaggeration, but it's certainly true he could work when not being confined by Vince.

[@robbiedoblin]

When mean Jean said his barber talks about hulk the whole time, the bald guy is referring to Brutus the barber beefcake

[@chrisparry7401]

WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MEAN JEAN

[@dannystaton5386]

Cannot blame him lol

[@ReddFoxxPunxx]

Gene Mean

[@msoi215]

#RIPMeanGene

[@dadvastator967]

Srop what you are doing to look up Gene's interview outakes... Youll thank me later!!

[@danielwebster5748]

I think he might have done the right thing then he's one of the few that have a longer reign than Roman reigns

[@E.C.2]

Requiescat in Pace.

[@Mr.G_717]

Man in the hogan verse we would of had thunderlips

[@michaelvazquez7851]

Hi

[@RockU2Death5150]

Is this how the original recording was framed on Mr. Okerlund -- super tight on his face? Also, was it filmed on VHS (all the interlacing)?

[@alfredohsauce]

Hogan could wrestle believe or not, I’ve seen some videos of him in Japan.

[@alanstrong55]

The AWA just lacked the ability to stay big and strong. Poor foundation. Not enough expansion.

[@mahmud9973]

Hello

[@Ryan-hl4ur]

That doesn't work for me, brother. I can't believe the disrespect to NOT go to Gene's funeral.

[@1980Triumph]

You don't know the full extent of their relationship to comment on it. Even still Hulk addressed funerals and said he no longer goes to them because they are too emotionally taxing on him, he said it was too much because so many people he knew are dead. Hulk is still human and maybe you should consider that and stop speaking over people's lives. Funerals don't matter, how did he treat the man while he was here is what counts.

[@Grisna_25-]

Gene

[@jonbourgoin182]

Do you have Autism? I think it's showing again

[@jonbourgoin182]

Austism

[@shawngreene1225]

Mean Gene could’ve announced anything

[@brianlyle7017]

He would have been perfect for baseball.

[@charliewaters5289]

Always post the date of the interview.

[@candidomoreno]

Hogan Rock Stone Cold cena best of all time

[@aliensyndrome4280]

Cena? No that Era was horrible. Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, are better examples then Cena

[@ernestrivers3736]

A mans man.

[@stevent7944]

Sad that with all of the good things that Gene says about Hulk that in the end, after all of thiose years together... Hogan couldnt even take the time to attend Gene's funeral.

[@TylerMorganShow]

Mene Gene is a wrestling god

[@thespaceram2879]

God=Lord Jesus Christ condemns idolaters later that keep doing it and don't stop. Hell is not a nice place to spend all eternity after passing away. The unrepentant and the disbeliever in fact do end up there later.

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

Nobody showed up to his funeral.

[@briankregg6329]

The man who could not say Dr D David Schultz

[@idemonic.]

The doesn't work for me, brother!

[@jasonsmith1288]

I dont care what anybody says about Hulk Hogan but if your not in it for money than your a tool

[@deebo1103]

100% what pro wrestling is about.

[@Chaz4543]

@@deebo1103 Thats what its supposed to be about but AEW operates in this weird online mark universe where thats not what its about because the owner has a unlimited budget. No wonder they are watched by a small audience and the company makes no money. Thats not how wrestling companies have traditionally been run. AEW is a outlier.

[@ChrisStoecker]

So Gene knew before Hogan went to Japan that he was leaving. If that's true the story about Verne keeping his mech $ while he was in Japan being one of the reasons Hogan left is apparently a bunch of BS

[@jasonkraatz9574]

Genes right about Malenko. If Dean had been about a foot taller and about 40 to 50 lbs bigger he would have been a multiple time world champ. Dean was one of the greatest in the ring.

[@terminat1]

WWF, not WWE.

[@ducklife420]

do they still sell mean gene sausages?

[@yjhova]

Scheme Gene

[@nathanwanner..44]

Hogan showed who he really was by not talking to Verne man to man , very shitty thing to do

[@deebo1103]

Verne stole money from him and even tried to fight him before all of this. Verne didn't do anything to deserve any respect.

[@darylabrams2]

Verne would make t-shirts of Hogan and wouldn't give him any profits. He also kept Hogan from winning the title. He wouldn't put the belt on him which clearly the fans wanted. Verne just thought small and that more than anything killed the awa.

[@JonKorpi-fk7yo]

Lmfao chicks and kids made Hogan not adult wrestling fans

[@My-Redemption]

Still so many people don’t realize stone cold sold so much for merchandise the hulk hogan

[@charliewise1971]

He couldn't wrestle

[@bryanglass5818]

True, except he put butts in the seats and made people a ton of money.

[@Travybear1989]

Love th guy but the "uh's" ruined the presentation for me. Just speak your mind, it really isn't that difficult whatsoever.

[@darylabrams2]

You have to remember the old guys were taught to protect the business. They didn't talk about this kind of stuff when they were in the business. It's part of the reason I feel wrestling just isn't as good any more. All the secrets have been revealed. It's like a magician telling you how he's doing all his tricks beforehand.

[@E.C.2]

​@@darylabrams2Exactly.