Gene Okerlund - When Ultimate Warrior Held Up Vince McMahon for $500K

Mean Gene Okerlund discusses the night Ultimate Warrior held up Vince McMahon for $500K at Summerslam. Stream New Shoot Interviews 📺 TitleMatchNetwo...
RIP to the late-great Mean Gene. Mr Okerlund talks about how the Ultimate Warrior had great charisma but was also impossible to do work with on interviews. Plus, Gene reveals what happened the night Warrior demanded half a million bucks from the World Wrestling Federation.
We also hear about the Summerslam 89 blooper when a sign fell on Mean Gene during the Rick Rude pre-tape. Evidently the director cued up the wrong take and the infamous promo aired by mistake.
Originally produced by RF Video Inc in 2006. Licensed for exclusive distribution on Title Match Network.
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[@TitleMatchWrestling]

RIP to the late great Mean Gene Okerlund & Ultimate Warrior Stream the Full Shoot Interview (2006) ➡titlematchnetwork.com/wrestling-shoot-interviews-results/

[@Filmaker25]

That's not true, Warrior got the money I believe a physical check and then they had him sign a release and told him "you know your fired right?" then he was told to get out.

[@HaleStorm1998]

**you’re

[@jasond2831]

Man I dont care what this guy talks about. When he starts talking my childhood comes back to me. I loved watching him when I was a kid.

[@davidworden4470]

You and me both

[@user-kv8rd2yb4j]

Voice of a generation. R.i.p gene

[@alvaroromero8054]

What a great voice!!!

[@HBKStyles]

Thank you

[@two6520]

Hell yeah, he has a man voice. Unlike the clowns now.

[@phillysfinest215]

Literally

[@Mikey2Times]

If someone said, " What does a wrestling announcer/ interviewer look like"? I think of Mean Gene Okerlund!

[@Maxamili]

I could listen to Gene read the dictionary. Very well spoken and what a voice.

[@stevetafoya6287]

When I think of my childhood days watching wrestling I think of mean gene on the mic! He is definitely the voice of WWF back then! RIP mean gene!

[@justinsane5590]

Something about Mean Gene asking "Does that jive with you?" Cures my soul ......RIP you legend

[@thatfunk]

Best interviewer hands down! What an incredible voice Gene had as well!

[@mozwildeful]

R.I.P. Mean Gene

[@criticalbill2090]

If I ever had to do a public speech, I would study this man something fierce. Gene Okerlund was a LEGEND

[@thegreatandpowerfulaahz8862]

He deserves a hall of fame spot

[@battlestarmarc]

Mean Gene was the best interviewer in the wwf in the 80's.

[@tylermcnally8232]

He was?

[@donjohn2695]

Mean gene was always more entertaining in the interviews then the guys he was interviewing

[@davidworden4470]

Mean Gene was the standard and there will never be another

[@willis26311]

I met Mean Gene in Nokomis, Florida (Gulf Coast) at a restaurant I worked at as a server/bartender. Gene loved Kettle One Martini’s straight up, dry with olives. This was back in 2000/2001. I was a huge WWF fan back in the early 80’s till about 1992 when I turned 14 and only cared about playing football and baseball. Gene Okurland came into my restaurant at least twice a week. Gene was one of the coolest, nicest most generous guests I’ve ever taken care of. He and I would talk about wrestling, and I asked him about Wrestlemania III and the Hogan vs Andre match. Mean Gene told me about how Hogan and Vince were worried about Andre not doing business and how there would be nothing Hogan could do if Andre didn’t want him to win. Hogan was supposed to go over, but Andre wanted to test the Hulkster and “Rib” him because Hogan was trying for days to talk to Andre about the match. Andre would run Hogan out of the locker room every time Hogan wanted to go over the match with him. This was a serious concern. Andre controlled his matches and he legitimately shooted on Iron Sheik, Bam Bam Bigelow, Big John Studd, Black Jack Mulligan, etc. Hogan was terrified. Andre called the match and allowed Hogan to get over after the Hulkster showed utmost respect before they wrestled. The rest is history. Imagine if Andre decided to shoot against Hogan…. Andre could’ve been the world champ…

[@MaynardOwns]

Sounds like you’re repeating the story hulk tells about that.

[@markbrown-bk1lr]

🤔

[@themindofmwill24]

That's sick! Cherish that

[@DemonDriver31]

Who would kick andres ass during that time other than haku. No one.

[@themindofmwill24]

@@DemonDriver31 🤣 true but the junk yard dog was about to shoot him

[@EastAsianCinemaHistory]

Incredible voice. Didn’t realise how important it was to my childhood.

[@BigJoeRC631]

Mene gene is a legend big part of my childhood

[@richardmorris6365]

Big ups to Geno for mentioning Gordon Solie, if you grew up in Fla/Ga you know.

[@johnhoblock5872]

Met Mean Gene at a wrestling match in Sarasota. He was walking by and my brother called out, "hey, Mean Gene". He came over shook our hands and said, "see what happens when you vote republican".

[@ericdravenX00X]

MEAN WOOOOOOO GENE!!!!! R.I.P. Mean Gene Okerlund

[@My-Redemption]

You want to see a sad thing about him its after he past away watch the video of ddp crying well he explained that when he went to his funeral not a damn person from all his year in the business cared enough to go other then ddp when he said was heart breaking

[@prestonpfeiffer]

Sherri Martel either,besides Booker and Stevie Ray

[@timedwards8944]

Mean Jean was the man.... I truly miss him......

[@timedwards8944]

Gordon was great as well

[@stevejamieson8468]

As far as interviewers go, Mean Gene was the GOAT. Seeing him holding the mic for Hulk Hogan was legendary, RIP Gene

[@Mickieshelton]

Him holding the mic for Macho Man, Paul Orndorf, and Ric Flair was great.

[@jeremysteelman2900]

Mean Gene Okerlund. One of the greatest interviewers and interviewees of all time.

[@msoi215]

#RIPMeanGene #RIPWarrior

[@jeffreyschatz164]

There won’t ever be a another Mean Gene

[@jamiepreston1490]

Mean Gene had a voice that would make you stop and listen. RIP MEAN GENE

[@Keepitgreasy11]

4:30 Reene Goulet I'll remember Bruce Prichard telling about him on the walkie talkie (French accent) "The clown is down!" [Doink/Matt Borne] fell down the stairs in the crowd whenever he appear in the audience on TV he'd be in the background during a match. 😂

[@cutekanjii]

I remember seeing one of the "officials" that ran out everytime a wrestler disobeyed the referee and kept beating in someone while the bell was ringing over & over. This one with blonde hair & glasses and seeing him with a big walkie talkie and thinking who the helld this guy lol 😂and I only found out recently that is Rene Goulet

[@chuckricoper]

MEEEEEEEEAAAAANNNNN GEEEEEEEENNNNEEEE.....WOOOOO!!! R.I.P

[@brockhershey414]

we need more interviews with mean gene

[@richardmorris6365]

Really sad almost no wrestlers came to his funeral other than DDP & a couple others,sad.

[@khamla616]

What warrior did was wrong but to be fair to him he sent a letter to Vince months before the match not the day of and held him up so Vince lied to the boys about that. It could have been handled way before the event happened

[@brianblueskye9715]

Is that what Warrior claimed? If so, I wouldn’t trust what he said.

[@theFaded01]

I remember one of Gene's last appearances was at a horror con based in Chicago. 😢

[@DefLeppardVanHalen]

Days of the Dead? I saw him at the one in Atlanta.

[@adrianwalters2318]

R.I.P Mean Gene💯🙏🏾

[@Grisna_25-]

RIP ultimate warrior

[@deadpan80]

No one was better than Mean Gene. He lended much needed gravitas that is sorely lacking toodsy

[@marcusbou-samra5929]

You know something mean gene!!!

[@robertdiotalevi285]

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

[@BaddogSports]

Love Mean Gene, but I get so sick of hearing people 💩 all over Warrior all the time.

[@jackkitchen737]

Ok right off the bat. What does marble mouth interview guy ask Gene, word for word at 0:03?

[@TitleMatchWrestling]

Summerslam promo, the infamous promo where you cursed by accident with Rick Rude. Did you get heat for that at all or nah?

[@jackkitchen737]

@@TitleMatchWrestling Thank you. I'd have never gotten the last 4 words LOL

[@Mutex50]

Didn’t Vince not pay Stu Hart after he “bought” Stampede Wrestling?

[@matthewgabbard6415]

That’s right, he welshed. Idk why Gene is acting like Vince’s promises meant anything

[@michaeljohnson5365]

i HAVE the self dectruction dvd

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

This interview with Gene is like having a chat in the bar with your friends slightly roguish grandpa

[@immortal7.3lw85]

Warrior got him paid. Nobody paid to see Gene. But anyway Rip Gene.

[@saw4498]

I think the problem was warrior want to be paid and treated like hogan. Hogan didnt have to "hold" Vince up for money. He siad it was light vince gave him another check. Warrior saw what. Vince want another hogan he just didnt want to pay for it. Vince and hold learned the "new pay" scale for a national wrestling business together. He never made that mistake again. Warrior/lex lugar/hitman/nash/hall....stone cold came close but he even humble him at the end. Hogan the only man that vince never humble with money or his image.

[@BeeelllDaaa]

Everyone hated the Warrior

[@gary6754]

anyone who gives Mcmhaon the predator a hard time is ok in my book

[@russellbarnhill5109]

MEAN -WOOOOO-BYE-GOD-GENE

[@ziggypop79]

Vince can get f*****. Warrior was right about him all along.

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

How so?

[@auntiewewe972]

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Warrior could be 100% correct about Vince. Doesn't change who Jim Helwig was, what he did, what he said. Both can easily be a**holes

[@johnnikollaj496]

I mean to be fair, Vince fucked up a bunch of people's money over the years. I would have done the same regardless. In the end, it worked for Warrior. He got a huge contract from WCW a year and change later.

[@prestonpfeiffer]

He didnt go to WCW until 98,this is referencing Summerslam 91 not the 1996 return where he beat HHH in seconds

[@johnnikollaj496]

@prestonpfeiffer then, it worked regardless. Vince had called him back. He knew he was worth and truth be told, Vince supposedly stiffed him 250k . Vince has a history of stuffing talent. This is widely known. I repeat people who know their worth and value themselves. Don't you?

[@mexmexican8619]

This was debunked so long ago. Warrior asked for more money months ago but Vince lied about it claiming he was being held up.

[@mustangecoboosthpp3869]

I would not call Ultimate Warrior holding up Vince McMahon, the WWF/WWE got caught red handed later on selling Ultimate Warrior merchandise without royalties to Ultimate Warrior. Further look at the majority of wrestlers once they are at the end of their careers and they are broke while the WWF/WWE is a billion dollar company. I have no issue with the Ultimate Warrior getting more money. Gene Okerlund was another one who was not well off in the end.

[@dane21dc]

6:45 How ironic he mentions Fox News in that context given what happened with Roger Ailes

[@prestonpfeiffer]

I preferred Warrior over Hogan but overall he wasnt nearly the draw Hogan was and for how long Hogan was. Everytime he left,the show carried on…he greatly overvalued himself.

[@Metallizombie]

Warrior gets a lot of flats because he wore the hustle on his sleeve. A lot of the guys in the locker room were after the same thing they just tried to disguise it. He was certainly a complicated and problematic individual, but when he hit those ropes the roof came off the building.

[@russellcampbell3500]

Man made or not? People think that we take steroids and we wake up the next day with muscles. No matter what steroids or peds anyone takes, they still have to be in the gym daily and put in ALOT of hard work. There are no exceptions to this.

[@anthonylove821]

I always thought of gene as a funny announcer interviewer. It’s funny how so many seem to worship warrior in the ring but all the stories you hear in real life he comes off as an arrogant a hole. Even Bret hart wrote in his book that he didn’t like warrior especially when a handicapped kid asked warrior for his autograph and he declined. That for me makes him a total dick in my book

[@afdcg]

It was business. Warrior was drawing money and he wanted a good pay. Vince didn't want to pay a lot of money to a lot of guys. Vince tricked warrior by telling things that I'll do it later or I'll increase your pay etc. Warrior had an idea for his gimmick and wanted it that way. He was drawing well and thought those ideas would help his character draw more money. Vince was notorious for manipulating talent and giving them false hopes so that they show up on events. Disagreements would lead to wrestlers not showing up at the event screwing the fans and Vince. Warrior may have been reasonable or maybe he expected more. Vince should have Negotiated well. But Vince knew how to lie. I don't blame warrior, it's difficult to be kind when you are fooled. Bret would have also done the same after the Montreal screwjob.

[@jonathandutra4831]

Warrior was a ego maniac but had the appeal & charisma. His ego was his downfall in the wrestling biz.

[@jaybarnes8034]

Warrior was liked by some children and no one else.

[@scottkraft1062]

Vince really really really liked the Ultimate warrior 😂

[@NoneofYabiz-rx3zi]

That was their main target group though

[@TravisBrady-wn8fr]

Hulk said warrior grew to 8 feet tall and 975 pounds at one point.

[@bmorris8276]

Yep that night he slammed him and tore his acl & mcl doin it😂

[@TravisBrady-wn8fr]

@@bmorris8276 😀

[@giustinoscalise3177]

Gene has the greatest broadcaster voice wrestling has ever known.

[@davidward5225]

The whole warrior gimmick sucked and the guy couldn’t do anything in the ring.

[@ziggypop79]

What an original opinion! Says the guy who never worked a match in his life.

[@HBKStyles]

Neither could you

[@YurRedRooster]

​@@ziggypop79let's all laugh at you because you think you needed to be a wrestler to criticize wrestlers.

[@ziggypop79]

@@YurRedRooster lets laugh at you because you’re a mark who thinks rest holds and wrist locks draw money.

[@frankstallone3864]

@ziggypop79 you're mad the ultimate warrior was criticized, you're the only mark here

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Gene Okerlund loves burying and criticizing Ultimate Warrior on this interview as much as he did on the Self-Destruction of Warrior documentary.

[@Ryenobal]

Gene cared about the wrestling business and had class. The Warrior didn’t and only cared about himself

[@kenterminateddq5311]

@@Ryenobal you aren't wrong, my friend. A lot of his peers say that from Dibiase to Heenan.

[@handsolo1209]

@@Ryenobal So much class that he had a liver transplant, thus depriving someone else of it, then carried on drinking anyway.

[@donjohn2695]

It's gene's opinion personally I liked the ultimate warriors attitude he spoke his mind he knew that the only real thing in professional wrestling is the money and the miles it was a job to him nothing more

[@kenterminateddq5311]

@@donjohn2695 I can tell Jim Hellwig gets irritated at times.

[@jaybarnes8034]

Never liked The Ultimate Warrior or his theme music. He was a troublemaker too.

[@caramelking-zf8wu]

Yet U Like Sting ! (tag team partners) ~ 🤔

[@MaynardOwns]

Watch when Howard finkle comes out to it 2-3 weeks into Chris Jericho’s first run in wwf. He did the rope shake and everything

[@JohnEastmanExAttyAtLaw]

He did business like a true Republican. That is why his wife and kids left him in the end. He also died dead broke. Probably had to get Tren on loan towards the end.

[@dane21dc]

Interesting. More info?

[@tuffteddy1446]

Like a true Republican? Spoken like a leftist with no brains.

[@Ishitonyou666]

Who Warrior ?