Gene Okerlund - Why Bruno Sammartino Didn't Like Vince McMahon

[@TitleMatchWrestling]

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

[@adamy.7053]

Thank you for this interview. It's always nice to see the Late, Great Mean Gene Okerlund speaking candidly about professional wrestling.

[@kenterminateddq5311]

IMO, Gene's shoot interview is one of the top 3 best interviews from RF Video.

[@rogermoore7892]

Juiced or no Juice, a man passing at 82 is a good life still. There's a many that don't see 70 let alone 82

[@josephgana5746]

My Grandmother is blessed 97 she is, n she still cooks, n is up top of things, has all her marbles, SHE IS TRULEY BLESSED she never smoked, maybe in the late 30s early 40s a little bit, but nothing after that, I'll b lucky to make 75, im 47, n i smoke, almost a pack a day Im rammin my bad GOOD DAY FELLA

[@AmericanCombatAssoc]

The average male born today will live to be 74.5. Bruno had many bonus years

[@EasylikeSunday]

I don’t wanna see 75, let alone 82.

[@shaynewest8757]

Gee your so intelligent please tell as more obvious things that everyone already knows.

[@BuJammy]

@@shaynewest8757 Ok, how about "It should be "you're"".

[@alhall305]

This guy is literally the voice of my childhood. Love these videos. Thanks man

[@rwsimmons8812]

Bruno is the G.O.A.T.

[@ChadMukina]

WWE died with THE GREAT MEAN, GENE OKERLAND. For me at least! When someone talks about wrestling, i hear the great one. Legend, irreplaceable!!!

[@g7721]

I think he was by far the best ever in wrestling at what he did. The backstage interview and TV presence was so important for the product. Mean Gene was the best ever at it

[@SalladKejuan-yn1lx]

WTF? NO IT DIED AFTER THE 90S IN GENERAL ROMAN WAS THE LAST CHAMP TO HAVE A BELT FOR A LONG TIME....THAT ERA DEAD

[@theboombody]

Nobody instigated things better.

[@jasonhowell-lg5ig]

11 yrs WWWF champion.. during two reigns ( 7 and a half yrs and 3 and a half yrs.. Bruno was a legend ⭐

[@rickjames2.0]

Take that Roman!😂

[@djmcheme]

Very boring wrestler

[@Honestwrestlingfan92-yg4cf]

@@djmcheme what does brock lesnar have to do with this?

[@bouldercryptosissydragon8807]

In today's WWE he would be lucky to have a six month reign, that is how much wrestling has changed.

[@Honestwrestlingfan92-yg4cf]

@@bouldercryptosissydragon8807 and not for the better thanks to the IWC and social media.

[@jaybarnes8034]

Bruno was one of the and the best players n his era.

[@jamesrawlins735]

The fact that he sold out MSG over 200 times is hard to believe in this day and age. Younger wrestling fans don't really understand just huge he was. The other guy like that was Gorgeous George, the blueprint for the Ric Flair type heels. George was really the guy that made pro wrestling a success during the first decade of television.

[@HILLTONY99]

One of the greatest announcers there ever was.

[@davem1212]

I knew wrestling was like a tv show as a 10 yr old in the 80’s but it was so fun to watch. The stomps when punching and no black eyes was the giveaways. Plus you could really tell with the 10 punches in the corner of a turnbuckle when the crowd would count after every punch lol. Not one punch landed

[@Jojobizzare80]

We love and miss you Gene ❤️❤️

[@Nilbogiam]

It's a shame we never got another Ric Flair promo with Mean Gene after WCW.

[@MrCuddles77]

Man… I would have loved to meet him and have a long talk with him.

[@hatuey718]

Does anyone remember a Mean Gene restaurant chain? I remember seeing a tattered awning that said Mean Gene with his image on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

That was another Gene I think.

[@ernestcruz6316]

From what I understand they were a fast food chain that wasn't really around that long. We didn't have any franchises in Western MA when I was living there, so I never ate at one. All I know is it existed. In the WrestleCrap Book of Lists, there's a picture of some fan standing in front of one.

[@foeud]

I miss Mean Gene

[@RuggedSource]

00:40 - Most people don't realize that anabolic "steroids" were sold over the counter until 1990. Then you had synthetic or designer steroids/hormones which were legal until 2004.

[@datacipher]

Oh you dullard. Why is it always the most ignorant kids. SO what store did you buy them at buddy? You didn’t. They were NOT sold otc. Why in the heck do you think McMahon (maybe) and Zahorian were distributing? Why do you think the guys didn’t just get it at Kmart? You still had to get a Dr to sign off on a prescription or buy them black market. Unbelievable…. The only thing that snuck by for a few years was prohormones - and serious users weren’t using that.

[@Grisna_25-]

Rip the legend

[@Eli_skips]

Charismatic voice of Wrestling.

[@j.t.8848]

Love this guy forever

[@omegasupreme1970]

RIP Mean Gene you are missed

[@nichhodge8503]

1:56 talking about smartening up the fan was going to happen anyway with the starting up of the UFC in America. In 93 you had guys going into a cage in no holds barred fights and it looked completely different to pro wrestling, even the most stupid pro wrestling fans could see that when say Royce Gracie put someone in a wrestling’s “sleeper” aka rear naked choke once that guy started fading he would go asleep and not be able to suddenly get a second wind and would get up with Royce Gracie on his back then throw him off some way like Hulk Hogan did. Trust me if Royce had Hulk in a rear naked choke his arm wouldn’t suddenly raise up in the air while doing the finger wag. There are a few real submissions used in pro wrestling but when you see a Brazilian Ju Jitsu or Catch Wrestling guy put it on they’re either going to submit or go to sleep. And during a fight (had to win 3 fights in one night to win the UFC’s title/trophy/money for winning as they had no weight classes in the early days) when some is being punched (bare knuckled), kicked (you could wear amateur wrestling shoes or sneakers during the fights), head butted or kneed or elbowed in the face you saw the damage it did, yes wrestlers bled during matches but you did see eyes swelling shut, teeth kicked out, busted up noses and mouths. So even the stupid fans would look at the two products and see what it looks like when 2 people are helping each other to make their matches as good as possible and when 2 guys in their to really hurt their opponents while trying to take as little damage yourself as you might have another one or two later on that night. So with the growth of MMA breaking Kayfabe would’ve happened by itself without Vince McMahon telling people it’s entertainment

[@openmodalguitar61]

Good observation. Interesting in Japan the industry went the other way under the influence of Karl Gotch, with shoot style promotions and wrestlers who could legit cross over to MMA. Meanwhile in America every theatrical corny implausible gimmick was employed, so that when UFC came in it was a really big contrast, whereas in Japan there was an overlap Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott jumped between MMA and Pro Wrestling, Brock Lesnar of course, just to complicate things. The point is I think that old school guys like Karl Gotch advocated minimum kayfabe, just enough to not injure each other and put on a good show with legit catch moves and submissions, he took that philosophy to Japan and it took hold. US promoters esp Vince McMahon had the opposite view, stretch the credibility of the kayfabe world as far as possible if it will make you more money. The way Hulk Hogan was presented as a champion was with little regard for plausible kayfabe, it was cartoonish. But the formula worked in the US, kayfabe doesn't have to get everybody in, just enough to keep the industry going, Vince kept making money so by his values it was worth torching kayfabe. And now retired wrestlers can make a living talking about backstage fights and booking office soap operas, scripts, characters, gimmicks and angles in a post kayfabe era ... it's a funny business

[@nichhodge8503]

@@openmodalguitar61 and funny enough I’d rather watch wrestlers from the 70s-90s talk about backstage politics, their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyles and about how the business was run back then rather than watching modern wrestling. Most stuff while looks impressive you can see that they’re helping each other through the moves/routines where as someone like the Dynamite Kid did do some high flying stuff for his day he never looked like someone was helping him unless it was Davy Boy when they were the British Bulldogs. Dynamite Kid who did boxing before doing catch wrestling and pro wrestling had the psychology more like a “real” fight by working a body part down and if someone had been working his leg he would sell that properly by limping and not jumping off the top rope or doing a knee drop using his worked leg. The psychology today in wrestling has been thrown out the door mostly, won’t say completely as there probably some wrestlers out there who do use good psychology in a match

[@BobJone-ve7ig]

Mean Gene had the best burger spot. Miss that place.

[@michaelvazquez7851]

RIP 🙏

[@thewhitepanther6052]

I read that ddp went to his funeral and no one else in wrestling showed up. Disgracefull

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

DDP is a good human being.

[@crshovrid3]

Kevin Dunn was there, they were good friends

[@SherwoodMa63744]

Similar to Rick Rudes funeral. Curt Henning was upset about that. Truth is, most people were and are not our friends nor value us. Thank God that this is between us and God, and not about others opinions.

[@ppdadon]

No hulk hogan crazy

[@msoi215]

#RIPMeanGene #RIPBrunoSammartino

[@ericdravenX00X]

If there were those Blueprints for the Lead Wrestlemania still laying around they would be like the Holy Grail of Professional Wrestling Memorabilia..

[@landondillard3418]

Great point

[@johndurham2459]

I can't imagine that Bruno liked Hogan.

[@essanance]

I mean we all knew all along Vince was a terrible human being and now that all this stuff is coming out ....imagine all the horrible stuff we will never hear about

[@PtolemyJones]

Easy to understand why anyone didn't like Vince, curious why anyone ever did, other than wanting his favor.

[@bigogarland7325]

Meeeeean Wooooooooo Bygawd Geeeeeeeeeeene Wooooooooooo has that deep voice!!!!

[@smittysilver6682]

Mean Gean great man love his comintery great man

[@NoneofYabiz-rx3zi]

Those carny wrestling folks just incorporate their carny jargon in everyday speech. "I don't need to put anyone over" 😂

[@rogerrabbitonpcp6021]

Bruno is the original GOAT

[@sampleoffers1978]

Steroids in football you dont mind because theyre trying to stay alive in very exploitative, blood sport then and now. In pro wrestling, not shoot competition, its their choice to embrace that culture but if civilians are killed as result, like in benoit murders...then Samartino's convictions were valid though that wasnt his concerns then.

[@astrosjer822]

Mean Gene and Hulk Hogan…like peas and carrots! They are inseparable

[@francescotonini6268]

Hogan did not attend Gene's funeral

[@CollectingCardboard]

1:10 'ish - Great question,...that I _always_ look forward to hearing the...."old timers"....respond to; if breaking kayfabe...."ruined"....the business...??! Obviously, we'll never _KNOW_ ,...for _CERTAIN_ ,....because that's a rhetorical-question. That being said, as a kid in the 70's & 80's , I more or less...."knew"....that wrestling was a work. And if I had any doubts, dad more or less,... _assured me_ ; ("if half of those moves those guys do were _real_ ,...within the first minute or two of every match, one of the guys would be *_dead_* "!!....lol 😂😂), _HOWEVER_ ; the fact that the wrestlers would kayfabe and keep you...."believing"....that it was real, was the figurative-equivalent to believing in Santa Claus!! There comes a point in time/age where _obviously_ ; you realize that Santa is...well,....ya' know,....but still; there's something in _MOST OF US_ ,...that still holds-to & believes in the magic of the Christmas season. And I guess that's sorta' the way that I equate that to wrestling,...and the industry _deliberately_ & _absolutely_ ,...."doing away with".....kayfabe. _Clearly_ ,...viewership & interest in wrestling.... _EXPLODED_ ,...post-kayfabe. _But_ ,....who's to say that if the industry chose to *_maintain kayfabe_* ,...that viewership/interest might not have been (example) *_TEN TIMES_* more popular, etc.....?!? Again; it's not as if the viewership,...." _REALLY_ , believed".....that wrestling was real....?!? We _KNEW_ it wasn't!? As I said, obviously, we'll never know if the numbers would've been bigger; but I _certainly_ think that it's a possibility, for sure...!!?

[@ivancook1247]

When you no its a circus act why watch these guys i watched wrestling since i was a kid 58 now havent watched this crap for 15yrs , in my opinion they took yes it could be real , and said its a work , these guys couldnt wrestle there ass out of a paper bag , bunch of high spots that dont mean crap

[@TheJbonez1000]

The internet killed wrastlin and gave us sports entertainment...ugh.

[@wewin03]

You can’t have kayfabe in the internet era.

[@mahmud9973]

Hello

[@mindmesh7566]

Stephanie and Shane…………😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💩💩💩💩💩

[@mexmexican8619]

Too bad Vince cared more about making billions than he did his kids

[@rogermoore7892]

Lol

[@PatBrooks-u6w]

What's to like? It's like asking why you don't like Satan.

[@brianpendergast2894]

Evil Vince payback will come. Steroid brain

[@phil6844]

The loss of Kayfabe obviously didn’t ruin anything, business is booming.

[@JefferyAshmore]

I dont think so, can't stand it anymore. Not real looking.

[@NoneofYabiz-rx3zi]

Oh please, when did wrestling ever look real to you? When you were a kid probably...

[@donjohn2695]

The loss of kayfabe destroyed the business because fans wanted to believe it was real they wanted to buy emotionally into the feud's and action

[@JefferyAshmore]

@@NoneofYabiz-rx3zi terry gordy, dick bruiser, Stan hamson, bruiser brody.ect.

[@robr5786]

Lol,it's not booming,there are less ppl employed in wrestling than there were in the 70's and early 80's. Just go and look at the cities that had cards every 2 weeks and a big show every month, Chicago, Milwaukee,Denver,St Louis, Louisville,Greensboro,Philly,San Fran,Dallas,Mpls/St Paul, Shreveport and all the spot shows in towns we never even heard about

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

Bruno definitely juiced, Why do you think he passed at 82?

[@Kromsmitesyou]

Yeah he was a young man 😂

[@timfrederick9305]

Yeah like the average life span is 140

[@donjohn2695]

82 is ancient 😂

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

@@donjohn2695 82 is the new 62, So yes, it's a relatively short life

[@wondermcthunder8835]

He was a kid