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RF Shoot with Mean Gene Okerlund

RF Shoot with Mean Gene Okerlund

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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