Following more than 30 years in sports-entertainment, Gene Okerlund became one of, if not the most recognizable announcers in the history of the squared circle. Nicknamed "Mean Gene" by longtime colleague and fellow Minnesotan Jesse Ventura, Okerlund began as a backstage interviewer in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association in the early 1970s. In his early days, Mean Gene was often seen interviewing some of the greatest stars in the AWA, including Bobby Heenan and his protégés as ...