10 Fascinating Facts About WWE In 2017
5. ‘Mania 33 Was The First Without Howard Finkel
Sadly, legendary ring announcer Howard Finkel passed away in April 2020. Poignantly, the fan favourite died shortly after WrestleMania. Why's that poignant? Well, Howard had been tied to the longstanding event series since it started, and reportedly even played a major role in naming it.
2017 marked the first time in history that Finkel wouldn't appear at 'Mania. He'd been the chief ring announcer for most of the shows, but then settled into the groove of emceeing WWE's Hall Of Fame segments. At 33, he didn't appear at all. SmackDown announcer Greg Hamilton got the nod for the HOF bit instead.
Bummer.
It's incredible to think that Howard kept his streak going until WrestleMania 33. He appeared on more 'Mania shows than stars like Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan and even The Undertaker. 2016 would be his swan song moment on WWE's biggest show of the year.