10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Vince McMahon
4. He Was Horrible To Howard Finkel, Too
Howard Finkel was a treasured onscreen talent.
Blessed with a distinctly endearing voice, no announcer has ever rivalled "The Fink" when anointing a new champion. His prolonged, much-imitated "...and new!" announcement was loaded with gravitas.
He was also a beloved, long-tenured employee. His charm and enthusiasm was no carny work, either; Luke Gallows once spoke of the time that Finkel, in his capacity as a live event liaison, rang him up to coordinate a house show appearance. Finkel told Gallows that he was working Kane, and in a delightful touch, did so in kayfabe. "Watch out for that chokeslam!" Fink said before hanging up.
One of the nicest men to have ever been involved in wrestling, the Fink also coined 'WrestleMania', which was a significantly better idea than Vince's original 'The Colossal Tussle' pitch.
Finkel's reward?
Per William "Paul Bearer" Moody, Fink was institutionally bullied. Moody described the "abuse" as "24/7" - "constant". He was too much of a fan, and not an alpha male, and so he was force-fed sardines in a Bushwhackers skit until he was sick and booked frequently in Tuxedo matches because Vince, a phenomenally mean-spirited man, seemed to enjoy watching him suffer.