10 Things You Didn't Know About 'Mean' Gene Okerlund

10. Jesse Ventura's 'Mean' Nickname Was A Playful Jibe

Mean Gene Okerlund Jesse Ventura
WWE.com

Some younger fans may be a little confused as to why such a gentlemanly looking fellow could be nicknamed 'Mean' Gene. That ol' prankster Jesse Ventura is the one to blame. It was he who came up with the playful moniker when both worked together in the AWA, and it was first uttered with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

According to Jesse during his RF Video shoot, literally everybody liked Gene, and that's why the name worked.

Okerlund was a consument gent to everyone, from top-tier talent to the lowest grunt on the totem pole cleaning up beer and popcorn from the stands after the show. That caught Ventura's attention, and he decided to coin the announcer's iconic nickname. At first, 'Gene-O' didn't care for it.

In his own RF shoot, Okerlund admitted that the 'Mean' name got on his nerves slightly, and he couldn't understand why it caught on. Once it did, he was powerless to stop it, and so he embraced it. Get used to those RF shoots, 'cause they're a goldmine of Gene info.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.