10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1999
7. The Hidden Last Hurrah Of A Company Legend
Gorilla Monsoon's final on-screen appearance for WWE was bittersweet.
A WrestleMania XV cameo as a judge for Butterbean's destruction of Bart Gunn in a Brawl-For-All encounter resulted in the company legend and industry icon getting one of the biggest reactions on the entire show. It was also a realisation for everybody watching just how rapidly the Hall-Of-Famer's health was declining.
A WrestleMania standing ovation was quite a fitting send-off for the legendary figure before his unfortunate passing in October, but there was an epilogue of sorts for one of the company's longest-tenured voices in the form of the UK airings of recap/c-show Superstars. Interestingly, he worked the shows as a tweener too - as "WWE President", he tended not to take an anti-Corporation stance even if it meant not backing the babyfaces of the day.
It's strange - his voice doesn't really fit the product (nor a booth shared with the likes of Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly and Tom Prichard), but it's still a welcome addition. When just about every aspect of the company had pivoted to the excesses of Attitude, he was a holdover that provided brief but welcome relief.