33. The Ring Announcers: 'Mean' Gene Okerlund & Lord Alfred Hayes
Okerlund is one of the most well-known figures from WWEs first golden era, having interviewed many now-legendary wrestlers. He was on hand during many famous promos, both good and bad, that have become immortalized thanks to YouTube. These include: several messed-up Hogan promos, Piper calling his opponent p***y-whipped, and the infamous Ultimate Warrior interview that went like this: Gentlemen, as you know, the Ultimate Warrior- F*** IT. These hilarious-yet-memorable moments are but a handful of reasons why Okerlund has employment for life in WWE, and why he makes appearances on Network shows and WWE Vintage Collection. Hayes, meanwhile, worked in various commentating roles in WWE throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was a beloved person both on commentary and backstage, and when he was released in 1995, Vince was very upset that he had to end Hayes tenure with the company. Sadly, he was involved in a serious car accident that led to a gangrene infection, which resulted in part of his leg being amputated. Hayes died of a stroke on July 21, 2005. WWE paid tribute to him on the first RAW after his passing.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
