Photo for Headline Surfer / WWE ring announcer Howard Finkel is shown above in the squared circle. YouTube download / video courtesy of WWE / Hall of Fame announcer Howard Finkel doing his thing in the ring since 1977, has passed away.
Posted: 2020-04-16 - 15:09:3
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Howard Finkel, the WWE Hall of Fame ring announcer credited with coining the phrase "Wrestlemania," has died. He was 69 years old.
Finkel's death was announced early this morning and news of his passing was carried in byline stories on CNN, Newsweek, the Associated Press and a whole host of wrestling blogs and news websites like Headline Surfer, which carries a sports entertainment column, "Wrestling ReWind."
"WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel has passed away at age 69," the professional wrestling company tweeted in response to Finkel's passing on this Thursday morning having been its most iconic and longest-serving announcer. He had been in declining health, but the WWE did not disclose the illness or circumstances of his death.
Known affectionately as "The Fink," Howard Finkel's iconic voice was a fixture in the WWE for decades. He has joined a fraternity of wrestling personalities in that great ring in the sky: Lord Alfred Hayes, "Mean Gene" Okerlund, and the original WWWF ring announcer from the 1970s, Joe McCue.
While Vince McMahon, the chairman of WWE is credited with creating the concept of Wrestlemania, the biggest of the iconic annual pay-per-views, it was Finkel who coined the phrase "Wrestlemania."
Wrestlemania 36 was showcased on the WWE Network April 4-5, having been taped at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando in a closed set with no live audience, just before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide Stay-At-Home order for all Floridians considered non-essential workers such as police, fire, paramedics, doctors, nurses and others in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Finkel's death is just the latest in a series of tough situations for the WWE, which announced that one of its employees,- not a wrestler - haCOVID-19 virus. That employee has since made a full recovery. And earlier this week, DeSantis raised eyebrows when he declared WWE and its employees and on-air talent "essential" workers.
Finkel made his in-ring debut at Madison Square Garden in 1977 when WWE was known as WWWF. He was given the job full time two years later when the World Wide Wrestling Federation became the WWF in 1980, and later the WWE. Finkel became the first employee of the new company as noted by WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon in a tweet recognized Finkle as the first employee of the new company with her father Vincent K. McMahahon as the chairman of the Board and owner.
"Howard's voice is iconic & recognized by generations of fans. He will be missed," Stephanie McMahon tweeted.
Finkel would would mark championship victories with his signature call, "and Nnneeeww world champion!" For Finkel's dedication to the wrestling industry, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Bruce Prichard, a WWE insider said of venerable ring announcer on Twitter, "Rest in Peace Howard Finkel. Greatest ring announcer of all time. Historian and walking wrestling encyclopedia. Hall of Famer. Loyal. Great friend. Love you Fink."
Booker T., retired WCW and WWE wrestler tweeted, "When I first got to WWE, I couldn’t wait to hear Howard Finkel announce my name. He’s without a doubt the greatest ring announcer of all time. #RIPFink"
Hulk Hogan, the face of WWE since the early 1980s tweeted: "Howard Finkle was on Team Hogan through the good and bad times, even when I was on the outs Howard would call on a consistent basis to tell me to always keep my head up, up, up, it was” never say never” and “you and Vince will work it out”,my good friend RIP,I love you 4LifeHH."
And WWE wrestling superstar Kevin Owens added, "Howard was the best. It’s that simple. I’ll never forget the last few times I saw him...the excitement he still had for the industry, the genuine concern he showed when asking about how my family was doing despite his own declining health... I’m so grateful I got to know him. https://twitter.com/wwe/status/1250790077854334981 …"
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<div><img alt="Henry Frederick bio / Headline Surfer" data-align="left" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="52bf6945-20dd-40d3-a535-b2ad123d4135" height="254" src="/web/sites/default/files/inline-images/HFrederick_0.png" width="252" /> Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via <a href="HeadlineSurfer.com">HeadlineSurfer.com</a>. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.</div>
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