Longtime WWE ring announcer Howard Finkel passes away
One of the most well-known ring announcers in wrestling history, Howard Finkel has died.
On Thursday morning, WWE announced that longtime ring announcer Howard Finkel has died at the age of 69.
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel has passed away at age 69. https://t.co/tqmD68ZsQp
— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2020
Finkel made his debut at Madison Square Garden back in 1977 for the original WWWF. He would be the voice of what would become WWE for over 20 years. He had a distinct and immediately recognizable voice that made him immensely valuable around the company. He was loved by WWE fans as well as everyone in the locker room, as he was one of the longest-tenured members of the company. Several members of WWE have already posted on social media, remembering Finkel.
https://twitter.com/StephMcMahon/status/1250793115390226438
Fink was not only an indelible part of my childhood but he couldn’t have been sweeter to me any time I saw him backstage. I’m grateful to have known him.
— Ettore “Big E” Ewen (@WWEBigE) April 16, 2020
THANK YOU, Mr. Finkel. For your kindness EVERY time we had the chance to interact and for providing a soundtrack to so…
Posted by Adam Pearce on Thursday, April 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/JRsBBQ/status/1250802358986170372
https://twitter.com/RRWWE/status/1250792323652284416
The first great ring announcer is gone. RIP @wwe Hall of Famer Howard Finkel. pic.twitter.com/jvkGDDVh4u
— John Layfield (@JCLayfield) April 16, 2020
Finkel, affectionately known as “The Fink,” was the ring announcer for some of the biggest matches in WWE history, from the infamous Hulk Hogan-Andre the Giant showdown at WrestleMania III to the Shawn Michaels-Bret Hart Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII.
Once or twice, Finkel would step into the ring. In 1995, he faced hated manager Harvey Wippleman in a Tuxedo Match. It was one of the more forgettable matches in WWE history, but it showed he was far from scared to do what it took to entertain the WWE Universe.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009. He paved the way for ring announcers such as Lilian Garcia, Tony Chimel, and Justin Roberts. He was pro wrestling’s version of Michael Buffer, with his iconic voice and ability to add an extra dimension to some of WWE’s most historic matches.
It’s been an already tough week for WWE, with Wednesdays mass layoff and trying to continue some form of normalcy within the company, and now losing one of the most beloved members of the WWE family. WWE has offered their thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of “The Fink.”
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