The competing athletes are an integral part of the professional wrestling industry but sports entertainment operates on athletic spectacle, as well as constant input from those watching. The recent pandemic and the subsequent restrictions perfectly illustrated the fact that professional wrestling thrives on noise, as without fans drowning out every second of the ongoing action, the spectacle falls far short. That being said, the participation of a live audience is just one facet as the folks at ringside are just as vital in creating the atmosphere of a wrestling bout.
The commentators are heard almost every second of the show and seldom, these commentators actually become a part of an ongoing storyline. Meanwhile, the ring announcers are often forgotten despite being one of the more important figures in the business.
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Ring announcers are tasked with warming up the crowd and serve as an opening act before the action can commence. Ring announcers in boxing and mixed martial arts are well-respected personalities in sports and pro wrestling adopted the concept from the very onset. And the most recurring name in the discussion will and forever will be the late Howard Finkel.
The Fink Came Up With The Name For WrestleMania
Howard “The Fink” Finkel was a part of pro wrestling for decades and he served as the voice of the WWE for close to 40 years. Finkel passed away in April of 2020 due to complications from COVID but his iconic voice will forever live on in the annals of WWE history.
Much like Jim Ross is considered the greatest wrestling commentator, fans and pundits have unanimously declared Howard Finkel as the greatest ring announcer, as his heavy voice and style of delivery had blared through the packed arenas for decades. The guy came up with the name of “WrestleMania” and that alone earns him a coveted spot in the history books of WWE.
However, as good as Howard Finkel was at his craft, the legendary ring announcer was often ridiculed by the company, much like Jim Ross constantly suffered humiliation at the hands of his employer. While Fink was not mocked as maliciously as Jim Ross, Finkel often found himself in ludicrous storylines and bore his fair share of humiliation.
This was evident in 2011 when CM Punk brought Finkel out as his personal ring announcer before his match against Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series. The commentators, aside from Booker T, wasted no time in burying and mocking Howard Finkel, with Michael Cole throwing a snide remark about Fink hitting the treadmill. Be a star, WWE.
By the dawn of the new millennium, Fink was a beloved personality as he had been with the company since day one but for some insane reason, WWE decided to turn Finkel heel in one of the more bizarre storylines involving non-personalities. Granted, most plots involving ring announcers and commentators are dreadful in general but Finkel feuded with Lillian Garcia of all people and the culmination point was legitimately cringe-inducing and another point of humiliation for Fink.
The feud began in August 2002. Around this time, Garcia began taking over the announcing duties, and Finkel, despite his storied history that spanned decades, took offense to the newcomer trying to take over. This led to Finkel cutting a series of blistering promos on Garcia and the two feuded on-screen for a few weeks.
Eventually, Eric Bischoff got involved and brought the two out into the ring in order to settle the dispute. Soon after, upon the orders of the GM, 3-minute warning, a faction comprised of Rosey, Jamal, and Rico, invaded the ring and Fink pushed Garcia into the crosshairs before running out of the ring.
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This led to an “evening grown versus tuxedo” match on the following episode of RAW and the two contestants were Fink and Lillian Garcia. Yes. That happened. The winner would be the first individual to strip the other person down. Yes. That happened as well. Anyway, Finkel and Garcia “wrestled” for a few minutes until the females at ringside, Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler, got involved.
A Heel Turn No One Wanted But Still Happened
Earlier on, Howard had thrown a degrading remark towards the two and after getting slapped by all three of the females in the ring, the Fink was taken down and stripped down to his briefs on live television for all to see. The stipulation to the “match” was that the winner would become the full-time announcer for Monday Night Raw and with Lillian winning the “bout”, Finkel was removed from television and his successor took over the duties.
As awful as the feud sounds, the program was thankfully short-lived and over in a few weeks. This was a way to phase Howard Finkel off of television but turning a beloved personality heel during the twilight of his career was a slap to the face of the Fink, as well as the fans who had no intention of booing the legendary ring announcer.
The company had teased a heel turn for the announcer a few years prior when Finkel was associated with Chris Jericho but when WWE actually pulled the trigger in 2002, fans were tormented by one of the most bizarre storylines in history.
