Longtime ring announcer Howard Finkel AKA “The Fink” has died last week. One of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) first and oldest employees since the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) owned by the late Vince McMahon, Sr. in the late 1970s. A Hall of Famer, his contributions to the wrestling world speak for themselves.

Time will not allow me to say the things that have already been about Fink. One thing that was very distinctive was his booming voice-esp. when a championship had changed hands! Case in point: “The winner of the bout, and NEWWWWW World/intercontinental/US/Tag Team Champions…”, and you heard a louder “pop” (crowd reaction) even before the winner’s name(s) was announced. This gentleman had an impact.

I will not go into some angles that Vince McMahon, Jr. or his writers had him involved in, to me, they were pretty much forgettable. But he made wrestling worth watching. Many tributes were made from both wrestlers and the fans. And like the superstars, Fink, too, was a part of our childhood. We was in as much anticipation of whom Fink would announce as we were in expectation of who won or lost the match.

Sidebar: I grew up in the 80s and early 90s as a wrestling fan, and around ‘89 (or ‘90), there was an article every Friday in the paper that would reveal some of the “dirtsheets” as to whom Vince, Jr would crown the winners of the events coming up-some of these were months-a year at the longest. While it was a dime-a-dozen at the time that this kinda information would be public knowledge, it was always good to have the upper hand during PPV (pay per view) who won or lost while the other kids remained oblivious to the outcome of the match. I wouldn’t be surprised if some kids had a hustle going on about pro wrestling back then.

Again, Mr. Finkel’s accomplishments speak for themselves. Having retired due to recent health issues last year, he was still honoured by his peers in Sports Entertainment. His voice is silenced, but his legacy lives on.

Another sidebar: Google/YouTube Howard Finkel’s announcements, and if you’re subscribed to the WWE Network, need I say more on that?

Rest well, Mr. Finkel. And thank you for making wrestling enjoyable for both children and adults.