Cook’s Top 5: Howard Finkel Moments

Steve Cook takes a look back the Top 5 moments of legendary WWE performer Howard Finkel!

The ring announcer is an often overlooked part of sports entertainment. Whether it be a wrestling, boxing or mixed martial art event, a great show becomes even better with the right person introducing the combatants & announcing the winners. Ring announcers that stick around with a company or stay in one area forever are remembered just as much as the fighters are.

Howard Finkel was an overlooked part of WWE for most of the company’s existence. He was the first employee hired when the WWWF became the WWF. The Fink came up with the name of pro wrestling’s most storied event: WrestleMania. He was the ring announcer for the lion’s share of the company’s most important shows during the 1980s & 1990s. There is not a ring announcer more associated with a company than Howard Finkel is with WWE. Whether he was ever fully appreciated by the company he devoted his life to, it’s tough to say. I can say that the majority of WWE fans over the years certainly did appreciate him.

The Fink passed away this week at the age of 69, making an already difficult week for pro wrestling even worse. Today we look back at some of Howard Finkel’s best moments in WWE.

5. No One Could Out-Think The Fink

Howard was known within WWE as having more knowledge of company history than anybody else. He was there for most of it, and was always paying close attention. If somebody needed a factoid or statistic, they went to Howard. He got to show off his knowledge regularly on the old Byte This internet show, and displayed it on television against some of the NXT Season 2 rookies.

4. Hair-Raising Situations

Finkel’s hair, or lack thereof, was a constant source of comedy throughout his career. The TV announcers would often refer to his lack of hair. Sy Sperling even tried to help him out at WrestleMania X. In 1998, Jeff Jarrett shaved off what was left of Howard’s hair, which ended up backfiring on him at SummerSlam. X-Pac won a hair vs. hair match, and Howard joined in the fun of cutting Jarrett’s hair. Sadly, Howard’s hair never grew back, but the shaved look grew on him (obviously not literally).

3. The #1 Jerichoholic

When Chris Jericho arrived in the WWF, he garnered a lot of attention from fans everywhere. Nobody was a bigger fan of the newest WWF Superstar than Howard Finkel. Jericho took Finkel under his wing, using the Fink’s earnestness to impress to amuse himself and create distractions for his opponents. Y2J eventually sent Howard off on his own, remembering how his previous bald associate Ralphus had gotten a big ego.

2. Howard the Coward

While Howard busied himself with being Jericho’s #1 fan, Lilian Garcia took over Raw ring announcing duties. I love Lilian now, but have to admit that she didn’t get off to a great start in the ring announcing role. Fans wanted the Fink back on Raw, and they eventually got him in August 2002…after he pushed Lilian into Three Minute Warning, who destroyed her in short order. After this less than manly display, Howard displayed a more lecherous side than we were accusomed to while re-taking the Raw ring announcing gig. Shockingly, this didn’t last long & Lilian got the job back.

1. Feuding With Harvey Wippleman

Howard & Bruno had a lot in common. Both were lifelong wrestling fans that would do anything to get into the business despite their physical limitations. Howard became a ring announcer, Bruno became a manager, and their paths intersected when Bruno got to the WWF in 1991 as Dr. Harvey Wippleman. Finkel would introduce Wippleman in a less than enthuiastic tone than we were accustomed to, and the men were at odds for years. They had a number of physical altercations which eventually led to a series of tuxedo matches, one of which was held on Raw in January 1995. I’ll spare you the footage of Finkel & Wippleman in various states of undress.

Howard Finkel has been an important part of pro wrestling as far back as I can remember. While WWE tried to replace him on many occasions, and there are plenty of ring announcers that have done exceptional work over the years, The Fink will never be replaced in the hearts & minds of wrestling fans of my age group & older.