Inducted by LWO4Life
I am fairly certain that this opinion is shared among a majority of wrestling fans, including those who preferred JCP/WCW over WWF: The greatest voice in wrestling had to go to Howard Finkel. Howard Finkel was the voice that rang after a great match during your childhood. Whether you grew up in the territory era of the late-70’s, the Golden Era of the 80’s, the Attitude Era of the 90’s, or the Ruthless Aggression Era of the 2000’s, The Fink, as he was called, started and finished each match with his booming voice. Next to Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross, The Fink was truly the voice of our childhoods.
Howard Finkel started his career by going to broadcasting school in the early ’70s, which would lead to him working as a public address announcer in New Jersey. For a day job, Finkel worked in sales and promotion for the then WWWF. It would be Vince McMahon Jr. who heard the potential in Finkel’s voice, convincing his dad to use Howard as a ring announcer. Vince was right. In 1977, Finkel debuted at Madison Square Garden and was an immediate hit as the ring announcer. By 1979, Finkel was the full-time voice of Madison Square Garden. His voice would lend legitimacy to the product at the time.
Marketing
Okay, I know that Howard Finkel was created with the name Wrestlemania, because of Beatlemania, but wasn’t Hulkamania already running wild in the WWF at the time? I only bring this up because many people you saw onscreen who weren’t wrestlers had another job in the company. Gorilla Monsoon was the second-in-command, and Jimmy Hart was helping produce wrestling music; Brother Love was part of the creative team; everyone had multiple hats. So while I know the Wrestlemania story has since been challenged, one thing has always been certain: Finkel was part of Vince’s early marketing team.
Finkel was seen as so important to Vince McMahon Jr.’s operations that Vince officially made him his first-ever hire in 1980, two full years before he himself bought the WWF. Vince understood the need for Howard’s marketing mind and the voice he had. Howard Finkel’s effortless delivery was the sound of legitimacy. Vince knew this, especially for what he had planned.
The Ultimate Fan
Finkel LOVED wrestling. Loved it. He would not only accept Vince’s official news sources, but he was a subscriber to the Wrestling Observer, and each week, he’d give the WWF/E higher-ups a report on the goings-on of the business. Of course, being the ultimate fan, Finkel was often the target of pranks, especially by Vince himself. None bigger than in 1993, during an episode of Raw, when his car was wrecked during an episode by Mr. Perfect. Instead of getting mad, Finkel took it on the chin and felt he was taking this for the betterment of the business. He’d often be the target of “ribs” by Vince.
Sadly, Fink would end up living in assistant living facility towards the end of his life. One thing that showed his love of the business was that the nurses had a note, reminding them to turn the TV to USA every Monday at 8 PM to watch WWE Raw. The Fink loved wrestling. He was the ultimate fan and would do anything for the business.
Why His Voice was Important
Let me break down The Fink’s voice for a second. It’s hard to compare different announcers, but to explain, I have to bring up others. This is not a knock on them; this is to highlight The Fink and showcase why he is here. You see, at the time, announcers had many different styles, but Finkel’s style was different than the rest. Gary Michael Cappetta, for instance, when he announced in WCW, his voice could sound a bit sleepy, whereas David Penzer is sort of the father of the modern style, where they add a bit more gruffness in their voice to add excitement. Finkel was neither. Finkel’s voice could boom when he talked; he was able to sound deep, but instead of his deep voice sounding low, he could project it to sound loud. Simple phrases became his trademark simply because he said them better than anyone else.
When a wrestler won a title, they wanted to hear the Fink say their name after… “AND NEW WWF CHAMPION!” Once the Fink said it, it was real, and the wrestlers and fans believed it. So much of Vince’s national expansion was beyond just getting Hulk Hogan; it was also the look and sound of the product. When Hulk Hogan won the title, fans nationwide heard the Fink. His voice commanded respect in the business. It wasn’t overly dramatic; it didn’t need to be, but at the same time, it was booming, it just felt right.
One of Us
As mentioned earlier, the Fink was the ultimate fan. Which is why he didn’t take himself seriously. He could be seen drinking beers with the APA, getting his clothes ripped off in tuxedo matches with Lilian Garcia (matches that the guys were hoping he’d win), eating sardines with the Bushwackers, and getting involved with storylines in which he often took the bad end of the deal. And he had fun doing every second of it.
By all accounts, Finkel was one of the nicest people you’d meet. It’s great when amazing people can be honored. Those who poured into the business through love and passion. So it is my honor to induct Howard Finkel into the LOP/WrestlingHeadlines Hall of Fame.
