Longtime WWE ring announcer, Howard Finkel has passed away at age 69.
The unfortunate news was broken this morning by WWE. Nicknamed “The Fink”, he was known for his trademark “and NEW!” call and first started working for the WWWF in 1977. Finkel was WWE’s first and longest-tenured employee and was elected into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2009.
Finkel also had some memorable in-ring moments, including a 1995 rivalry with Harvey Whippleman that culminated in a Tuxedo Match, as well as a 2002 feud with Lilian Garcia that was capped off with a tuxedo/evening gown match. After taking on a lighter schedule, Finkel did make a few more sporadic appearances for WWE, including serving as CM Punk’s ring announcer at the 2011 Survivor Series event and RAW 1000 in 2012.
Known for his retention of wrestling knowledge, Finkel also served as WWE’s official statistician and did voiceover work for The Dirt Sheet and The Edge and Christian Show, in addition to his appearances on WWE Legends House.
