Howard Finkel - the announcer whose booming "....and NEW!" heralded the crowning of countless WWE champions has died.
The man who was often known as 'The Fink' passed away at the age of 69, WWE have confirmed.
Finkel is the man credited with coining the term Wrestlemania ahead of the then-WWF's first celebrity-packed super-show at Madison Square Garden in 1985.
A native of Newark in New Jersey, Finkel began working for the WWWF in the late-70s, making his Madison Square Garden debut in 1976.
On top of coining the term Wrestlemania, he would go on to appear at every one between 1985 and 2016.
An inductee into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, Finkel was for a time one of the company's longest tenured employees.
His unique delivery made him synonymous with the WWE's rise from a territorial promotion through its expansion into a global behemoth.
Finkel had struggled with his health in recent years, and suffered a stroke in February of 2019.
WWE's chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon led the tributes to 'The Fink' saying, "In what has already been a tough week for our WWE family, today we lost our first ever employee and WWE Hall of Famer, Howard Finkel.
"Howard's voice is iconic and recognised by generations of fans. He will be missed. #RIPHowardFinkel, Thank you for everything."
In what has already been a tough week for our @WWE family, today we lost our 1st ever employee and WWE Hall of Famer, @howardfinkel. Howard’s voice is iconic & recognized by generations of fans. He will be missed. #RIPHowardFinkel Thank you for everything. ❤️🙏❤️
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) April 16, 2020
Behind the scenes, Finkel performed a number of key roles particularly during the WWF's expansion.
He would be tasked with arenas, gymnasiums and businesses to advertise that the World Wrestling Federation was coming to town.
Finkel was also used as an occasional talent scout, with 'Honky Tonk Man' Wayne Farris claiming that Finkel was the reason 'Macho Man' Randy Savage was brought to the attention of Vince McMahon.
In the early 90s, he was plunged into an on-air feud with Harvey Wimpleman (Downtown Bruno), and cut some memorable promos along the way.
After taking a step back from full-time announcing in 2011, Finkel became the key historian within Titan Towers working on their WWE.com website.
Revered and loved by almost everyone he worked with, Finkel and his enduring voice will be missed.
