Gordon Solie (born Francis Jonard Labiak, He is regarded by many as one of the greatest and most influential wrestling announcers.

Career

Stock car driving

Early in his career, Solie worked as a stringer.

Professional wrestling

thumb|left|Solie interviewing a fan in 1979

Solie began his pro wrestling career as a ring announcer, making $5 a night and was also notorious for noting when a bloodied superstar was "wearing a crimson mask." Solie eventually entered wrestling myth, and often stayed out of angles, but lots of them became historic once he was involved; one such angle was in Georgia when the Magnificent Muraco confronted Solie, threatening to hurt him.

According to wrestling lore, Solie had wrestlers that he was interviewing place him in holds so he could understand them better and call them more realistically, because he wanted to learn how it felt to be on the defensive end of a hold. Following the folding of CWF in 1987, Solie returned to Georgia and became one of the lead announcers for the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) later WCW television programs. Solie also worked for the Continental Wrestling Federation and USA Championship Wrestling based out of Knoxville. Later the same year WWE's WWE Classics on Demand video service began offering The Film Room with Gordon Solie, hosted by Ross, focusing on Solie's announcing and interviewing of a specific wrestler or group of wrestlers involved in a feud. On August 11, 2009, Solie's biography, The Solie Chronicles was released by Crowbar Press.

In 2013, Ryan Dilbert from the Bleacher Report stated, "Debating the greatest pro wrestling commentator comes down to two men, Jim Ross and Gordon Solie."

Awards and accomplishments

  • Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Other honoree (1996)
  • George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Gordon Solie Award (2021)
  • National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Announcer of the Year (1977)
  • PWI Editor's Award (1989)
  • Pro Wrestling This Week
  • Wrestler of the Week (August 9–15, 1987)
  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • (Class of 2004)
  • World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)
  • World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Best Television Announcer (1981–1983)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Notes

References

  • GORDON SOLIE: LEGENDARY ANNOUNCER
  • Solie's Vintage Wrestling
  • Gordon Solie feature from SLAM! Wrestling
  • Pick My Brain interview with Bob Allyn, author of "Gordon Solie... Something Left Behind"