Gordon Solie
Encyclopedia
Jonard Frank Labiak better known as Gordon Solie, was a Florida
-based professional wrestling
play-by-play announcer working for World Championship Wrestling
. Solie was also the regular announcer for Georgia Championship Wrestling
, Championship Wrestling from Florida and Continental Championship Wrestling
, among others.
of wrestling" and the "Howard Cosell
of wrestling".
He is best known for his laconic, intelligent commentary, and he tried to impart a seriousness to ring action that many of his coworkers eschewed for the loud, bombastic style more common today. One of his trademarks was his pronunciation of "suplex" as "su-play," a term later used by the AWA
's Rod Trongard
and wrestler/announcer Terry Taylor
and, more recently by Mauro Ranallo
, during Pride FC broadcasts. Other famous Solieisms include: "he's not fast, he's sudden", "He'd fight a buzzsaw and give it the first two rounds", "five letters, two words, I Quit", "his face is becoming a Crimson mask", "They're going at it hammer and tongs", and "Pier 6 brawl".
In 1995, "Macho Man" Randy Savage
pushed for World Championship Wrestling
to place his father, Angelo Poffo, in its Hall of Fame
. Solie opposed this decision, because he felt wrestlers (or in this case, family of wrestlers) should not be asking for spots in the Hall — in this case, especially, since Poffo did not have much of a career in WCW. Gordon Solie was involved in the selection of the 1993 and 1994 inductees but was not consulted in regard to the 1995 inductee class. Although Solie was also inducted in the 1995 WCW Hall of Fame, he had already given his notice of termination. Poffo's induction went on and Solie left the company shortly after.
pay-per-view
in 1999, but he could not attend due to failing health. He died of throat cancer
on July 27, 2000.
In 2005, Florida Media, Inc. published a collection of Solie's short stories and poetry in a book entitled Gordon Solie...Something Left Behind.
On March 29, 2008, Jim Ross
posthumously inducted Solie into the WWE Hall of Fame
in the Class of 2008. 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.
Solie is featured in the closing of WWE's FCW
television program as a tribute to CWF and himself.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
play-by-play announcer working for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. Solie was also the regular announcer for Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
, Championship Wrestling from Florida and Continental Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
, among others.
The "Dean" of wrestling announcers
Gordon Solie is possibly the most recognized voice from the days of "classic wrestling" (used here synonymous with the territorial system) and was nicknamed the "Dean" of wrestling announcers, the "Walter CronkiteWalter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
of wrestling" and the "Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
of wrestling".
He is best known for his laconic, intelligent commentary, and he tried to impart a seriousness to ring action that many of his coworkers eschewed for the loud, bombastic style more common today. One of his trademarks was his pronunciation of "suplex" as "su-play," a term later used by the AWA
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
's Rod Trongard
Rod Trongard
Rod Trongard was a Minnesota-based sports broadcaster on both radio and television in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for more than fifty years.-Early career:...
and wrestler/announcer Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
and, more recently by Mauro Ranallo
Mauro Ranallo
Mauro Domenico Antonio Ranallo is a Canadian sports announcer and commentator, with experience in football, hockey, professional wrestling, and mixed martial arts events. He is best known for his work as a commentator for PRIDE FC and, more recently, Showtime for Elite XC and Strikeforce broadcasts...
, during Pride FC broadcasts. Other famous Solieisms include: "he's not fast, he's sudden", "He'd fight a buzzsaw and give it the first two rounds", "five letters, two words, I Quit", "his face is becoming a Crimson mask", "They're going at it hammer and tongs", and "Pier 6 brawl".
World Championship Wrestling
Gordon Solie called WCW Pro from March 12, 1994 to July 1,1995, alongside Dusty Rhodes and Larry Zybysko.In 1995, "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
pushed for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
to place his father, Angelo Poffo, in its Hall of Fame
WCW Hall of Fame
The World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame was an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by World Championship Wrestling . It was established in 1993 to honor wrestlers who began their careers long before the 1990s, mostly alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim...
. Solie opposed this decision, because he felt wrestlers (or in this case, family of wrestlers) should not be asking for spots in the Hall — in this case, especially, since Poffo did not have much of a career in WCW. Gordon Solie was involved in the selection of the 1993 and 1994 inductees but was not consulted in regard to the 1995 inductee class. Although Solie was also inducted in the 1995 WCW Hall of Fame, he had already given his notice of termination. Poffo's induction went on and Solie left the company shortly after.
Death and memoirs
Solie's last announcing job was to be the Heroes of WrestlingHeroes of Wrestling
Heroes of Wrestling was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event that took place on October 10, 1999 from the Casino Magic hotel and casino in Bay St...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
in 1999, but he could not attend due to failing health. He died of throat cancer
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
on July 27, 2000.
In 2005, Florida Media, Inc. published a collection of Solie's short stories and poetry in a book entitled Gordon Solie...Something Left Behind.
On March 29, 2008, Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
posthumously inducted Solie into the WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
in the Class of 2008. 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.
Solie is featured in the closing of WWE's FCW
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
television program as a tribute to CWF and himself.
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Other honoree (1996)
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Hall of FameNWA Hall of FameThe National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemorative medals that have their names inscribed on it with the...
(Class of 2005)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Announcer of the YearPWI Announcer of the YearThe PWI Announcer of the Year Award, given in the year 1977 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best announcer of the year as voted by readers of the magazine. This award was only given in 1977, it then became defunct.-Winners and runners-up:...
(1977) - PWI Editor's Award (1989)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- (Class of 2004)
- World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
- WCW Hall of FameWCW Hall of FameThe World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame was an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by World Championship Wrestling . It was established in 1993 to honor wrestlers who began their careers long before the 1990s, mostly alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim...
(Class of 1995)
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 2008)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Television Announcer (1981-1983)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
External links
- http://crowbarpress.com/crowbarpress/solie/index.html/crowbarpress
- The Gordon Solie Website
- WWE Hall of Fame profile of Gordon Solie
- 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"