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Gordon Solie

Jan 26, 1929 - Jul 27, 2000 (71 years old) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

Francis Jonard Labiak was a legendary professional wrestling announcer, known for his work with promotions like Georgia Championship Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida. His distinctive voice and unique style made him one of the most influential wrestling commentators in history.

Born in Minneapolis and a U.S. Air Force veteran, Solie began his wrestling career as a ring announcer in Florida and quickly stood out due to his knowledge and passion for the sport. He was a pioneer in bringing wrestling to a national audience through WTBS and popularized terms that became classics in wrestling.

Throughout his career, Solie avoided using wrestlers’ real names to respect their characters and was so involved that he even learned wrestling moves to describe them more accurately. He declined an offer from WWE due to creative differences and retired in 1995.

He passed away from cancer in 2000, but his legacy lives on. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and is remembered as “The Walter Cronkite of Wrestling.”

Known For

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NWA Battle of The Belts II
Gordon Solie
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NWA Starrcade 1983
Gordon Solie (Commentator)
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Mid-South Wrestling
Gordon Solie (Color Commentator) (voice)
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WCW All Nighter 1995
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WWE Hall of Fame 2008
Himself
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NWA Battle of the Belts
Gordon Solie (Commentator)
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Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
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WCW: Ric Flar - 2 Decades of Excellence
Gordon Solie
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USWA Championship Wrestling
Self - Announcer
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Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Gordon Solie (Interviewer) / Gordon Solie (Color Commentator)

Credits