WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel Dies at Age 69

WWE announced Thursday that legendary Hall of Fame ring announcer Howard Finkel died at the age of 69.

"The Fink" debuted as a ring announcer for WWE (then known as WWWF) in 1977 and became a full-time announcer in 1979. He continued in that role into the 2000s before transitioning into a part-time announcing position and primarily working for WWE in a behind-the-scenes capacity.

Finkel was honored for his many contributions to the professional wrestling business in 2009 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

When the WWWF became the WWF in 1980, Finkel was the company's first employee. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon recognized him for that and his other accomplishments in a tweet Thursday:

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, former WWE and ECW star Tommy Dreamer and current WWE Superstar Kevin Owens also remembered The Fink on Twitter:

The Newark, New Jersey, native will perhaps be best remembered for the distinctive manner in which he would make an announcement when a new champion was crowned. Finkel would famously bellow, "And new!" while drawing out the latter word, which inevitably caused the live crowd in attendance to cheer in excitement.

Finkel announced many of the biggest moments in WWE history for roughly three decades, and he was part of WWE's signature event, WrestleMania, from the very start.

Even when The Fink ceased being a full-time announcer, he regularly appeared at WrestleMania to announce that year's WWE Hall of Fame inductees until 2017. Finkel was part of each of the first 32 WrestleMania events.

In a 2014 interview with Slam Wrestling, The Fink revealed that he was the one who originally pitched the "WrestleMania" name to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon when the concept was first formed.

Finkel even wrestled a few matches during his career. The Fink beat manager Harvey Wippleman in a Tuxedo Match on an episode of Raw in 1995, lost to fellow announcer Tony Chimel in a Tuxedo Match on SmackDown in 1999 and lost to fellow announcer Lilian Garcia in an Evening Gown vs. Tuxedo Match on Raw in 2002.

Newer fans may best remember Finkel for his role on the hit 2014 WWE Network show Legends' House, which saw him share a house with several other WWE legends, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Mean" Gene Okerlund and Jimmy Hart.