History of Howard Finkel in Timeline
Howard Finkel was an American professional wrestling ring announcer, best known for his work in WWE. He began working for the WWWF in 1975 and was a Madison Square Garden ring announcer from 1977. Widely regarded as the greatest ring announcer ever, Finkel was WWE's longest-serving employee. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
June 7, 1950: Birth of Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel was born on June 7, 1950.
1975: Howard Finkel Joins WWF
In 1975, Howard Finkel began working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).
January 17, 1977: Ring Announcing Debut
Howard Finkel made his debut as a ring announcer at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 1977.
1977: Madison Square Garden Ring Announcer
Howard Finkel became a Madison Square Garden ring announcer in 1977.
1979: Lead Ring Announcer
By 1979, Howard Finkel became the World Wide Wrestling Federation's lead ring announcer for major events.
April 1, 1980: First WWE Employee
Howard Finkel became the first official employee of WWE on April 1, 1980.
1984: Lead Ring Announcer for Television
In 1984, Howard Finkel took on the role of lead ring announcer for WWF television tapings.
1985: WrestleMania Streak Begins
Howard Finkel's consecutive appearances at WrestleMania started in 1985.
January 19, 1987: Commemorative Plaque
On January 19, 1987, Howard Finkel received a plaque from Gene Okerlund, commemorating a decade of announcing at Madison Square Garden.
November 1990: Involvement in Intercontinental Championship Match
In November 1990, Howard Finkel became entangled in a storyline involving Curt Hennig, Kerry Von Erich, and Ted DiBiase during an Intercontinental Championship match.
1992: Feud with Harvey Wippleman Begins
Howard Finkel's feud with manager Dr. Harvey Wippleman kicked off in 1992.
1993: Finkus Maximus at WrestleMania IX
At the Roman-themed WrestleMania IX in 1993, Howard Finkel was introduced with the moniker "Finkus Maximus".
January 9, 1995: Tuxedo Match Victory
On January 9, 1995, Howard Finkel emerged victorious in a Tuxedo match against Harvey Wippleman on Monday Night Raw.
1995: Brief Hiatus from Ring Announcing
Howard Finkel took a seven-month break from ring announcing on pay-per-views and television broadcasts in 1995.
1996: Return to Full-Time Ring Announcing
Howard Finkel came back to full-time ring announcing at the Royal Rumble in 1996.
1998: Hair versus Hair Match
Howard Finkel was in X-Pac's corner during his Hair versus Hair Match against Jeff Jarrett at SummerSlam 1998.
August 1999: Alliance with Chris Jericho
Howard Finkel aligned himself with Chris Jericho in August 1999.
2000: Reduced Schedule
Howard Finkel's schedule became lighter around 2000 with the arrival of Lilian Garcia and Tony Chimel.
August 2002: Howard Finkel Turns Heel
In August 2002, Finkel took on a villainous persona, igniting a rivalry with Lilian Garcia, the lead ring announcer for Raw, over her prominent position.
2006: Infrequent Appearances
By 2006, Howard Finkel's appearances, even at pay-per-view wrestling events, became less frequent.
April 4, 2009: WWE Hall of Fame Induction
On April 4, 2009, Howard Finkel was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
September 7, 2009: Appearance on Raw with Bob Barker
On September 7, 2009, Howard Finkel made an appearance on Raw during Bob Barker's guest host segments.
2009: WWE Hall of Fame Induction
Howard Finkel was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
November 15, 2010: "Old School" Raw Appearance
Howard Finkel returned to ring announcing for a one-night appearance on the November 15, 2010, "Old School" episode of Raw.
March 28, 2011: Reflecting on WrestleMania III
In an interview on March 28, 2011, Howard Finkel shared that announcing at WrestleMania III was his most cherished career highlight.
November 20, 2011: Special Ring Announcer at Survivor Series
Howard Finkel served as the special ring announcer for CM Punk's WWE Championship match at Survivor Series on November 20, 2011.
2011: Howard Finkel Discusses Contributions
During an interview in 2011, Howard Finkel shared insights into his contributions to talent relations and the creative process in the early WWF days.
April 13, 2012: "Blast from the Past" SmackDown Appearance
On April 13, 2012, Howard Finkel made an appearance on the "Blast from the Past" episode of SmackDown.
July 23, 2012: Special Ring Announcer on Raw
Howard Finkel was the special ring announcer on the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23, 2012.
2014: "Legends' House" Cast Member
Howard Finkel joined the cast of the WWE Network's reality show "Legends' House" in 2014.
June 2015: "The JBL and Cole Show" Appearances End
Howard Finkel regularly appeared on the WWE web series "The JBL and Cole Show" until its conclusion in June 2015.
2016: Final WrestleMania Appearance
WrestleMania 32 in 2016 marked Howard Finkel's last appearance at the event.
2017: Passing the Torch
Beginning in 2017, the role of announcing the WWE Hall of Fame inductees at WrestleMania transitioned to other ring announcers.
January 22, 2018: The Undertaker's Introduction
A recording of Howard Finkel introducing The Undertaker was played at the 25th anniversary of Monday Night Raw on January 22, 2018.
February 2019: Howard Finkel Suffers Stroke
In February 2019, Howard Finkel experienced a stroke that significantly impacted his health.
April 16, 2020: Death of Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel passed away on April 16, 2020.
June 14, 2020: Backlash Appearance
A recording of Howard Finkel introducing Edge and Randy Orton was played at the Backlash pay-per-view on June 14, 2020.