In the realm of professional wrestling, few personalities have left a mark as indelible as Gorilla Monsoon. Known for his booming voice, sharp wit, and larger-than-life persona, Monsoon transcended the role of a mere commentator to become a beloved figure in the hearts of wrestling fans worldwide. His unique blend of humor and insight not only entertained audiences but also enriched the narratives of the matches he covered.
Gorilla Monsoon, born Robert James Marella, carved a niche for himself not just inside the ring as a wrestler but also outside it as a commentator. His ability to connect with the audience made him a staple of wrestling broadcasts, particularly during the golden age of the WWF. Monsoon's insightful commentary and distinctive style helped elevate the sport, making it more accessible and enjoyable for fans. Today, we pay tribute to this wrestling legend and examine how his impact continues to resonate in the industry.
From his early days in the wrestling circuit to his influential role in the WWF, Gorilla Monsoon's story is one of passion, dedication, and talent. This article will take you through various facets of his life, answering questions that many fans often ponder. What made Gorilla Monsoon a standout figure in wrestling? How did his career evolve over the years? Join us as we embark on a journey through the enthralling life of Gorilla Monsoon.
Who Was Gorilla Monsoon?
Gorilla Monsoon was not just a wrestling commentator; he was an integral part of the culture that surrounded professional wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s. His persona was built on a foundation of authenticity and charisma, which made him a favorite among fans. Born on June 4, 1937, in New York City, Monsoon's early life set the stage for a career that would eventually span several decades.
Robert James "Gino" Marella (June 4, 1937 - October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker. He is famous for his run as one of the great super-heavyweights, and later as the voice of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as announcer and as backstage manager during the 1980s and 1990s, and added on-screen President to his duties in the latter decade.
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Biography of Gorilla Monsoon
| Full Name | Robert James Marella |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 4, 1937 |
| Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
| Date of Death | October 6, 1999 |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler, Commentator |
| Notable Achievements | WWF Commentator, WWWF World Tag Team Champion |
What Were Gorilla Monsoon's Early Wrestling Days Like?
Gorilla Monsoon's journey into wrestling began in the 1950s when he trained under the legendary wrestler and promoter, Walter "Killer" Kowalski. Marella attended Jefferson High School in Rochester, New York, becoming a standout athlete in football, amateur wrestling, and track and field. Marella was also a standout athlete after high school at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. He continued to wrestle, now weighing over 350 pounds, and took second in the 1959 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Monsoon quickly gained recognition for his imposing stature, standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 400 pounds. In 1973, He was inducted into the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame. He also held several school athletic records, including an 18-second wrestling pin, and several track-and-field distinctions. During the summers he was at Ithaca College, he was a construction worker in Rochester. One of the buildings he helped construct was the Rochester War Memorial.
His in-ring debut came in 1959, and he quickly made a name for himself in the Northeast wrestling circuits. Marella's size and athletic ability attracted the attention of New York promoter Pedro Martinez, and he went to wrestle for Martinez after graduating from Ithaca in 1959. Gorilla was 6'2" and weighed around 350 pounds when he first started wrestling professionally.
Marella debuted in 1958, originally billing himself as Gino Marella, a proud Italian-American babyface who would sing in Italian prior to his matches. Even after changing his stage name, "Gino" stuck as Marella's nickname among friends and colleagues, including Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who would call Marella "Gino" on the air.
Marella garnered moderate popularity, but soon realized that fans paid more attention to outlandish monster heel gimmicks, and they, therefore, made more money. Marella totally revamped his image, growing a long beard and billing himself as Gorilla Monsoon, a terrifying giant from Manchuria.
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Supposedly born on an isolated farm, "Monsoon" traveled across the countryside with a gypsy caravan wrestling bears, spoke no English, ate raw meat, and drank his victims' blood. The story given on WWWF television was a bit different: his first manager, Bobby Davis, claimed to have discovered Monsoon in Manchuria wading nude in a mountain stream. The Monsoon character was far more successful, and fans were genuinely afraid of him, sparking a huge financial windfall for Marella.
Marella first wrestled Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Championship on October 4, 1963, at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, NJ. In 1963, Vincent J. McMahon reformed the Capitol Wrestling Corporation into the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), breaking his territory away from the National Wrestling Alliance in an attempt to create a new national powerhouse.
Marella formed a friendship with McMahon, and became a 1/6 shareholder in the WWWF, controlling bookings in several WWWF territories. He also became one of the promotion's top heels, feuding with popular babyface champion Bruno Sammartino in sellout arenas across the country. Monsoon teamed up with Killer Kowalski with success. Tag Team Championship. The following month, the duo lost the belts to the Tolos Brothers (Chris and John) in Teaneck, New Jersey.
In 1969, Monsoon became a babyface, befriending his former arch-rival when Sammartino rescued him from an attack by Crazy Luke Graham. The stage was set for Monsoon to become a fan favorite of the 1970s and feud with top heels of the decade, including champion "Superstar" Billy Graham.
On June 2, 1976, a very famous incident occurred in Philadelphia involving boxing great Muhammad Ali. Ali, preparing for his upcoming crossover bout with Antonio Inoki in Japan later that month, jumped into the ring as Monsoon was concluding a short match against Baron Mikel Scicluna. Ali removed his shirt and started dancing around Monsoon while gesturing and throwing jabs at him, to which Monsoon responded by grabbing Ali in his Airplane Spin and slamming him to the mat. Incidentally, a very young Vincent K. McMahon narrated the fight. Marella would never reveal whether the incident was preplanned.
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A kind of torch bearer of the Vincent J. McMahon-era WWWF, Gorilla Monsoon was rabidly supported by New York audiences. On June 16, 1980, a young and up-and-coming Hulk Hogan was booked to face him at Madison Square Garden. At the time, Hogan was a widely followed heel character, while Monsoon was still a babyface. However, in order to push the new talent, McMahon told Hulk Hogan to beat Monsoon in under a minute. Upon that outcome, the crowd became livid and chased Hogan when he was leaving the arena, turning over his car.
As the 1980s began, Marella's in-ring career wound down. On August 23, Monsoon put his career on the line in a match against Ken Patera. Monsoon lost the match and stayed true to his word, retiring several weeks later and returning just three times: as a substitute for Andre the Giant in a six-man tag team match at Madison Square Garden in 1981, as a substitute for Ivan Putski in a single's match in 1982, and taking part in Big John Studd's "Body Slam Challenge" in 1983.
WWWF TV 1976-Gorilla Monsoon/Muhammad Ali encounter
After a successful wrestling career that included tag team championships and memorable feuds, Gorilla Monsoon transitioned to commentary in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, Vincent J. McMahon's son Vincent K. McMahon, began assuming the reins of the promotion from his father. The elder McMahon asked his son to take care of long-time employees that had been loyal to him.
His natural charisma and deep understanding of the sport made him an ideal fit for the role. The younger McMahon agreed, and in 1982, Vince bought Marella's shares in the company in exchange for a guarantee of lifetime employment. As he had been to his father, Marella became a close confidant of the younger McMahon, and assumed a prominent backstage role. In professional wrestling, the staging area just behind the entrance curtain at an event, a position which Marella established and where he could often be found during WWF shows late in his career, is named the Gorilla Position in his honor.
Gorilla Monsoon's commentary was marked by several distinctive features that set him apart from his contemporaries. Monsoon's commentary style was characterized by his ability to blend humor with insightful analysis, and he became a prominent voice for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Marella and Ventura had great chemistry, with Ventura as the pro-heel color commentator and Marella as the pro-face "voice of reason."
Marella and Ventura called five of the first six WrestleManias together (the notable exception was WrestleMania 2, where Marella commentated on the Chicago portion of the event with Gene Okerlund and Cathy Lee Crosby while Ventura commentated on the Los Angeles portion with Lord Alfred Hayes and Elvira). The Ventura/Monsoon duo of heel and babyface were the original broadcast duo that everyone tried to emulate, especially Ventura's charismatic pro-heel character. When Ventura left the WWF in 1990, Monsoon was paired with villainous manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, another duo that subsequent wrestling commentary teams have often tried to emulate.
Monsoon called the first eight WrestleManias from 1985-1992. Monsoon accentuated the storylines surrounding the bouts whilst relying on hyperbole, deadpan humor and unique catchphrases. On the other hand, if Monsoon would see a poorly executed or botched move, he would quip "not but behind it". Another of Monsoon's phrases was "WILL you stop?", usually directed, in frustration, at co-commentator Bobby "The Brain" Heenan after he went off on one of his many heel-backing tangents or other rants. One other popular catchphrase was "This place has gone bananas!", playing off the entrance of a wrestler or a finish where the crowd erupts into cheer or boo.
Catchphrases: Monsoon was known for his colorful language and memorable catchphrases, such as "This is a slobberknocker!" and "He’s got him in a sleeper hold!"
Play-by-Play Skills: His deep understanding of wrestling psychology allowed him to provide insightful commentary that enhanced the viewing experience.
Character Development: Monsoon played a crucial role in developing storylines and character arcs, making matches more engaging for the audience.
As a play-by-play commentator, Monsoon's colorful announcing style proved a perfect fit for the character-based WWF while, at the same time, maintaining the sporting aspect of pro wrestling. Not only would Monsoon call holds but he consistently brought up the athletic competition frequently mentioning his and Jesse's wrestling backgrounds and drawing on that, saying on occasion he was "glad he had retired" after a devastating move. Gorilla would also mention the "winners and losers purse" when it came to match decisions.
Many times, Monsoon would also substitute simple words with needlessly complex and obscure equivalents, most memorably often using "external occipital protuberance" as an alternative to "back of the head." Heenan often mocked this, once sarcastically calling a move to the "cervial dervial part of the back." However, Monsoon also employed several homegrown substitutes for body parts, describing the mouth as a "kisser" and the abdomen as "the bread basket."
While commentating a match where a title changes hands, Monsoon always declared, "History has been made!" Whenever he would be talking about something he didn't believe would happen, he would always say, "Highly unlikely". He would often remark, when speaking to someone about their lack of presence at some event, that they were "conspicuous by their absence". Other common phrases used were "Listen to the ovation (for wrestler)" as a face would be making his way to the ring and "Take a look (at wrestler)" to highlight the impressiveness of a wrestler.
He would often declare "the irresistible force meeting the immovable object" when two heavyweights crashed into one another, with the most legendary occurrence being the "Andre vs. Marella stepped down as the WWF's lead announcer at WrestleMania IX to make way for WCW recruit Jim Ross. He commentated with Jim Ross on WWF Radio for the broadcasts of SummerSlam 1993, Survivor Series 1993 and Royal Rumble 1994. He returned to the television broadcast team to call the King of the Ring 1994 with Randy Savage.
Marella's last pay-per-view as a commentator was calling the 1994 Survivor Series with Vince McMahon. Marella remained in his backstage role and appeared on-air frequently, becoming the storyline WWF President in the summer of 1995 (replacing Jack Tunney). The WWF President's role was to arbitrate disputes between wrestlers and make matches, similar to the current WWE general managers. It was during this time that Roddy Piper became interim WWF President until WrestleMania XII, when Marella assumed the position again.
Health concerns forced him to relinquish this role during the summer of 1997. Instead of naming a replacement, the WWF decided to retire the role of "President" and introduced Sgt. Slaughter as the new WWF Commissioner in August 1997. Marella's health deteriorated from there. In late 1998, Marella returned briefly to call the international version of WWF Superstars.
Sometime in early 1999, Marella appeared in a WWF Attitude commercial featuring Freddie Blassie, Ernie Ladd, Pat Patterson and Killer Kowalski. His final appearance on WWF television before his death was as one of the three judges for a Brawl for All contest between Bart Gunn and Butterbean at WrestleMania XV. Marella died on October 6, 1999 of heart failure brought on by complications of diabetes, at his home in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. He was 62 years old. WCW Commentator Tony Schiavone acknowledged Marella's death (at Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's request) on the WCW Monday Nitro taping held after he died, even though Marella never worked for WCW.
## How Did Gorilla Monsoon Influence Future Generations?Gorilla Monsoon's influence on professional wrestling cannot be overstated. He paved the way for future commentators, demonstrating how a strong personality could enhance the storytelling aspect of wrestling. Monsoon's ability to connect with the audience set a standard for commentators that many continue to aspire to today.
## What Legacy Did Gorilla Monsoon Leave Behind?Even after his passing in 1999, Gorilla Monsoon's legacy remains alive in the hearts of wrestling fans. His contributions to the industry were recognized when he was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. Monsoon's impact can still be felt in modern wrestling, where commentators continue to draw inspiration from his style and approach.