That Time Alex Trebek Was a WrestleMania Announcer

Alex Trebek’s sharp intellect, clever sense of humor, and unmatched hosting skills earned him a permanent place in fans’ hearts as “Uncle Alex.”

Since his death, people have been sharing memories about his kindness, his ability to switch between serious, cool, and funny, and some of the awesome gigs he did outside of Jeopardy!.

Years ago, Trebek aced it as an announcer and interviewer for WrestleMania VII, the then-WWF’s most popular event of the year. And he brought his signature flair to the job.

Fans who recall that era of wrestling may remember how the late host’s voice rang through the arena when he got on the mic to welcome the biggest stars to the ring.

WWE posted tribute to Alex Trebek upon his death

On Nov. 8, WWE was among those who extended condolences on social media about Trebek’s death. They tweeted, “WWE is saddened to learn that Alex Trebek has passed away at the age of 80. WWE extends its condolences to Trebek’s family, friends, and fans.”

Along with its tweet, the company shared a photo of him from WrestleMania VII where he stepped into the ring to bring out the night’s contenders. This prompted some fans to seek footage from the event which took place in March 1991 in Los Angeles.

Trebek interviewed fan favorite Jake the Snake and more

WrestleMania VII featured Hulk Hogan versus Sgt. Slaughter as the main event, a highly-anticipated matchup that courted controversy because of its Gulf War theme. It also marked Randy Savage’s retirement match and return to the ring after back surgery, and The Undertaker made his first WrestleMania appearance.

Trebek introduced Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter to the ring for their championship clash, and backstage, he had the chance to interview old WWF staples such as “Jake the Snake” Roberts, Mr. Fuji, and Smash and Crush of Demolition. He also chopped it up with fellow interviewers “Mean Gene” Okerlund, Marla Maples, and Regis Philbin.

Fox Sports journalist Ryan Satin shared a clip of Trebek talking to Jake the Snake during the program. Earlier in the show, Trebek mentioned that he hadn’t yet met Damien, the wrestler’s snake. In true WWE fashion, they played up that fact in this segment.  

Trebek did guest spots on other shows

WrestleMania wouldn’t be the last time Trebek hung out with wrestlers. In 1996, he did a cameo as a Man in Black in The X-Files along with Jesse Ventura, a retired WWE professional and former governor of Minnesota.

His other on-screen credits include Arthur, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Hot in Cleveland, Cheers, and Orange Is the New Black. In Netflix’s OITNB, Trebek actually said the b-word, which caught the audience off guard but was still hilarious.

NBC will continue to air new episodes of Jeopardy! with the beloved host behind the podium. As the show is filmed in advance, there were weeks’ worth of new episodes in the vault. Trebek’s last day of filming was Oct. 29 and his final episode will air on Dec. 25.

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