chemistry behind the mic". Heenan consistently named Monsoon as his favorite announcing partner. In contemplating his "Mount Rushmore of wrestling announcers", veteran commentator Jim Ross stated, "Gordon Solie, Bob Caudle, Lance Russell, Gorilla Monsoon would be four off the top of my head that I would put on there." Tributes In a tribute that aired on October 7, 1999, on an episode of WWF SmackDown!, McMahon described Marella as "one of the greatest men I have ever known." WCW commentator Tony Schiavone acknowledged Marella's death on the October 11, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Bobby Heenan insisted on doing a tribute to Marella, even though Marella never worked for WCW. Heenan said on-air: "Gorilla will be sadly missed. Now he was one big tough man. He was a decent honest man. And we're all gonna miss him very much. And you know the pearly gates in heaven? It's now gonna be called 'the Gorilla position.' Goodbye, my friend." When Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, he ended his acceptance speech with, "Only one thing's missing: I wish Monsoon was here." In 2007, when Anthony Carelli made his debut with WWE, he was given the ring name "Santino Marella", as a tribute. Championships and accomplishments Amateur wrestling Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame (1973) National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2011) Professional wrestling Cauliflower Alley Club Other honoree (1994) George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2011 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2010 World Championship Wrestling (Australia) IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Killer Kowalski (1) and Bill Watts (1) Slammy Award (1 time) Most Evolutionary (1994) – WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1994) World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles) WWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Luke Graham (1) and El Mongol (1) World Wrestling Council WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Worst Television Announcer (1985, 1991–1995) References External links Robert Marella's Ithaca College Quarterly obituary 1937 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American male actors American color commentators American male professional wrestlers American male sport wrestlers American professional wrestlers of Italian descent Deaths from diabetes Faux East Asian professional wrestlers Ithaca College alumni People from Willingboro Township, New Jersey Professional wrestlers from New York (state)