Mauro Domenico Ranallo (born December 21, 1969) is a Canadian sports announcer, commentator and mental health advocate. He is currently signed as a play-by-play announcer with MMA organization Bellator, and also performs play-by-play duties for boxing broadcaster Showtime. He is also known for his time with WWE on the NXT and SmackDown brands. He has experience in Canadian football, ice hockey, professional wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts events.
Ranallo is also known for his work as a commentator for Pride FC and, more recently, Showtime for Elite XC, Strikeforce, Showtime Championship Boxing, New Japan Pro-Wrestling on AXS TV, and RIZIN broadcasts. He signed with WWE as the lead SmackDown announcer in January 2016, making his debut on the brand's premier on the USA Network. He also served as announcer for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and became part of the NXT broadcast team on June 22, 2017.
In 2015, Ranallo became the first sports broadcaster in history to call boxing, kickboxing, MMA and professional wrestling on U.S. national television.
Early life
Ranallo was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia, the eldest of three sons born to an Italian couple. He has been a fan of professional wrestling since the age of five. He graduated from W. J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford.
Commentary career
Professional wrestling
Early career
Ranallo began his career as an announcer and manager at the age of 16, when he was offered a job with All-Star Wrestling (in Vancouver), a nationally televised wrestling show throughout Canada. After that program ended production and the promotion folded in 1989, Ranallo became a disc jockey for Abbotsford, British Columbia radio station CFVR (now CKQC-FM).
From 1999 to 2000, he served as the commentator for the Stampede Wrestling TV show in Calgary. His color-commentator was the late Bad News Allen. Ranallo was also the commentator for KVOS-TV's Top Ranked Wrestling for most of that program's run in 2005–06.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2015–2016) In 2015 he returned to his pro-wrestling roots when he became the voice of New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the U.S. alongside MMA legend and former NJPW wrestler Josh Barnett.
WWE
SmackDown commentator (2015–2017) Ranallo signed a contract with professional wrestling company WWE on December 15, 2015, and made his WWE debut as the play-by-play commentator for the SmackDown broadcast team for its premiere on USA Network on January 7, 2016, thus being dubbed "The Voice of SmackDown". Ranallo has had many commentary partners while calling SmackDown: Jerry Lawler, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Tom Phillips, David Otunga, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield. Additionally, Ranallo commentated the Cruiserweight Classic alongside Daniel Bryan; the tournament aired from July 6 to September 14, 2016. Ranallo continued to commentate for the cruiserweights on their weekly 205 Live show which first aired from November 29, 2016. His partners were Corey Graves and Austin Aries. For WWE pay-per-view events, Ranallo was assigned to calling the pre-show of WrestleMania 32 in April 2016, but later commentated on the main cards of several WWE PPVs: the SmackDown or cruiserweight matches on 2016's SummerSlam, Survivor Series and 2017's Royal Rumble, and SmackDown PPVs such as 2016's Backlash, No Mercy, and 2017's Elimination Chamber.