Mauro Ranallo...

[goodhelmet]

will be the new voice of Smackdown. Saw this from Meltzer reported by Kevin Iole.

 

Hopefully this is a sign they are going to try and revive Smackdown's importance.

[...TG]

It's an interesting move by WWE and Mauro. WWE seems to want robots to follow the script and parrot the company line. And if what we've heard about how Vince treats the announcers, does Mauro want to put up with that? Maybe Smackdown is in for some massive reformatting, it's certainly overdue.

[Infinit]

Well Smackdown is moving to USA...so this looks like they are going to make some big changes. Happy for Mauro...and great to see another Canadian on WWE TV!

[Matt D]

I have no idea who this guy is. But good luck to him getting yelled at by Vince McMahon.

[Infinit]

Mauro is a great pbp guy...I became a fan when he did the english commentary for the NOAH shows on The Fight Network.

[donsem43]

Mauro can get pretty loud so maybe he just won't hear Vince through the headphones. I wonder how the NXT guys feel about this since Cole seems like a lifer at this point.

[Infinit]

None of the NXT guys are ready at this point for the big shows, and Mauro is head and shoulders better than them too, in my opinion.

[Death From Above]

I heard Mauro a bit in his early days working in western Canada in wresting before he moved into MMA for a while. I like him, never been sure what some people had against the guy.

[Infinit]

Kobashi vs Akiyama 10/7/04 for the GHC title with Mauro on pbp with Dan Lovransky.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XzOXMjmq-68

[Jmare007]

I really like Mauro as a pbp guy. I have no idea how much he's gonna last with Vince's being in his ear all show though.

[Jingus]

I'm just shocked they actually hired a professional announcer. Their usual M.O. in recent years is to try to fill up the announce booth with a revolving door of retired wrestlers. Who's the last non-wrestler they put behind the desk? Mike Adamle?

[Grimmas]

I really liked him in 2000 calling Stampede.

I still have no faith that there can be good WWE commentary with Vince around.

[Eduardo]

I've had a soft spot for Mauro since he would come out on Wrestling Observer Lives in the early 2000's and his PRIDE stuff. His work on Showtime Boxing has been pretty impressive as, I may be totally wrong here, I don't think he was a big time boxing fan growing up. He clearly puts a lot of preparation and work into his broadcasts, and fits well with Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi. He sounds far more comfortable and relaxed with those guys than he ever did with Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich in his Strikeforce run. Compare Mauro to someone like former WWE play-by-play guy Todd Grisham working the ESPN boxing broadcasts and you can see a huge different in quality.

 

So I'm glad he will still be able to work those Showtime broadcasts (and the Glory Kickboxing events), and am overall happy he is getting this opportunity. Also, he's a great champion of bringing awareness to mental illness. I hope this WWE gig works out good for him.

[Ricky Jackson]

He actually worked as a heel manager during the dying days of the Vancouver territory in the late 80s when he was only 16. And called Stampede in 1999-2000 during their last real significant revival, as has been mentioned

[Parties]

Dave says this whole deal happened because Mauro did some joke play-by-play for a fake fight between Mayweather and Warren Buffett on a Berkshire Hathaway conference call. Vince heard it and loved it, which led to them contacting Ranallo. Kind of a comical backwards way for New Japan/Showtime/Glory's announcer to get the gig, but there you go.

[Loss]

He sounds like Scott Hudson in that clip.

[Coffey]

So will Mauro be calling Smackdown tonight?

[goodhelmet]

No, I think Metlzer said he will be there to observe all TV shows until SD! joins USA in January.