WWE SmackDown Announcer Mauro Ranallo recently appeared on Ring Rust Radio, and below are some interview highlights:
Ring Rust Radio: Earlier this year, you were signed by WWE to become the play-by-play announcer for SmackDown. What was the process of signing with WWE like and what did it mean to you when you finally signed?
Mauro Ranallo: It was remarkably easy, surprisingly so. I was contacted by Michael Cole who is the voice of WWE and looks after the on-air talent. He wanted to gauge my interest in possibly working with the WWE, and I was blown away. Anybody that knows me well knows that that has always been a lifelong dream. I’ve called all sports. I was a radio DJ, club DJ, talk show host, hockey, basketball, football; you name it, I’ve done it. Of course, calling combat sports, I do love it dearly. WWE in the back of my mind was always the dream job and most people don’t get their dream jobs. For some reason, I’ve been spoiled and I’ve gotten a few of mine, but at the same time the negotiations went very smoothly in talking with Triple H. The fact that they wanted me to be me and not be something that they wanted to create was a big thing. They do have a style in WWE that they have created there in the past few years, and that’s their prerogative. For me though, they wanted me to be a hybrid of Michael Cole and maybe Jim Ross where I am able to call the match in the style I call all my matches and use the unique passion and energy I bring to it. What you see is what I am. I have a lot of critics and that’s fine. I think it’s better to be polarizing than to be vanilla. I also think people can’t question the passion and sincerity that I bring because I truly am the luckiest guy in the world. I have the best seat in the house and seeing the greatest athlete’s matches and watching the greatest performers. For me it’s just been a blessing, and I can’t wait to continue to grow both as a play-by-play announcer but also as the new host of Inside MMA.
Ring Rust Radio: You’ve become one of our favorite announcers and you provide a big-fight feel to the matches. Has there been any discussion about you calling WWE pay-per-views in the future?
Mauro Ranallo: Not at this point, and I thank you for that by the way. I appreciate the fact that a lot of people have said that. To me it’s not about the big fight feel, it’s giving respect to each one of these competitors. I know you have to pick your spots and it can’t be all one gear. I’ve learned over the years to tone it down a little bit. I know to some I am always a little over the top, but that’s just who I am and I’d rather be that way than monotone or less than scintillating in my presentation. I would love to build a future with WWE. At the same time, I was hired to be the voice of SmackDown, and Michael Cole—who is the voice of the WWE and the guy that books the on-air talent—has told me they do have big plans for me and are invested in me and I am fully committed to them and appreciate everything that my other employers Showtime, Glory Kickboxing and Inside MMA have done in order to facilitate a relationship with WWE. I sometimes even miscalculate how big of a global force and cultural force WWE truly is. The fact that I now get messages from all over the world is mind blowing. I’m really in a place obviously that I never thought I would be in, but I do appreciate all the support from everyone and I also think all those who have helped me along the way. Of course I love to give back and mentors many people as I can. One last thing before I go guys, something I really try to convey in these interviews is I want to be where I am today without getting the proper help and support in dealing with mental health issues I had throughout my entire life. I continue to watch, read and discuss with disbelief over how many people we lose to mental health issues and from suicide because of the lack of resources and lack of information and the stigma that still surrounds mental health. I have proven I can be a fully functional human being who probably does more than the average person and at a high level. I think because you have a mental illness doesn’t mean you cannot reach your goals in your dreams with help and support. To anyone listening who is either in a situation in dealing with mental health issues or know someone that is or is one in four Americans that do suffer from it, please reach out. Talk, therapy, meditation, exercise, healthy eating and anything else that’ll help. We have to let our government officials know that they are failing our community when it comes to this very serious disease in our society.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
