Tag: Mauro Ranallo

Mauro Ranallo Thanks Fans For Support During His Absence

Mauro Ranallo took to Twitter for the first time since last Tuesday to comment on his absence from Smackdown. Ranallo noted that his doctor has told him to “stay off social media” but that he wanted to thank fans for his support.

WWE said that Ranallo missed this week due to illness, while last week’s miss was attributed to travel issues due to weather conditions in the Northeast.

Ranallo has suffered from depression for much of his life, an issue he’s spoken of in depth in interviews, and there was some concern because he has been out of contact with longtime friends since March 14th, the day before he last posted on his usually-active Twitter account (and the day before last week’s Smackdown). However, the site reports that according to his closest friends, Ranallo is doing alright and is resting up.

Source: 411Mania

Daniel Bryan Returning To WWE For Cruiserweight Classic Commentary With Mauro Ranallo

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

The commentary team for WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic has just been announced … and it will feature none other than former WWE World Heavyweight champ Daniel Bryan!

According to WWE.com … Bryan will be doing color commentary alongside Mauro Ranallo. This will be Daniel’s first WWE television appearance since retiring from the ring in February.

Of choosing Bryan to host the tournament WWE said, “Not only does he know what it takes to make it with the WWE Universe watching, but Bryan is a contemporary of several CWC competitors.”

The CWC is a 32-man tournament featuring wrestlers from all over the world and will air every Wednesday for 10 weeks. The whole thing culminates with a live two-hour special on September 14th. In preparation, WWE Network will air a special called CWC: Bracketology on July 6th.

WWE Announcer Signs On To Host MMA Show For AXS TV

WWE SmackDown announcer Mauro Ranallo has signed on to be host of a MMA show on AXS TV:

AXS TV released the following:

RENOWNED COMBAT SPORTS PERSONALITY MAURO RANALLO JOINS AXS TV AS NEW HOST OF ‘INSIDE MMA’ BEGINNING MARCH 25

LOS ANGELES – March 9, 2016 – AXS TV FIGHTS today announced renowned combat sports personality and broadcaster Mauro Ranallo will be the new host of INSIDE MMA, the longest running and only independent MMA news series on television, beginning Friday, March 25. A veteran broadcaster with over 30 years’ experience, Ranallo will bring his energetic broadcasting style and opinionated views on the world of combat sports to INSIDE MMA alongside UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten and correspondent Ron Kruck Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. PT/12:30 a.m. ET following AXS TV FIGHTS’ weekly live MMA and Muay Thai broadcasts.

Ranallo is best known for his play-by-play commentary for prestigious organizations such as Pride Fighting Championships, which he called alongside his new co-host Rutten for several years; Showtime Boxing, where he recently called the international feed of the historic Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight; and Strikeforce, which was home to MMA superstars like Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier and Luke Rockhold. In 2015, Ranallo helped AXS TV launch its hit pro wrestling series NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING calling matches alongside former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett, before signing with WWE as the new voice of Smackdown.

“Mauro Ranallo’s contributions to the success of New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV were undeniable and we are confident he will take INSIDE MMA to new heights,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “The opportunity to pair the ‘dream team’ together of Mauro and Bas Rutten is exciting and I can’t wait to see what happens when these two super-charged personalities are reunited on March 25.”

“AXS TV would like to thank longtime host Kenny Rice for his dedication to growing INSIDE MMA since our launch in 2007,” Simon continued, “and we plan to continue a relationship with him as a special correspondent.”

Said Ranallo, “In a year in which I landed a dream job with WWE, my dream to once again cover MMA and work with my broadcasting brother Bas Rutten has also come true. Filling the shoes of consummate pro Kenny Rice won’t be easy but I can’t wait to return to AXS TV for some strong style MMA coverage!”

“I am super stoked to work with Mauro again,” said Rutten. “We had such a great time in Japan for Pride Fighting Championships, so get ready for the craziness! Kenny Rice and I have become great friends over the years, so I am happy that, despite his busy schedule, he will still be involved with INSIDE MMA.”

Said Rice, “I am excited to step into the new role as a special correspondent, continuing to bring the exclusive access to our viewers that has been synonymous with Inside MMA over the past ten seasons. It’s a true team at Inside MMA and I welcome longtime friend Mauro Ranallo to it.”

WWE Confirms New SmackDown Lead Announcer

WWE confirmed that veteran announcer Mauro Ranallo will be the new lead announcer of SmackDown, beginning Thursday January 7 when SmackDown moves to the USA Network.

Ranallo brings nearly 30 years of broadcasting experience and is currently the play-by-play announcer for Championship Boxing on Showtime and former lead announcer for Strikeforce MMA. Ranallo is the only sports broadcaster to call every major combat sport on national television, including boxing, kickboxing and MMA, as well as helping to launch New Jaspan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV.

“Joining WWE has always been a lifelong dream of mine.” said Ranallo. “I am thrilled to add my voice to the SmackDown broadcasts as the show moves to its new home on USA Network.”