Mauro Ranallo
Encyclopedia
Mauro Domenico Antonio Ranallo (born December 21, 1969) is a Canadian sports announcer and commentator, with experience in football
, hockey
, professional wrestling
, and mixed martial arts
events. He is best known for his work as a commentator for PRIDE FC and, more recently, Showtime for Elite XC and Strikeforce
broadcasts. He is currently an announcer for Strikeforce
mixed martial arts alongside Gus Johnson
. He began announcing when he was 16 years old. In 2006, he was lead news anchor and play-by-play announcer for the Canadian combat sports channel The Fight Network
. Since leaving The Fight Network
he has become the voice of MMA for Showtime MMA, host his own radio show at the The Score Television Network available on iTunes
and is the lead announcer of the Muay Thai Premier League a global combat sports league featuring the fighting arts of Muay Thai
.
), 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
).
Later, he provided commentary announcing duties for Muay Thai
/Kickboxing
events and King of the Cage
mixed martial arts
shows on Canada's TSN
. From 1999 to 2000, he served as the commentator for the legendary Stampede Wrestling
TV show in Calgary. His color-commentator was the late Bad News Allen
.
He became most prominently known among MMA fans as the voice of PRIDE Fighting Championships PPV broadcasts in North America
from 2003 until October 2006. He was initially paired with friend, longtime-PRIDE commentator, and MMA legend Bas Rutten
. After Rutten departed the broadcast, Bas was replaced by Frank Trigg
. Ranallo was also the commentator for KVOS-TV
's Top Ranked Wrestling
for most of that program's run in 2005–06. Ranallo was also a member of the EliteXC and ShoXC broadcast team until their closure in October 2008. He is perhaps best remembered for his over-the-top dramatic style, which involves heavy use of metaphor, puns and advanced vocabulary.
Ranallo can also be seen and heard calling the MMA action on Hardcore Championship Fighting, broadcast across Canada on The Score
, along with his broadcast partner Paul "The Mauler" Lazenby. Since January 2009, he also hosts "The MMA Show" which can be seen weekly on the channel. Ranallo was also one of three analysts on The Score's show "Right After Wrestling", now called "Aftermath", which airs after The Score's airing of WWE SMACKDOWN and the replay of WWE RAW.
He is also a member of the rankings committee for the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA). Ranallo can be heard on "Fight Network Radio" through Sirius Hardcore Sports Radio Channel 98. Ranallo currently works as a broadcaster for Showtime Networks, and provides commentary for Strikeforce
and other events on Showtime and CBS
.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
, hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
events. He is best known for his work as a commentator for PRIDE FC and, more recently, Showtime for Elite XC and Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
broadcasts. He is currently an announcer for Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
mixed martial arts alongside Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson (sportscaster)
Augustus Cornelius "Gus" Johnson, Jr. is an American sportscaster. Formerly employed by CBS Sports, he currently calls play-by-play for Fox Sports, Showtime, the Big Ten Network and EA Sports.-Education:...
. He began announcing when he was 16 years old. In 2006, he was lead news anchor and play-by-play announcer for the Canadian combat sports channel The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
. Since leaving The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
he has become the voice of MMA for Showtime MMA, host his own radio show at the The Score Television Network available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and is the lead announcer of the Muay Thai Premier League a global combat sports league featuring the fighting arts of Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
.
Biography
Ranallo graduated from WJ Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford. He began his career as an announcer and manager at the age of 16, when he was offered a job with All-Star Wrestling (in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
), a nationally televised wrestling show throughout Canada. After that program ended production and the promotion folded in 1989, Ranallo became a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
for Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
radio station CFVR (now CKQC-FM
CKQC-FM
CKQC-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 107.1 FM in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Owned by Rogers Media, the station airs a country music format branded as Country 107.1.-External links:* * at Canadian Communications Foundation...
).
Later, he provided commentary announcing duties for Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
/Kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
events and King of the Cage
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
shows on Canada's TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
. From 1999 to 2000, he served as the commentator for the legendary Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
TV show in Calgary. His color-commentator was the late Bad News Allen
Allen Coage
Allen James Coage was an American professional wrestler with the WWF and Stampede Wrestling among many other companies, better known by his ring names Bad News Brown and Bad News Allen. He was also the 1976 Olympic bronze medal winner in judo, in the heavyweight division...
.
He became most prominently known among MMA fans as the voice of PRIDE Fighting Championships PPV broadcasts in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from 2003 until October 2006. He was initially paired with friend, longtime-PRIDE commentator, and MMA legend Bas Rutten
Bas Rutten
Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist, Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt, and kickboxer. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak...
. After Rutten departed the broadcast, Bas was replaced by Frank Trigg
Frank Trigg
Dewey Franklin Trigg III is an American mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler and co-host of MMAWeekly radio show and TAGG radio show...
. Ranallo was also the commentator for KVOS-TV
KVOS-TV
KVOS-TV is television station licensed in Bellingham, Washington and is an affiliate of Me-TV. The station's over-the-air transmissions are on digital channel 35, though through PSIP the station remaps to its former analog channel 12...
's Top Ranked Wrestling
NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling is a Western Canadian-based professional wrestling promotion, operating as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance...
for most of that program's run in 2005–06. Ranallo was also a member of the EliteXC and ShoXC broadcast team until their closure in October 2008. He is perhaps best remembered for his over-the-top dramatic style, which involves heavy use of metaphor, puns and advanced vocabulary.
Ranallo can also be seen and heard calling the MMA action on Hardcore Championship Fighting, broadcast across Canada on The Score
The Score
The Score may refer to:* The Score Magazine, a Chennai magazine* The Score Television Network, a Canadian sports channel* The Score , a 1996 album by Fugees* The Score – An Epic Journey, a 2005 album by the symphonic metal band Epica...
, along with his broadcast partner Paul "The Mauler" Lazenby. Since January 2009, he also hosts "The MMA Show" which can be seen weekly on the channel. Ranallo was also one of three analysts on The Score's show "Right After Wrestling", now called "Aftermath", which airs after The Score's airing of WWE SMACKDOWN and the replay of WWE RAW.
He is also a member of the rankings committee for the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA). Ranallo can be heard on "Fight Network Radio" through Sirius Hardcore Sports Radio Channel 98. Ranallo currently works as a broadcaster for Showtime Networks, and provides commentary for Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
and other events on Showtime and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.