by Will Gray
Color commentating has given fans memories throughout sports since broadcasting came onto the scene in the early 1900’s. Men like Howard Cosell, Harry Carry, Gorilla Monsoon and others have brought life and an enthusiasm to the action they were calling like no other, sometimes making fans participate not for the sport itself, but the voice behind the microphone.
Knowing from the age of five and starting to call high school sports at sixteen, Mauro Ranallo is a voice and persona known through all of MMA. Calling some of the biggest fights in PRIDE, then moving to EliteXC and currently Strikeforce, Ranallo has also been involved in Canadian professional wrestling and other sports all the while making it authentic in his knowledge of the sport and pure love of what he does.
Fight Hub TV was able to speak with the announcer and picked his brain on numerous topics. A gentleman and a scholar, here is our exclusive interview with Mauro Ranallo.
FHTV: You started calling pro wrestling in Canada. Was this something you loved as entertainment or was it on your path to call combat sports?
Ranallo: I love to be in broadcasting, regardless of what I am calling. Outside of wrestling, I have also provided commentary for hockey and other events while in high school. I never started this to get to a certain point; I did it then for the same reason I do it now, it is something I love to do. I am living my dream. Pro wrestling was something I always enjoyed watching growing up; the personas and feel the men brought to it was something that I loved. I was a manager for some local heels at 16 and that is before wrestling became the soap opera it is today.
FHTV: You still follow mainstream WWE? Do you think that the solid names like The Undertaker and Triple H are viable in the scene it has become?
Ranallo: I think they are truly the last of what wrestling once was. The Undertaker debuted at Survivor Series in 1990 and has a career that has spanned two decades and undefeated at twenty WrestleMania appearances, that says something in itself. Jimmy Cornett said something once that was so true, “funny don’t make money” when it comes to wrestling. The true fans don’t want to watch more than half a show of talking and a storyline, get out there and impress the crowd.
FHTV: Some fans criticize MMA sometimes for having a wrestling feel when guys come in to challenge champions post match, like Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, would you agree with this?
Ranallo: Not at all, that needs to happen; It’s called selling a fight. Just getting the title and saying a rehearsed answer like, ‘I will fight whoever they want me to or deserves it,” that does not sell a fight to everyone. You need the good guy/ bad guy approach. Guys like Chael Sonnen or Rampage Jackson; they know how to sell the fight.
FHTV: Would you say Chael is the best salesmen in MMA?
Ranallo: it is between him and “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey in my opinion! They get out there and make you want to watch the fight! Look at how Rousey has gone on and beaten all of her opponent’s first round, armbar – that is phenomenal. Chael at the same time turned in the most impressive performance against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 before succumbing to his Achilles heel – submission defense and got locked in a triangle. He talked his way into a rematch and did have to fight for it, not the most impressive win over Bisping but it got him what he wants so badly, a rematch and another shot at the title.
FHTV: Speaking of Ronda Rousey, give us your thoughts on women’s MMA?
Ranallo: What is not to like about it? These are world class athletes who go out and in some cases perform better and more impressive than your big name, big draw male fighters. There is a definite market for them in the industry and I am happy that Strikeforce has the best in the world right now.
FHTV: Where do you think Strikeforce will go now as more fighters transfer out to UFC? What is your thought on them as a company?
Ranallo: I am employed through Showtime for Showtime sports. I called their EliteXC brand when they were on the channel and now Strikeforce alongside Gus Johnson and Frank Shamrock. I think that Strikeforce has a place and will need to continue to bring on the names to keep it alive, especially with their heavyweight division almost completely gone.
FHTV: Strikeforce concludes the heavyweight grand prix on May 19, what do you see happening?
Ranallo: I do not predict the fights nor do I try and guess who will win when I call a fight so I cannot say. What I can say is this; it is a very interesting match up. Daniel Cormier has the golden ticket at the moment. He has evolved so much as a mixed martial artist, been able to finish a very tough opponent in Bigfoot Silva, able to stay in fifteen minutes with a veteran fighter like Jeff Monson and has the training behind him at AKA. He will be a tough challenge for Josh Barnett on that night. Across the cage you have Josh Barnett, at one time the youngest UFC champion, PRIDE veteran, professional wrestler in his own right getting a chance to redeem himself. This man has been tested dirty twice, always maintaining his innocence and has a fanbase behind him. He is skilled wherever the fight goes but will be looking for the submissions he loves so much. All I know is I look forward to it to watch and to call.
FHTV: Staying in the theme of heavyweights, what do you think of UFC 146?
Ranallo: A card with great talent and huge fighters! This is very interesting in the co-main event I think. Frank Mir, the only man to stop PRIDE legend and former UFC champion Minotauro Nougeira both by strikes and submission, looking for another title shot against former champion Cain Velasquez. Mir is very capable of winning this fight and his opponent is as well, I am very intrigued by this match up.
FHTV: Do you think Cain deserves a title contender’s match as his first fight after losing the belt last November?
Ranallo: Depending on whom you ask, neither of those men (Dos Santos and Velasquez) probably should not have been fighting when they did in the fall. Due to the first fight on FOX and the magnitude it brought, they agreed to deliver for the fans. In the end, he has what it takes to win again and will have to fight his fight against Mir.
FHTV: You have always been supportive of Alistair Overeem, were you surprised how easily he went through Brock Lesnar at UFC 141?
Ranallo: Nope, I predicted that on the MMA Show and said he would win by strikes in the first round. Overeem is trouble for anyone he faces and was too big of a man and better striker for Lesnar to handle. Not to discredit the former UFC champion who was coming back from his life threatening illness but we all saw what happened.
FHTV: Being as involved with MMA as you are, why is your voice not featured in UFC Undisputed 3? PRIDE mode specifically?
Ranallo: I was not approached for that. I think they have a great team and did a great thing by having the two originals on the game with Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros. I had my minutes of video game fame with EA MMA; a fabulous group to work with and made me very cool in my nephew’s eyes to have their uncle in a game to tell their friends about.
FHTV: When you are not traveling, what do you enjoy to do?
Ranallo: I love movies, maybe it’s the Italian heritage that makes me love cinema. Love TV shows, very excited for Game of Thrones second season to start up; I was very happy with Walking Dead and the shows on AMC they put out.
FHTV: Which is better, Godfather 1 or 2?
Ranallo: The first is a classic, the second is the best and there was no need for a third. In an industry where sequels suck though, we should be grateful for how good part two really was.
FHTV: Thank you so much for the time and a wonderful interview Mauro!
Ranallo: Thank you for speaking with me, thank you to all the fans and everyone who listens to me call the fights and the MMA Show I do daily, my thought is, I don’t want to be the first to break a story necessarily, I just want to be able to give the fans the info and coverage they deserve!
