In this article, PWP Nation’s Eron Ramadanov talks about why he thinks Mauro Ranallo is the best play-by-play commentator in wrestling today.
Commentary is an art. It can enhance or severely hurt a wrestling product. Heck, sometimes it can save a match or segment from completely bombing. To some, commentary might be just a couple of guys talking over the wrestling, but to most, commentary is there to help tell the story that’s going on inside the squared circle.
When I was first exposed to wrestling, the first voice I heard was WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross. It’s bitter-sweet growing up having Jim Ross call every major match you’ve ever seen. While it was happening, I appreciated it, but now that he’s long gone and doesn’t look like he’ll ever be brought back, I appreciate his commentary more and more. I didn’t realize at the time that I was listening to the greatest play-by-play announcer the sport had ever seen. With every major match that comes to mind, a line or phrase from the mouth of JR comes along with it, hand-in-hand.
Mick Foley being tossed off a Hell in a Cell, I can hear the words of Jim Ross being honestly terrified for his colleague’s life. Jeff Hardy climbing a ladder, trying to become the WWE Undisputed Champion, I can hear JR’s voice quiver as a new champion was in sight, but only to fall short to the Deadman. Moments like that is what makes a commentator great and what helps make a moment unforgettable.
Reaching a level where you’re consistently enhancing the product with your words, is the ultimate achievement for any announcer, whether that’s in baseball, football or professional wrestling.
But, sadly in today’s modern age of commentary, there seems to be a lack of legendary voices and personalities. You have a few bright spots here and there, but there are only a few select names today that have separated themselves from the rest.
When we’re looking at the best wrestling announcers in the business today, in my opinion, Mauro Ranallo is at the very top of the list.
Ranallo adds a level of legitimacy to the product. He uses the correct terminology, as opposed to his counterparts on Raw, and his background in MMA and boxing, have certainly primed him for longevity in this business.
When first listening to Ranallo, I’ve heard people call him “robotic,” but I think that feature is mistaken for seriousness for the product. Mauro treats the content in the ring like a serious, legitimate, real competitive sport, which is exactly how it should be treated. Instead of making dated references or bringing up the latest news headline, Ranallo calls the action and allows the viewer to be invested in what’s happening on the TV, and not elsewhere.
But Ranallo isn’t always the straight-laced, serious commentator. Ranallo, unlike other announcers within the company, shows the most energy and enthusiasm since the great Jim Ross. He’s full of life and makes the match in the ring better every single time. If the in-ring product is an 8, Ranallo’s commentary can bring it up to a 9.5. That’s how good he is.
Mauro Ranallo understands what his role is and plays it very well.
Some of you might wonder, “well, if he’s so good, why is he on SmackDown and not Raw?”
Fair question.
Right now, long time WWE announcer Michael Cole seems to have the keys to the Raw announce table. In 2008, Cole become the lead announcer of WWE, and hasn’t looked back since. As the story goes, Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn and other key backstage officials wanted to “freshen up” the product and steer toward a more “upbeat” feel to the show; less wrasslin’ and more entertainment. That’s when Jim Ross was moved to SmackDown and then pushed to retire. It was clear that WWE didn’t want emotional commentators, but “sports journalists.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, WWE should immediately place Ranallo on WWE Raw every Monday. Of course with the influence of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn backstage in his headset, I’m afraid they might change what makes Ranallo so great, but I believe Ranallo is good enough to overcome those obstacles.
The optimist in me believes that Ranallo was brought in to one day replace Michael Cole, whether it’s to once again freshen things up or in the case of Cole wanting to retire or move onto other endeavors.
Look, I respect Michael Cole. I think the guy works hard and does his best. And a lot of our gripes with him don’t have anything to do with him, but more what he’s told to say by Kevin Dunn and Vince McMahon. They call the shots. If you ever want to hear what Vince is thinking during a show, listen directly to what JBL is saying. JBL is Vince’s direct voice line to the audience.
So, on some levels, yeah maybe it’s best Ranallo stays on SmackDown. During the SD tapings, luckily for Ranallo, Vince isn’t at those shows, so Mauro has range to call his type of show.
When Ranallo is allowed to call a show in his own style, there’s no one in the game better. With a unique sound, accurate and interesting background on the competitors and unrelenting enthusiasm, Mauro Ranallo is everything an announcer should be in today’s age of professional wrestling. Ranallo is the total package when it comes to a play-by-play commentator and the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Jim Ross.
So, Vinny Mac… PUSH MAURO!
Thanks for reading, everyone.
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