He's been behind the mic for some of the biggest moments in combat sports history and this week will bring another achievement to the career of Abbotsford-born broadcaster Mauro Ranallo.
The W.J. Mouat grad will provide play-by-play for the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match, which will stream live on Netflix on Friday (Nov. 15) night.
Ranallo will be joined ringside on the call by analysts Roy Jones Jr. and Rosie Perez. The event occurs at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
We’re 1 WEEK away from Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and our all-star roster of On-Air Talent is bringing you ALL THE ACTION!
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 9, 2024
🎤Roy Jones Jr.
🎤Sibley Scoles
🎤Amir Tyson
🎤Kody Mommaerts
🎤Kate Scott
🎤Rosie Perez
🎤Andre Ward
🎤Mauro Ranallo
🎤Ariel Helwani
🎤Sean Wheelock
Tune in… pic.twitter.com/d9egZKvojX
He was also the broadcaster for the Connor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. boxing match, which earned the second biggest pay-per-view buy rate ever.
Last month saw Ranallo return to the world of professional wrestling when he was the broadcaster of the inaugural two Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling shows in Windsor, Ont. on Oct. 19 and 20.
He started in the wrestling game as a teenager working as a manager and announcer for Vancouver's All Star Wrestling. He also spent time broadcasting wrestling with both Calgary's Stampede Wrestling and the Abbotsford-based Top Ranked Wrestling.
He branched off into combat sports in the early-2000s and was best known as the voice of North American broadcasts for Pride Fighting Championships from 2003 to 2006. Ranallo then worked for Canada's The Fight Network for several years, while continuing to do more Mixed Martial Arts broadcasting.
He returned to wrestling coverage in 2015 with New Japan Pro Wrestling and then later that year signed with World Wrestling Entertainment. Ranallo was the voice of WWE Smackdown from 2015 to 2017 and also took part in many of that promotion's biggest shows. He moved to WWE's NXT brand from 2017 to 2020 and stepped away from wrestling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ranallo also worked for Showtime Sports during his time with WWE and broadcasted a number of big boxing events, including the aforementioned McGregor vs. Mayweather fight.
3 DAYS‼️ DALLAS. NETFLIX. HISTORY!
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 12, 2024
Tune in LIVE as Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and the ENTIRE fight card finally meet in the ring on Friday, November 15th!🥊
-#TaylorSerrano #PaulTyson
Friday, November 15th
AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX
Live on… pic.twitter.com/k0UMrYAy0T
Friday's match is an exhibition bout and is the first time that the 58-year-old Mike Tyson has been in the ring since Nov. 28, 2020 when he fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition. That match was judged as a draw.
Jake Paul, 27, has a professional record of 10-1. He last picked up a win over Mike Perry on July 20. Paul initially gained fame as a social media influencer before branching into boxing.
The Texas commission approved the fight under altered rules, as rounds will be only two minutes (as opposed to three) and fighters will wear 14-ounce gloves (instead of the typical eight).
The fight will air live for free on Netflix for anyone with an existing account on the streaming network. The undercard will feature six other bouts. It all gets underway starting at 5 p.m. PST.
