My Mom's Basement - EPISODE 118 - MAURO RANALLO

Episode Date: April 1, 2021

Mauro Ranallo joins Robbie to discuss Bellator's upcoming debut on Showtime! Plus, Mauro answers some wrestling commentary questions as well! 3Chi: Use code MMB at checkout to receive 5% off at 3Chi.comYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/mymomsbasement

Hey My Mom's Basement listeners, you can find our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, and Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Today I've got a short little interview show coming at you with none other than Mauro Ranallo. I had kind of known Mauro through the years just through Twitter. Like we had to exchange tweets back and forth about the New York Rangers, about wrestling, about this, that. And shockingly, he remembered me in this interview. I really didn't expect that. Before we get into it, let me tell you guys about 3C, obviously our sponsor each and every week, and they are the leader in Delta-8 THC products. All of these products are formulated by a biochemist and made in the USA with USA-grown hemp. It's hemp-derived,

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It is psychoactive. It will give you a buzz, so please use it responsibly. Again, go to 3chi.com. That's the number 3-C-H-I.com to shop for vapes, gummies, tinctures, oils, cookies, and more. When you get there, use the promo code MMB at checkout to receive 5% off your order. Let's get into this interview. All right, welcome back to My Mom's Basement. I am here now with Mauro Ranallo.

Mauro, you're one of my favorite commentators. You have been for a long time across wrestling, mixed martial arts, I mean, the entire landscape. So let me first off start by saying that. And how are you? Hey, brother, I am doing very well, Robbie. And you know what? I'm proud of you, dude.

You remind me in many ways of a, of a, a much, much younger Moro, you little bugger. You got, you got a few years on me, which I appreciate. But seriously, I love with what you're doing and you're in mom's basement. I'm here in my mini Cooper. So I appreciate the kind words and I appreciate your hustle, bro. And I appreciate you bringing your authenticity and being different. If anyone always says what, you know, what would you say to the next so-and-so? Be the first you. So way to go, bro.

I like it. Thank you. I really appreciate that. We've got Bellator MMA making their debut on Showtime on April 2nd, Friday, April 2nd. I can't wait. Pitbull versus Sanchez 2 in the main event. AJ McKee is going to be joining you guys on commentary because he'll find out who his next opponent is right there. I'd like to start there and ask why should all eyes be on Bellator this

Friday night? Because it's all about the war pigs, baby. I see your shirt. You know what? You know why? Honestly, it's the merging of two entities that are incredibly passionate about combat sports and have been successful at the highest level. You have to go back just, well, now less than a decade ago, already almost 10 years, 2012, when Strikeforce, which was run by Scott Coker, was sold to the UFC. Strikeforce became a preeminent organization

on the Showtime airwaves, and it became a pipeline of future champions who became legends in the UFC. So there's already been a winning recipe between Scott Coker and his keen IQ when it comes to promoting fights and of course Showtime Sports which has become the leader in combat sports with its involvement in the biggest pay-per-view of combat sports events in history. So this Friday not only are you going to see some quality fights, but you're going to see fights that really matter.

And that's what it's all about when it comes to fights, Robbie. High stakes. And it doesn't get much higher a stake than Patricio Pitbull putting his featherweight title on the line against Emmanuel Sanchez, who pushed Pitbull the distance when they met in Israel in 2018, went the five-round distance. And so Emmanuel Sanchez, who's won three in a row since, he's not afraid of Patricio Pitbull. And you know what? You get a chance right off the jump to see the poster boy for Bellator in Patricio Pitbull.

So many reasons to watch. I think the opener marries, you know, two of my worlds having made my bones in Japan with Pride Fighting Championships and rising from the ashes of that promotions like Rizin. We got Kana Watanabe, a judoka against Alejandra Lara, who was incredibly marketable both for what she can do inside the cage and what she does out of it. Her IQ both in and out of the cage, incredible.

And, of course, Showtime was the channel that brought us Gina Carano versus Julie Kedzie on the debut. So for the return of Showtime to feature a woman's mixed martial arts bout in its opener, there's some poetry to that. And so many, many reasons to watch on Friday. And I hope you and the rest of those wonderful people living in mom's basement will watch. You know it. I was just about to say, do you have a sleeper fight of the night? Is it that opener for you?

In many ways it is. But this is, again, about matchmaking. And again, hats off to Rich Chow, Mike Kogan, of course, Scott Coker, and everyone for their eye for talent. Not only does Bellator nurture, you know, its own prospects, but, yeah, we've seen the likes of Anthony Rubble Johnson now come over as a free agent, of course, with Yoel Romero. Big fight that we're looking forward to in the light heavyweight tournament.

But that night, man, you got a light. I'm kind of intrigued by every fight on the main card, but I think the women's fight, because of what it means, both in terms of the rankings and, again, for history on Showtime, I'm really looking forward to what Alejandra Lara and Kana Watanabe, how they set the standard for the rest of the night. And I hope it's a high standard, because all these athletes are capable of it. So you're going to be on commentary with Big John McCarthy.

I'd like to ask you this, and it may be a question that you've gotten often, but if you can call an event, could be a pro wrestling event, could be a MMA event, with any commentator from history, alive or dead, do you have a name that comes to mind immediately and you go, oh, I know who it is like that? Great question. And you would say, you think? I get asked that a lot. But you're the first person to ask because you are a Robert Fox, baby, and you are in mama's basement.

I've been blessed. Again, I'm the Forrest Gump of broadcasting, Robbie. I get to work with everyone. And to be honest, my fever dream just happened on the Triller Show, November 28th. When I woke up that morning and I realized that I would be calling Mike Tyson versus Roy Jones Jr.

with Snoop Dogg, one of my favorite rappers, Sugar Ray Leonard, one of my favorite boxers, Israel Adesanya, one of the baddest men in the planet. I was in heaven, sir. But I mean, I think that really in the world? I was in heaven, sir. But, I mean,

I think that really does answer everyone I've worked with, I've respected. But maybe going back in history, Jesse the Body Ventura for pro wrestling would be fun. For boxing, I would love to work with George Foreman. MMA, I

got to work with the best already in all of them. I mean, Bob Gruden, now with Big John, it's, you know, I mean, Joe Rogan, obviously always would love to, to call a fight with Joe, but John annex, my man. And, uh, I appreciate that, you know, even at this age, Robbie, I get to, you know, come back and call MMA again. So I'm very grateful, very grateful. What about an event itself? If I could place you in any event in history and you

get to call that game card fight whatever it may be nice mahali joe frazier thriller in manila that would be unbelievable but you know you know i didn't know if you would go with like the 94 stanley cup for the rangers or something i don't know if you would throw a wild card at me goosebumps because on the last interview i just did which was a hockey uh podcast i did a stanley cup final goal call involving brian lee come on and uh one mr mark messier so that's pretty cool. And you know what? It was because of Sam Rosen and John Davidson. When I bought an illegal 10-foot dish in 1988 up in the backwoods of Canada, beautiful British Columbia, and I was getting all these wild feeds and I was a long-suffering Vancouver Canucks fan looking for a change, my brother. And I heard Sam Rosen and John Davidson.

I went, wow, these guys call games great and this is New York this Madison Square Garden world's most famous arena I fell in love with the Rangers and June 14 1994 by far one of the greatest days in history because not only did the Rangers win the Stanley Cup but they defeated the Vancouver Canucks and at the time I was a sportscaster in the market calling myself Ranger Ranallo, getting death threats, getting people donating money to the radio station to have me kicked out of the country. Who got the last laugh, Robbie? Who got the last laugh? It was definitely you.

That is unbelievable. As a commentator, when you were growing up and you wanted to be a commentator, would you call games or fights? Would you pretend to call them and talk about it over that? It's funny. I came up with my own scenarios in the documentary Bipolar Rock and Roller on Showtime, which deals with this crazy journey called life.

Yes, I learned to speak extemporaneously. I owned my ad-libbing skills at a young age without knowing it. Just coming up with storylines to everything I saw, whether I wanted to make people laugh. I wanted to make people feel good. I wanted to entertain people knowing that, you know, I suffered a lot of childhood trauma and wasn't really able to express myself like I would have liked maybe at home all the time. So at school, I was a class clown. I was always the guy looking for attention, but at the same time using words to make people either laugh or say, wow, that was cool. Like I, I was freestyle rapping, but at the same time using words to make people either laugh or say,

wow, that was cool. Like I, I was freestyle rapping, like at 10 and 11 years old without, you know, sure made crisscross sound like Nas or Rakim, but you know what I'm saying? It was at least some rap, right buddy? Yeah. So yeah, it's, it's, I think I've always prepared for what I do in life since the get, since the jump, I've always, yeah, prepared my life. I read out loud every day. I love certain words. I love, you know, just words. I love speaking. Now, on the pro wrestling side, this is a question that I've asked a few different commentators, and I'm always fascinated by their responses. Would you like to hear the finish of a

match beforehand so you could prepare a call or do you like the natural reaction of oh my god i actually didn't know that was happening so i'm reacting with the crowd i've done both no one could tell the difference either time do you have a preference though i don't want to know i don't want to know because you don't want to know if you're better at one or the other Robbie, Robbie, I was going to say If anyone would get me in trouble It's going to be Robbie Fox

Because he's sly like a fox And not to say you're going to get me in trouble But I know that it's funny where Everyone asks about differences MMA, boxing, how can I call pro wrestling When it's scripted, choreographed You lose all your credibility and respect I cut my teeth at the highest level With New Japan Pro Wrestling how could I call pro wrestling when it's scripted, choreographed, you lose all your credibility and respect.

I cut my teeth at the highest level with New Japan Pro Wrestling, by far the most enjoyable experience I've ever had calling professional wrestling. And that was done in a studio in Access TV in Los Angeles with Josh Barnett. I loved you guys as a team. We called it like a shoot because in many ways it was. But even when I transitioned to WWE, the talent roster in WWE is incredible. So I, okay, the only time I wanted to know a finish, and especially WWE, was so I could try to follow what we're doing. You know, like make sure I don't screw up the storyline

or what the character is supposed to be doing. But in most instances, I don't want to know and even again I go by what the office wants they want to tell me they tell me but I actually love I love doing the I love pretending that I don't know

when I do and then they're like wow that was amazing because even with New Japan I was calling matches that were three years old I remember and I'm losing can I say shit I was losing my shit I was losing my shit in the studio and it's like wow and it's only because and this is okay okay Mauro give Robbie the good here this kid's gonna make it so I want to give you more buddy I want to give you more and I got a lot of anxiety about doing these interviews believe it or not so you're making me feel good i want to share this with you oh good many times the process for me is there's so much information now out there there's so many voices

there's so many analysts there's so many podcasts for me and i was a club and radio dj for years i never owned a cd player i never owned a CD. I never owned an album. And yet music is one of my biggest passions. And I was a high level, successful radio and club DJ. What I'm saying is, even with matches and fighting some of my best calls, even with New Japan, I'd not seen the matches, nor did I want to see the matches. I wanted, yes, I get wrestling. You know, there's rehearsals, there's all this. But the job of a play-by-play announcer for me, at least especially in wrestling, when it comes to pro wrestling, I am here to put over this talent. These people are supposed to earn a living, merchandise, make the company money, earn, I want these guys to headline WrestleMania. That's all my job.

It's not about me. It's not about anything else. But I'll tell you something. When I get creative in my descriptions, when I attach a rap lyric to guys like Lio Rush, when he realizes his dream and what he had to overcome, I'm not doing that rap lyric to be cool or to be an aspiring hip-hop artist when I describe someone using a pop culture reference I'm trying to hopefully make that person cooler in the eyes of some of the audience do I hit a home run every time no but but so what I'm going to keep doing it and and this is what I want to share with you because I know there's there's always going to be hate and now during the pandemic and me being off social media for the last year, the greatest thing I could do for my mental health. I am my own worst critic. I, no one can, can tell me I suck more than I do. And every week leading up to a show, I have to, I have to prove myself to myself. So while I may not be everyone's favorite announcer, you, you have to understand

that I'm just being me. It's a passion. And I'm realizing my own mistakes and where I can improve and maybe where I do tend to overhype or be too hyperbolic. But in the moment, you're going to get what you're going to get. And on Friday, my friend, I hope you hear the loudest version of your story because that means that Bellator MMA on Showtime is sizzling and it's, it's promising to be honestly from top to bottom, a fistic fireworks and an incredible night.

And into the wake of what our boy Francis and, and God who did, you know, the Bellator MMA warriors better bring it on Friday. And I know they will. Oh my God. Yeah. Well,

I appreciate your enthusiasm and your authenticity and I know many others do as well so I don't think you have to worry about those let me transition and ask you what was your favorite event you ever called what was the most fun you ever had calling an event was it that Mike Tyson fight just recently in many ways yes but wow brother I gotta say man even the first Bushido being in Japan with Boss Rune October 2003, the tournament Bushido 9, so many fight of the year candidates in one night, including Takanori Gomi stopping, you know, two individuals in one night. Mayweather I mean when it comes WrestleMania and Dallas Even being on a pre-show and being with my favorite team During my WWE tenure Other than working with Daniel Bryan Speaking of which Classic man

One of my all time favorites To be able to have Kota Ibushi And to be able to see the first spark Of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Champ of Mock And Daniel Bryan Daniel Bryan Why couldn't me and Daniel Bryan of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Cedric Alexander. Yeah.

Daniel Bryan. Why couldn't me and Daniel Bryan call our matches together? No, it was awesome. There's so many of us. Again, I could put together a bouquet, my friend. What do you have coming up in the future that you're looking forward to? Well, we got big, busiest,

I mean, since the pandemic started. And again, I'm so grateful to what Viacom, CBS, and Showtime Championship Boxing and Bellator MMA have done to ensure that all of us stay safe and that we are able to still, even for a moment, give people an escape from what is this incredibly harsh reality of ours. I'm really looking forward to April, bro. And I just want to come up guns a-blazing.

Friday, April 2nd, we got Sanchez and Pitbull, which of course sets up, the rematch sets up the final against AJ McKee, who you tell me who of 25 and under is hotter than this kid and maybe better. This guy is the future of Bellator for sure, and yet Patricio Pitbull and Emmanuel Sanchez will be by far his toughest test. We got the light heavyweight Grand Prix, and you know me, and I appreciate Scott Coker's love and reverence for the Japanese martial art way, the K-1 tournament, the legendary pride fighting championship tournament that I've already alluded to. So that light heavyweight Grand Prix, you know, we got the Elite Eight beginning in March Madness with basketball. We got an Elite Eight at 205. And you know, UFC is the juggernaut. UFC is the

big dogs in town. They don't have a monopoly on the greatest talent in the world. There's amazing fighters all around the planet. And for my money, Bellator's light heavyweight division may be the deepest in the world. So you're going to want to check out Showtime over the next few Friday nights. And Robbie, I know you're living in your mom's basement, so we got a deal for you, brother. You're able to sign up now. You're going to get 30 days free and then a Slash discount that maybe mom will give you for an allowance. Unbelievable plug.

He tied it in with the show, with the Pelotor and everything. That was tremendous, Mauro. We got to end it on that. It can't get better. That was the peak. Mauro, thank you so much for joining. This was a pleasure. It was a pleasure getting to talk to you.

And I'm looking forward to the fights. Have fun with them. Robbie, you are a smooth operator, brother. Seriously. I, uh, you know, Barstool Sports, very provocative site as we all know, but you are, you're the goods brother. And I appreciate you dude. Keep doing what you're doing, man. Hope to talk to you again. Thank you very much.