What’s the story?
Former SmackDown LIVE commentator Mauro Ranallo has been named by Showtime Boxing as the Play by Play announcer for the August 26th, 2017 boxing showdown between UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor and undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather.
The news of Ranallo’s confirmation on the announcement panel came by way of an official communication from Showtime via SportingNews, Ranallo’s Tweet confirming the same can be seen below:
The other announcers on the panel for the evening alongside Ranallo will be Paulie Malignaggi and Al Bernstein.
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In case you didn’t know...
Mauro Ranallo has been a part of Showtime Boxing since 2012 and has called several fights for the promotion. Recently, Ranallo served as the play by play announcer for the Heavyweight Boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko and was praised for his performance.
Ranallo was also a part of the announcing team of WWE’s SmackDown LIVE and was a part of the company from 2015 until his departure in 2017 due to backstage issues, and has also commented for MMA promotions Pride FC and Strikeforce FC in the past and is presently signed on to Bellator MMA.
The heart of the matter
In the official announcement by Showtime Boxing, Mauro Ranallo has been named as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight. The fight is going to be a 12-round boxing match.
The full panel for the evening is as follows: Brian Custer will be the host of the event, Mauro Ranallo will be the play-by-play announcer, Al Bernstein, who is one of Showtime’s most prominent figures, will be the colour analyst for the evening, and accompanying him will be former boxer Paulie Malignaggi, who will also be a colour analyst.
Also read: 5 things you didn’t know about Mauro Ranallo
Besides the aforementioned names, Jim Gray will be the ringside reporter and Boxing Hall of Famer Steve Farhood will be the unofficial scorer for the evening. Showtime have also stated that there will be “guest commentators” which are yet to be announced, including some who will be providing MMA insights.
What’s next?
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will face off against each other on 26th August 2017. Tickets for the event are already being sold for exorbitant prices and it is expected that the entire event will be sold out months prior to the fight.
Mauro Ranallo, on the other hand, has another exciting event on his plate as he will be calling the June 24th, 2017 Bellator NYC event alongside former UFC commentator Mike Goldberg. The evening will feature a bout between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva and will also have Fedor Emelianenko going up against Matt Mitrione.
Author’s take
It is heartening to see Mauro Ranallo getting the opportunities he deserves! He is one of the best, if not THE best, play by play combat sports commentator in the whole world right now and he will undoubtedly do a great job calling the epic fight!
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