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Kevin Kelly (announcer)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Foote is an American
professional wrestling
manager
, pundit, sportscaster
and ring announcer
, better known by his ring name
, Kevin Kelly. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment
between June 1996 and March 2003, and is currently an announcer for Ring of Honor
and Lucha Libre USA
.
, New York
, but his family relocated to Stuart, Florida
when he was ten. He graduated from Florida State University
in January 1990. Kelly first became involved in broadcasting
when he began working as a disc jockey
, playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Kelly debuted on the professional wrestling
independent circuit
in 1991. He originally worked as a ring announcer
for Eddie Mansfield's Orlando, Florida
-based International Wrestling Federation.
Kelly received a try-out with the World Wrestling Federation
as a ring announcer due to the intervention of fellow IWF alumnus Billy Gunn
. He was hired by the WWF in June 1996. In 1997, Kelly, alongside Michael Cole
and Jim Ross
, served as the commentator for Raw is War
, the flagship television program
of the WWF. In 1999, Kelly began serving as an interviewer on Raw is War and SmackDown!.
As an interviewer, Kelly was involved in numerous angles. The most publicized was the controversial "Pillman's got a gun" angle, which took place on the November 4, 1996 episode of Monday Night Raw, which was filmed in Fort Wayne, Indiana
. The angle was set against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between Brian Pillman
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
. Throughout the broadcast of Monday Night Raw, live footage was shown of Kelly interviewing Pillman in his home in Walton, Kentucky
alongside Pillman's wife Melanie. After Dok Hendrix
informed Monday Night Raw announcer Vince McMahon
that Austin was supposedly traveling to Pillman's home, Pillman, upon being appraised of this development, produced and loaded a 9 mm
Glock
pistol
and stated that he would "blast [Austin's] sorry ass straight to hell!" A frightened Kelly delivered the line "Pillman's got a gun!"
In the course of the interview, Austin arrived at Pillman's home and, after fighting off several of Pillman's friends who had surrounded the house to protect him, broke into the house and advanced on Pillman. Pillman responded by pointing his pistol at Austin, with the live camera feed subsequently fading to black as Kelly and Melanie Pillman screamed. When the camera feed returned, Pillman was being restrained by his friends, and Kelly informed McMahon that there had been two "explosions
", but no-one had been injured. At that point, Austin re-entered the house, with Pillman's friends forcing him out again as Pillman pointed his pistol at Austin while screaming obscenities and threats. Kelly shouted for someone to "call the police" as Monday Night Raw color commentator
Jerry Lawler
instructed him to "get the gun". The broadcast ended with Austin being driven from the house as Melanie Pillman cried. The WWF and Pillman would later apologize for the segment.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kelly would frequently be mocked by The Rock during interviews, with The Rock labeling him a hermaphrodite
and nicknaming him "Hermie". At Unforgiven on September 24, 2000, Kelly was "attacked" by the returning Stone Cold Steve Austin while attempting to interview him.
Kelly would later begin hosting the weekly WWF webcast Byte This!. In addition to his on-screen roles, Kelly served as a WWF talent scout, monitoring wrestlers in the Heartland Wrestling Association
, Memphis Championship Wrestling
, Ohio Valley Wrestling
and Urban Wrestling Alliance developmental territories. Kelly was responsible for watching and evaluating tapes of matches sent to the WWF by prospective employees. Kelly also had a minor degree of influence on the creative direction of the WWF, and was the creator of the storyline that saw Stephanie McMahon marry Triple H
, creating the McMahon-Helmsley Faction
. In addition, Kelly produced Confidential
.
In November 1999, Kelly debuted in the Delaware
-based East Coast Wrestling Association
as a manager
, forming several heel
stables. On April 7, 2001 in Wilmington, Delaware
, Kelly defeated Cheetah Master for the ECWA Heavyweight Championship
with the help of Billy Fives
and Rick Fuller, members of Kelly's Alliance of Defiance stable. He was stripped of the title on May 5, 2001, with Scoot Andrews
defeating Billy Fives for the vacant title. On December 3, 2005, Kelly was inducted into the ECWA Hall of Fame.
On March 21, 2003, Kelly was released by the WWF (renamed World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002) as part of a series of budget cuts. He went on to work for the short-lived Major League Wrestling
promotion. Since his release, Kelly has criticized the corporate policies and creative direction of his former employer.
Kelly once hosted a segment named Plan B on the Voice of Wrestling Internet radio
program
. He continues to appear on the independent circuit with promotions such as Eastern Pro Wrestling. In August 2007, Kelly started his own show on the Wrestling Radio Network called The Kevin Kelly Show. Kelly also hosts "The Big Picture" audio show on ClubWWI.com
On April 7, 2009 it was rumored that Kevin Kelly was returning to WWE. DirecTV listed Kevin Kelly as the host of WWE Superstars
. Kelly debunked the rumor, stating Direct TV was using an old promo, as he once hosted WWF Superstars
. That same week, Kelly returned to "Voice of Wrestling". He further discussed this rumor with VOW, whom asked if he wished he was working for WWE again. Kelly stated he was "horrified at the thought of coming back." He also stated "it was so nerve-wracking working there because you never knew where you stood. Just the idea of putting myself back in that situation would be the ultimate act of selfish stupidity. I'm thankful for the experience that I had but it was just so miserable that I couldn't ever imagine going back. And I knew instantly what the mistake was."
On March 2, 2010, Jim Cornette
confirmed during his Who's Slamming Who podcast, that Kevin has just signed an agreement to be the voice of Ring of Honor
on internet Pay-per-view
, On May 28, 2011, Kelly debuted as an announcer for Lucha Libre USA
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, pundit, sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...
, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
, Kevin Kelly. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
between June 1996 and March 2003, and is currently an announcer for Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
and Lucha Libre USA
Lucha Libre USA
Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors was a television program on the MTV2 broadcast channel, chronicling the rise of Mexican-style wrestling, or lucha libre, in the United States. The first episode was aired on July 16, 2010. The second season premiered October 1, 2011. However, after only four...
.
Career
Kelly was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but his family relocated to Stuart, Florida
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
when he was ten. He graduated from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in January 1990. Kelly first became involved in broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
when he began working as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Kelly debuted on the professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
in 1991. He originally worked as a ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...
for Eddie Mansfield's Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
-based International Wrestling Federation.
Kelly received a try-out with the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as a ring announcer due to the intervention of fellow IWF alumnus Billy Gunn
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
. He was hired by the WWF in June 1996. In 1997, Kelly, alongside Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
and Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
, served as the commentator for Raw is War
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, the flagship television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
of the WWF. In 1999, Kelly began serving as an interviewer on Raw is War and SmackDown!.
As an interviewer, Kelly was involved in numerous angles. The most publicized was the controversial "Pillman's got a gun" angle, which took place on the November 4, 1996 episode of Monday Night Raw, which was filmed in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. The angle was set against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. Throughout the broadcast of Monday Night Raw, live footage was shown of Kelly interviewing Pillman in his home in Walton, Kentucky
Walton, Kentucky
Walton is a city in Boone and Kenton Counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,635 in the 2010 Census.-Tourism:Nearby Florence offers thoroughbred racing at Turfway Park....
alongside Pillman's wife Melanie. After Dok Hendrix
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
informed Monday Night Raw announcer Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
that Austin was supposedly traveling to Pillman's home, Pillman, upon being appraised of this development, produced and loaded a 9 mm
9 mm Luger Parabellum
The 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was designed by Georg Luger and introduced in 1902 by the German weapons manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken for their Luger semi-automatic pistol...
Glock
Glock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
and stated that he would "blast [Austin's] sorry ass straight to hell!" A frightened Kelly delivered the line "Pillman's got a gun!"
In the course of the interview, Austin arrived at Pillman's home and, after fighting off several of Pillman's friends who had surrounded the house to protect him, broke into the house and advanced on Pillman. Pillman responded by pointing his pistol at Austin, with the live camera feed subsequently fading to black as Kelly and Melanie Pillman screamed. When the camera feed returned, Pillman was being restrained by his friends, and Kelly informed McMahon that there had been two "explosions
Gunshot
A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, producing a mechanical sound effect and a chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a gunshot wound caused by such a discharge. Multiple discharges of a firearm or firearms are referred to as gunfire. The word can connotate either the sound of a...
", but no-one had been injured. At that point, Austin re-entered the house, with Pillman's friends forcing him out again as Pillman pointed his pistol at Austin while screaming obscenities and threats. Kelly shouted for someone to "call the police" as Monday Night Raw color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
instructed him to "get the gun". The broadcast ended with Austin being driven from the house as Melanie Pillman cried. The WWF and Pillman would later apologize for the segment.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kelly would frequently be mocked by The Rock during interviews, with The Rock labeling him a hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
and nicknaming him "Hermie". At Unforgiven on September 24, 2000, Kelly was "attacked" by the returning Stone Cold Steve Austin while attempting to interview him.
Kelly would later begin hosting the weekly WWF webcast Byte This!. In addition to his on-screen roles, Kelly served as a WWF talent scout, monitoring wrestlers in the Heartland Wrestling Association
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
, Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...
, Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
and Urban Wrestling Alliance developmental territories. Kelly was responsible for watching and evaluating tapes of matches sent to the WWF by prospective employees. Kelly also had a minor degree of influence on the creative direction of the WWF, and was the creator of the storyline that saw Stephanie McMahon marry Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, creating the McMahon-Helmsley Faction
McMahon-Helmsley Faction
The McMahon-Helmsley Faction was a large heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation which was founded in late 1999, had mostly faded away by early 2001 and finally ended in mid-2002...
. In addition, Kelly produced Confidential
WWE Confidential
WWE Confidential was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It aired on Spike TV late Saturday nights, following Velocity, from 2002 to 2004. It was hosted by Gene Okerlund.-Format:...
.
In November 1999, Kelly debuted in the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
-based East Coast Wrestling Association
East Coast Wrestling Association
East Coast Wrestling Association is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded by promoter Jim Kettner in 1967. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the country...
as a manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, forming several heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stables. On April 7, 2001 in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Kelly defeated Cheetah Master for the ECWA Heavyweight Championship
ECWA Heavyweight Championship
ECWA Heavyweight Championship is the top title contested in the independent professional wrestling promotion East Coast Wrestling Association.-References:...
with the help of Billy Fives
Billy Fives
Billy Fives is an American professional wrestler and former shoot fighter who has competed in North American independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, East Coast Wrestling Alliance, Major League Wrestling and the X Wrestling Federation as well as toured South America, the Caribbean,...
and Rick Fuller, members of Kelly's Alliance of Defiance stable. He was stripped of the title on May 5, 2001, with Scoot Andrews
Andrew Warner
Andrew Warner is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "The Black Nature Boy" Scoot Andrews.After debuting in 1994, Andrew competed for numerous independent promotions throughout his career...
defeating Billy Fives for the vacant title. On December 3, 2005, Kelly was inducted into the ECWA Hall of Fame.
On March 21, 2003, Kelly was released by the WWF (renamed World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002) as part of a series of budget cuts. He went on to work for the short-lived Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
promotion. Since his release, Kelly has criticized the corporate policies and creative direction of his former employer.
Kelly once hosted a segment named Plan B on the Voice of Wrestling Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
program
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
. He continues to appear on the independent circuit with promotions such as Eastern Pro Wrestling. In August 2007, Kelly started his own show on the Wrestling Radio Network called The Kevin Kelly Show. Kelly also hosts "The Big Picture" audio show on ClubWWI.com
On April 7, 2009 it was rumored that Kevin Kelly was returning to WWE. DirecTV listed Kevin Kelly as the host of WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
. Kelly debunked the rumor, stating Direct TV was using an old promo, as he once hosted WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
. That same week, Kelly returned to "Voice of Wrestling". He further discussed this rumor with VOW, whom asked if he wished he was working for WWE again. Kelly stated he was "horrified at the thought of coming back." He also stated "it was so nerve-wracking working there because you never knew where you stood. Just the idea of putting myself back in that situation would be the ultimate act of selfish stupidity. I'm thankful for the experience that I had but it was just so miserable that I couldn't ever imagine going back. And I knew instantly what the mistake was."
On March 2, 2010, Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
confirmed during his Who's Slamming Who podcast, that Kevin has just signed an agreement to be the voice of Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
on internet Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, On May 28, 2011, Kelly debuted as an announcer for Lucha Libre USA
Lucha Libre USA
Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors was a television program on the MTV2 broadcast channel, chronicling the rise of Mexican-style wrestling, or lucha libre, in the United States. The first episode was aired on July 16, 2010. The second season premiered October 1, 2011. However, after only four...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- East Coast Wrestling AssociationEast Coast Wrestling AssociationEast Coast Wrestling Association is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded by promoter Jim Kettner in 1967. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the country...
- ECWA Hall of Famer (inducted December 3, 2005)
- ECWA Heavyweight ChampionshipECWA Heavyweight ChampionshipECWA Heavyweight Championship is the top title contested in the independent professional wrestling promotion East Coast Wrestling Association.-References:...
(1 time)