Kevin Kelly (announcer)


Kevin Foote is an American sportscaster, radio host, and professional wrestling color commentator, executive, manager, pundit, and former ring announcer, better known by his ring name Kevin Kelly. Foote has worked as an English-language commentator for New Japan Pro-Wrestling since 2015. He previously worked for WWE from 1996 to 2003 and Ring of Honor from 2010 to 2017.

Early life

Kelly was born in New York City, New York, but his family relocated to Stuart, Florida when he was ten. He graduated from Florida State University in January 1990.

Broadcasting career

Radio

Kelly first became involved in broadcasting when he began working as a disc jockey, playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Kelly once hosted a segment named "Plan B" on the Voice of Wrestling Internet radio program. 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. In 2014, Kevin Kelly began hosting a wrestling and pop culture podcast, The Kevin Kelly Show, on Place to Be Nation.

Professional wrestling

Independent circuit (1991–1996, 1999–2005, 2011)

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.
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.
From 2003 to 2004, he worked for the short-lived Major League Wrestling promotion.
From May 28, 2011 to October 22, 2011, Kelly was an announcer for Lucha Libre USA Season 2.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1996–2003)

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 apprised of this development, produced and loaded a 9 mm Glock pistol and stated that he would "blow 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 an "ugly 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 WWE Confidential.
On March 21, 2003, Kelly was released by WWE as part of a series of budget cuts. Since his release, Kelly has criticized the corporate policies and creative direction of his former employer.

Ring of Honor (2010–2017)

On March 2, 2010, Jim Cornette announced that Kelly had signed an agreement to be the voice of Ring of Honor on Internet pay-per-view Between 2011 and 2017, Kelly served as main play-by-play announcer for Ring of Honor television tapings and pay-per-views.
On February 2, 2017, it was reported that Kelly had given his notice to ROH and left his position as the company's head play-by-play announcer. Kelly remained with ROH in a part-time role until July 11, when he announced he was no longer working for the company, although he will still call ROH matches held as part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling events as he is associated with the Japanese promotion as their English language play-by-play announcer.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2015–present)

On October 12, Kelly and Matt Striker served as the English language commentators for New Japan Pro-Wrestling's King of Pro-Wrestling on NJPW World.
Kelly returned to NJPW English commentary at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2016, again working alongside Matt Striker as well as NJPW wrestler Yoshitatsu. He returned as part of NJPW English commentary at Invasion Attack 2016 alongside Steve Corino, who filled in Matt Striker's position. In January 2017, Corino was replaced by Don Callis.

Championships and accomplishments