Kevin Kelly (announcer)

Infobox Wrestler
name=Kevin Foote

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names=Kevin Kelly
height=height|ft=5|in=10
weight=convert|240|lb|kg|abbr=on
birth_date=birth date and age|1965|5|9
death_date =
birth_place =New York City, New York, United States
resides=
billed=
trainer=
debut=1992
retired= |

Kevin Foote (born May 9, 1967) 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 the World Wrestling Federation between June 1996 and March 2003.

Career

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. cite web|url=http://www.theburninghammer.com/forum/topics.html-t-10335|title=Interview with Kevin Kelly|publisher=TheBurningHammer.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=December 11, 2006] Kelly first became involved in broadcasting when he began working as a disc jockey, playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=19178|title=Kevin Kelly interview|author=Thatcher, L. and Young, D.|publisher=WrestlingObserver.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=April 8, 2007]

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.cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=4620&worker=Kevin+Kelly++|title=Profil von Kevin Kelly |publisher=Cagematch.net|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=March 4, 2007] cite web|url=http://www.bodyslamming.com/other/kevinkelly.html|title=Kevin Kelly |publisher=Bodyslamminging.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007] cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/k/kevin-kelly.html|title=Kevin Kelly |publisher=OnlineWorldOfWrestling.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007]

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.cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=16586|title=Stephen Lyon looks at 10 years ago this week in the Wrestling Observer|author=Lyon, S.|publisher=WrestlingObserver.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=June 17, 2006] 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 1998, 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!"cite web|url=http://www.oowrestling.com/columns/circa/20041007.shtml|title=1996: Brian Pillman Whips It Out|author=Burkholder, D.|publisher=OnlineOnslaught.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=October 7, 2004] cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=17809|title=Pillman & Austin Gun Angle...|author=Lyon, S.|publisher=WrestlingObserver.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=November 4, 2006]

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.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingPPV/sep25_unforgiven-can.html|title=Austin culprit unrevealed at Unforgiven|author=Powell, J.|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=September 25, 2000]

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.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive2001/jun1_prospects-can.html|title=The Alberta WWF tryout experience|author=Oliver, G.|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=June 1, 2001] cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/30/1924748.html|title=The WWE tryout experience|author=LaCroix, C.|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=September 30, 2006] 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.cite web|url=http://www.gerweck.net/jimkettnerinterview.htm|title=Jim Kettner|author=Gerweck, S.|publisher=Gerweck.net|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=May 30, 2001] cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/whtecwa.html/profiles/k/kevin-kelly.html|title=ECWA - East Coast Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title History|author=Dupree, J.|publisher=Solie.org|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=2005] 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. cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=8488|title=Kevin Kelly interview about backstage in WWE|publisher=WrestlingObserver.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=September 22, 2003] cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/03/30/54487.html|title=WWE to welcome Goldberg tonight?|author=Baines, T.|publisher=Ottawa Sun|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=March 30, 2003] 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. cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/06/18/114101.html|title=Kevin Kelly on his WWE years|author=Fritz, B.|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=June 18, 2003] cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=8805|title=Jimmy Valiant, Bill Eadie and Kevin Kelly interviews on state of wrestling business|author=Stein, T. et al|publisher=WrestlingObserver.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=October 28, 2003]

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. cite web|url=http://www.epwwrestling.com/roster.html|title=EPW roster|publisher=EPWWrestling.com|accessmonthday=July 26|accessyear=2007|date=2007] In August 2007, Kelly started his own show on the "Wrestling Radio Network" called The Kevin Kelly Show.

Kevin Kelly also hosts "The Big Picture" audio show on ClubWWI.com

Championships and accomplishments

*East Coast Wrestling Association
**ECWA Hall of Famer (inducted December 3, 2005) [citeweb|url=http://www.ecwaprowrestling.com/main/halloffame/index.html|accessdate=2008-07-02|title=ECW A Hall of Fame|publisher=ECWA]
**ECWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Personal life

Kelly is married with two children.

References

External links

* [http://www.wrestlingradionetwork.com/content/section/4/69/ Kevin Kelly Show]
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