Kevin Kelly

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.

Kevin Foote (born May 9, 1967) 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.

He graduated from Florida State University in January 1990.

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".

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.

He previously worked for WWE from 1996 to 2003, Major League Wrestling in 2004, Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010 to 2017, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2015 to 2023 and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2023 to 2024.

Kelly was born in New York City, New York, but his family relocated to Stuart, Florida when he was ten.

He was hired by the WWF in June 1996, and began working as a backstage interviewer.

From August to October 1996, Kelly served as commentator for Raw is War, the flagship television program of the WWF, alongside Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

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 pistol and stated that he would "blow [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.

From December 1997 to March 1998, Kelly again served as a commentator for Raw is War, alongside Jim Ross and Michael Cole.

Afterward, Kelly resumed serving as an interviewer on Raw is War and (upon its premiere) SmackDown!.

As an interviewer, Kelly was involved in numerous angles.

In November 1999, Kelly debuted in the Delaware-based East Coast Wrestling Association as a manager, forming several heel stables.

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.

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.

From 2003 to 2004, he worked for the first incarnation of Major League Wrestling.

On December 3, 2005, Kelly was inducted into the ECWA Hall of Fame.

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.

From May 28, 2011 to October 22, 2011, Kelly was an announcer for Lucha Libre USA Season 2.

Kelly received a try-out with the World Wrestling Federation as a ring announcer due to the intervention of fellow IWF alumnus Billy Gunn.

In 2014, Kevin Kelly began hosting a wrestling and pop culture podcast, The Kevin Kelly Show, on Place to Be Nation.