By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
New Japan Pro Wrestling play-by-play voice Kevin Kelly spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News about calling the Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada best of three falls match at the Dominion event last month. “To be in that moment and to realize we’re witnessing history but, in that match, right at the end, if you go to the last minute of the match and the two men are completely spent and each of them is laying with their head on the bottom rope side-by-side, that was where I knew we are seeing one of the greatest matches of all time,” Kelly recalled. “And I knew, in that moment, the end was near. This was just the beginning of the final scene. Sure enough, it was. Omega gets up, hits the ropes, V-Trigger, One-Winged Angel, and we’ve got a new champ. I wanted to jump up and scream. I wanted to applaud.”
Kelly also said he and Don Callis don’t know know the outcome of the matches before they take place. “None of us know what’s going to happen,” he said. “Let’s see how it unfolds. I do my best to weave in history and if there’s any opportunity to say this happened in a previous match and here was the outcome as a result. Those moments are made so much better because, it’s like, I know what I’m doing. I know how to call a wrestling match. Let’s see what’s going on.” Read the full interview at SportingNews.com.
Powell’s POV: It varies with broadcast teams, but I know Jim Ross is also an example of a play-by-play voice who prefers not to know the result of a match going in. This is a good interview with Kelly also talking about how he was surprised by Chris Jericho capturing the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, the amazing title reign of Okada, the upcoming G1 Tournament, wrestling trying to do too much in the ring, and more.
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