Mauro Ranallo

I go into calling any match, any fight - I don't care if it's the main event or the opener - that these guys have put in their work: they're here for a reason, and there's a reason I'm calling this fight, so I do want to give it as much attention and respect and energy as I would the main event or a championship fight.

It's a daily struggle for me to stay alive. I don't mean to be melodramatic, hyperbolic, or go into my broadcast mode. But even that, my career is bipolar.

WWE, in the back of my mind, was always the dream job, and most people don't get their dream jobs.

As an announcer, I have nothing but respect for the fighters, and I want to make sure I do my job to let the people know who these courageous warriors are, because they are putting their lives on the line for our entertainment, and there's something to be said about that.

My job, live television, broadcasting, there's mania involved in there, too, but it's the good stuff.

The titles aren't merely props in New Japan. They're actually the focus of the company, and that's how it should be if you're going to be in this world, this business. After all, it is professional wrestling. It is presented as an athletic competition, and the titles should mean something.

There is danger involved in combat sports, but this is the purest form of competition. It's all about finding the truth. When you put someone in a cage or a ring, you're going to find out the truth - not only about your opponent but about yourself as well.

I'm a highly intelligent, highly articulate, very empathetic, down-to-earth person. But man, my thoughts are incredibly dark. Incredibly dark.

I gave myself the nickname 'Bipolar Rock N' Roller' way back in the 1990s, when - as much as we don't talk about mental health now - back then it was almost nonexistent. And if it was broached, it was done in a very pejorative way.

I will always be thankful to WWE for letting me be the voice of SmackDown Live and bring it to the USA Network.

I think the healthier Bellator can be, the better it is for the entire sport, especially the athletes who - let's face it - need to be paid more. They need the opportunity to negotiate and have an option. Bellator definitely presents that.

I wouldn't be in WWE without Michael Cole.