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Kevin Kelly, who has served as the voice of Ring of Honor since 2010, departed the company this week, PWInsider.com has confirmed.
Kelly had taken a full-time job with the company in their office last year, juggling his announcing duties with logistical duties that were meant to ease the pressures on ROH booker Hunter Johnston. At the time Kelly took the full time job, he had told PWInsider.com that he was there to work as a liaison between the wrestlers and the office to insure better communications and to help spearhead projects that ROH needed to work on, such as a streaming service and an updated website.
We are told that Kelly gave notice and departed the company. He completed his duties for the office this past week and is not currently scheduled for any additional announcing for the company at this time. He was not scheduled for this weekend's ROH events and is traveling to Japan to call the 2/5 New Japan Pro Wrestling event in Sapporo, so it would appear his exit from ROH will have no bearing on his NJPW duties. New Japan has expanded their English language commentary for their New Japan World streaming service with Kelly and Don Callis as the announcing team.
Kelly first broke into the business announcing for Eddie Mansfield's IWF in Florida. He signed with WWE (then-WWF) and was with the company from 1993 to 2003. He also hosted the Lucha Libre USA series on MTV2, which ran for two seasons. He was first brought into ROH by Jim Cornette, who he had worked with during their respective WWF runs.
Kelly would be the third announcer to depart ROH in recent months as Steve Corino signed with WWE to work as a trainer after his ROH contract expired on 12/31 while Nigel McGuinness, who would assist regularly with announcing and worked as the company's on-screen Matchmaker, left to sign with WWE as an announcer and will start next week as the color commentator on WWE NXT. McGuinness was not under contract.
It is possible (and probably likely) that Ian Riccaboni, who handles announcing for the ROH Women of Honor brand, could step in as Kelly's replacement but PWInsider.com has not confirmed that is ROH's plan.
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