| Ian Riccaboni | |
|---|---|
 Riccaboni atRing of Honor in 2015 | |
| Born | (1987-01-13)January 13, 1987 (age 38) Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1][2][3] |
| Alma mater | New York University (BS),[1]University of Pennsylvania (MS, Ed.)[4],Lehigh University (MBA)[5] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Ian Riccaboni |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] |
| Debut | 2013[2] |
Ian Riccaboni (born January 13, 1987) is an Americanprofessional wrestlingcommentator, sports broadcaster, author, and politician. He is signed toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (English commentator),Ring of Honor (as play-by-play commentator)[6][7] andAll Elite Wrestling (as back-up commentator).[8]
Riccaboni was born January 13, 1987, inAllentown, Pennsylvania. He graduated fromSalisbury High School inSalisbury Township, Pennsylvania, in 2005. He graduated fromNew York University in May 2009 with a bachelor's degree in media and communications,[1] in May 2010 with a master's degree in education management from theUniversity of Pennsylvania[4] and in February 2025 with a Master of Business Administration fromLehigh University[5]
Riccaboni first appeared on television when he was cast in a 1996KidsPeace commercial featuring formerMajor League Baseball pitcherJim Kaat.[1] Riccaboni spent his early summers as a batboy for theAllentown Ambassadors of the independentNorthern League. A fan ofprofessional wrestling from a young age, Riccaboni's mother would take him to professional events put on byWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF),World Championship Wrestling (WCW), andExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in his native Allentown.[2]
During his first year at NYU, Riccaboni answered a casting call to be a part of a special to air onMTV called The Notorious BG, hosted byGideon Yago with special guestBill Gates. In early 2006, Riccaboni was cast for anMTVU commercial for their Best Music on Campus competition, competing on guitar, harmonica, and vocals.[1] While at NYU, Riccaboni played baseball and was a Dean's Scholar,[9][10] playing gigs around New York and NYU,[11] including a gig opening for the cast ofSpring Awakening at an NYU event in Gould Plaza.[12] Riccaboni graduated NYU as the Class of 2009 president[13] and received the President's Service Award.[14] After graduating NYU in May 2009, Riccaboni pursued and completed a master's degree from Penn in education management. During his time at Penn, he returned to television, playing bass guitar as lead singer for the house band on "Hump Night with Kris Fried" onService Electric TV 2.[15]
Riccaboni has been married since October 6, 2012, to his wife Sarah.[1] He resides in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania in theLehigh Valley region of easternPennsylvania.[16]
Riccaboni began writing as a full-time contributor toUSA Today-award-winning blog Phillies Nation[17] in November 2011.[18]In 2012, Phillies Nation began producingPhillies Nation TV and Riccaboni began appearing on the show, interviewing minor leaguers andPhiladelphia Phillies fans, includingMarc Summers[19] andTony Luke.[20] In 2014, Riccaboni conducted a four-part interview withCurt Simmons[21] for the show and in 2015 interviewedBrad Lidge[22] andBobby Shantz.[23]In association with Phillies Nation, Riccaboni released a book, "The 100 Greatest Phillies of All Time" on September 15, 2015.[24]
Riccaboni began his professional wrestling announcing career after a chance meeting withThe Blue Meanie, Brian Hefron. Riccaboni was to interview Hefron as part of his beat interviewing famousPhiladelphia Phillies fans. The two were searching for a location, and Hefron suggestedMonster Factory inPaulsboro, New Jersey. While filming the segment, Riccaboni met Monster Factory ownerDanny Cage. Riccaboni phoned Cage about getting started inprofessional wrestling after the completion of the segment before beginning to work with the Monster Factory as an interviewer and commentator.
Through a camp withRing of Honor (ROH) broadcasterKevin Kelly and wrestlerBob Evans, Riccaboni discovered and asked to attend an ROH tryout camp.[2] Riccaboni started as a personality with Ring of Honor at Future of Honor 2 in July 2014.[25] Riccaboni called his first match with Ring of Honor on Saturday January 3, 2015, which featuredCheeseburger and Chris LeRusso.[26]
In May 2015, Riccaboni made his debut as a ring announcer with Ring of Honor, announcing the first match atGlobal Wars '15's television taping.[27] Riccaboni served as an in-arena host for Ring of Honor live events and a commentator forFuture of Honor andWomen of Honor matches[7][28] before assuming the role of lead announcer starting with the February 25, 2017, episode.[29]
Riccaboni called his firstPay Per View with ROH atROH 15th Anniversary Show alongside Kelly andColt Cabana.[30] He and Cabana hold the distinction of being the first duo to ever call aMinoru Suzuki match on American soil when they did so at theDeath Before Dishonor XV Pay Per View event.[31]
In 2018, Riccaboni was commentator for theALL IN broadcast withDon Callis,Sean Mooney,Excalibur, Alicia Atout,Justin Roberts, andBobby Cruise[32] Riccaboni served as the lead play-by-play announcer with Excalibur, Callis, and others joining throughout the night. On December 15, 2018, Riccaboni and Cabana were presented with the 2018 Broadcast Team of the Year Award by veteran wrestling writer, photographer, and editorBill Apter.[33]
On April 6, 2019, Riccaboni, Kelly, and Cabana calledG1 Supercard, the first non-WWE wrestling event inMadison Square Garden since 1960.
In November 2019 at the Ring of Honor event "Unauthorized", Riccaboni wrestled the first match of his career, teaming with Camera Man Gator,Colt Cabana, Gary Juster (Ring of Honor's Director of Operation), and Todd Sinclair (a referee) to defeat Brian Johnson andShane Taylor Promotions in aten-man tag team match.[34]
On December 23, 2019, RetroSoft Studios announced Riccaboni and Cabana would be providing commentary for the sequel to the 1991 arcade gameWWF WrestleFest,RetroMania Wrestling, onPlayStation 4,Nintendo Switch,Xbox One, andPC.[35]
Riccaboni represented Ring of Honor atImpact Wrestling'sHard To Kill (2022) calling theROH World Championship bout betweenJonathan Gresham andChris Sabin. Riccaboni became the first commentator to appear on both a ROH Pay Per View and an Impact Pay Per View and did so within 28 days between Hard to Kill andFinal Battle (2021).[36]
On a Lehigh Valley with Love broadcast, Riccaboni announced he was still under contract with ROH but would begin on a tryout basis withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling’sNJPW Strong on their January tapings in Seattle.[37] It was reported in August 2022 that Riccaboni would be continuing with New Japan as the voice of Strong through at least the remainder of 2022.[38]
FollowingTony Khan's purchase of Ring of Honor, Riccaboni would appear to commentate during Ring of Honor matches onAll Elite Wrestling, notably on April 29, 2022, duringSamoa Joe's victory overTrent Beretta onRampage.[39]
Riccaboni became the target ofChris Jericho and theJericho Appreciation Society following Jericho'sROH World Championship victory overClaudio Castagnoli atAEW Grand Slam (2022).[40] Riccaboni would call all of Jericho's World Title defenses, including Jericho's defense atFull Gear (2022),[41] making Riccaboni the first-ever to call Pay Per View bouts for ROH, Impact, GCW, NJPW, and AEW, doing so all in the same calendar year.
In July 2023, it was reported that Riccaboni signed a multi-year contract with AEW.[42] Riccaboni has since served as a backup commentator for AEW.
Riccaboni was a member of theUpper Dublin Historical Commission[43] and teaches atHoly Family University inPhiladelphia.[4] As a writer with Phillies Nation, Riccaboni worked to coordinate Wiffadelphia,[44] Quizzo,[45] and wrestling events[46] events that raised food and money forPhilabundance and Food Bank of South Jersey.
With ROH, Riccaboni has led the ROH Cares initiative to encourage ROH wrestlers, crew, and staff to improve the communities they are in as well as the ones that host ROH events. In 2017, Riccaboni and Cabana partnered withRocky Romero, Bobby Cruise, andCody Rhodes to raise $1550 across two nights to support victims ofHurricane Irma andHurricane Maria.[47] In 2019, Riccaboni and ROH ambassadorCary Silkin represented ROH at a WXW-C4 event co-promoted by WWE and coordinated by Lance Anoa'i to benefitSamu (wrestler).[48] FollowingFinal Battle (2019), Riccaboni andCaprice Coleman conducted a book drive for theUnited Way andWLVT-TV's Lehigh Valley Reads organization and the pair raised 526 books to donate.[49]
Riccaboni has been involved in multiple efforts to raise money for LGBTQ causes. In 2019, ROH offered a redesigned Pride Edition of the t-shirt featuring his signature sign-off "Happy Wrestling" with thePride Flag with proceeds going to the Bradbury-SullivanLGBT community center in his hometown of Allentown.[50] In 2020, Pro Wrestling Tees and ROH released a MicroBrawler in Riccaboni's likeness with the proceeds once again being donated to Bradbury-Sullivan.[51] In 2021, Riccaboni and Bradbury-Sullivan partnered with Cameo on a campaign to once again raise money for the center in his hometown.[52]
On July 31, 2023, Riccaboni was appointed as a member of theSalisbury Township School District School Board, filling a vacant seat created by a resignation.[53]
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