Jack Reynolds Jack Reynolds ( 1937 – October 16 , 2008 ) , born Joseph James Rizzo , was a broadcaster from Cleveland , Ohio who was better known outside of his hometown as a professional wrestling announcer . Broadcasting career . Cleveland area native Rizzo ( who used the Jack Reynolds name on - air due to a feeling back then that his real name would sound " too ethnic " ) had a career in radio and television in Cleveland which spanned several decades , perhaps most notably as a DJ / talk show host for The old WGAR AM 1220 ( now WHKW ) , and The old WWWE AM 1100 ( aka " 3WE " - now known as WTAM ) , and as booth announcer for then independent TV station WUAB channel 43 ( now Cleveland ' s affiliate for My Network TV ) , where he was the original host ( and later frequent substitute host ) of the long running afternoon " Prize Movie " . He was also an on - air spokesman ( on both radio and TV ) for several local businesses . He was also an extra in the wedding scene of the Academy Award winning movie , " The Godfather " ( 1972 ) . Professional wrestling . Nationally , Reynolds was known for being a professional wrestling play by play voice . His first stint announcing wrestling came with the short - lived IWA promotion in 1975 , which had attempted to establish a national wrestling promotion years before Vince McMahon had done so . He also worked alongside Pedro Martinez ' s son Ron announcing for the Buffalo , NY - based National Wrestling Federation . This experience had apparently served him well , as Reynolds joined the World Wrestling Federation ' s broadcast team in September 1984 . He replaced Vince McMahon as the play - by - play announcer for the WWF ' s syndicated program " All - Star Wrestling " , which was being taped at various venues in southern Ontario and repackaged and aired in Canada as " Maple Leaf Wrestling " . At the broadcast table , he was initially paired with Canadian Football League legend turned professional wrestler Angelo " King Kong " Mosca , but , in January 1985 , Jesse " The Body " Ventura , making his broadcasting debut , replaced Mosca as color commentator when Mosca left his broadcasting job to concentrate on managing his son , Angelo Mosca , Jr . , who had just entered the WWF . Reynolds and Ventura were also the original hosts of " WWF Prime Time Wrestling " when it debuted in January 1985 on the USA Network . In addition , during his time with the WWF , Reynolds was the regular play - by - play announcer , paired with Billy Red Lyons as color commentator , for matches taped at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto that aired on " Prime Time Wrestling " or other WWF programming . In July 1985 , Gorilla Monsoon replaced Reynolds as the play - by - play announcer for " All - Star Wrestling " and Reynolds left the WWF . Monsoon had also replaced Reynolds as host of " Prime Time Wrestling " . Post WWF ( now WWE ) Reynolds continued to work in wrestling , traveling around the world on tours with former WWF stars such as Greg " The Hammer " Valentine , King Kong Bundy , Kamala , Brutus Beefcake , and others all throughout the 90s and into the 2000s . Reynolds died at age 71 on Thursday , October 16 , 2008 . One of his sons is Tony Rizzo , former longtime sports director at WJW channel 8 ( Fox ) and current host of " The Really Big Show " , a radio talk show on WKNR AM 850 , both in Cleveland .