Breaking News: WWE and Mauro Ranallo Officially Part Ways

In a new report that has been released by NewsWeek Magazine, Mauro Ranallo and WWE have officially agreed to part ways.

The former “Smackdown Live” announcer said that his departure has nothing to do with his broadcast colleague, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL), and their interactions within the company. Quoting from the article:

“WWE and I have mutually agreed to part ways. It has nothing to do with JBL,” Ranallo told Newsweek by email. A WWE spokesperson confirmed Ranallo’s exit and said he will remain under contract through August 12.

Ranallo has been absent from WWE programming since March after missing a taping of “Smackdown Live.” It eventually came to light that he suffered from bipolar disorder and depression, and that he needed to take some time away to deal with his conduction.

The other caveat to this story is that many believe that Ranallo’s departure was because JBL had been bullying him and making his work environment very uncomfortable. Layfield had the following to say about his behavior:

“Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago,” Layfield told Newsweek in a statement. “WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued.”

WWE also issued the following statement on their stance on bullying:

In a statement to Newsweek, a WWE spokesperson said: “As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive environment, in April 2011, WWE launched our anti-bullying campaign, Be a STAR, which encourages young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect.

“As a publicly traded company, that mantra carries forward in our corporate culture. As such, we fully investigate any allegations of inappropriate behavior including the recent alleged situation with John Layfield (aka JBL), despite no formal complaint having been submitted.”

30 years in the making for Mauro Ranallo: SmackDown Fallout, January 7, 2016

Editor’s Note:

No surprises here, I guess this just makes it official. I’ve said many times that I believe that Ranallo was the best part of “Smackdown Live,” and there’s no doubt that his energy, knowledge and charisma will be greatly missed within WWE. I hope that we see him again in the company at some point down the road!

What do you think of the Mauro Ranallo situation? Leave us a comment below, or post a comment on our Facebook page!

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