Announcer Mauro Ranallo has been the voice of Smackdown since December 2015, and he’s developed quite the loyal following during his time there. That’s why it shocked many earlier this year when he suddenly disappeared from television, and now that exodus has finally come to a close as he official departs from WWE.
Ranallo gave a statement to Newsweek about the departure, saying “WWE and I have mutually agreed to part ways.” Ranallo has struggled with depression over the years, something he’s been open with to fans on social media, including a tweet that said “Today is all about #BellLetsTalk I’ve battle mental health issues most of my life & I refuse to suffer in silence! #EndTheStigma👊.”
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Many believed his exit was at least in part due to the actions of John “Bradshaw” Layfield, who announced on Smackdown alongside Ranallo. There have been reports and rumors of Layfield being hostile to Ranallo, but in his statement, Ranallo said: “It has nothing to do with JBL.” JBL released a statement about his history of hazing other superstars backstage, saying “Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. 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.”
While he won’t be calling WWE matches any longer, he will still be active on the fight scene. Fans can hear him calling the Showtime Boxing doubleheader featuring Berto vs Porter.
Up next for the WWE is the RAW branded Payback pay-per-view on Sunday, April 30. You can see the entire match card below.
United States Champion Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
RAW Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boys vs Sheamus And Cesaro
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt – House of Horrors Match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville vs. Austin Aries
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
RAW Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
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