Tag: Mauro Ranallo

Mauro Ranallo Will Miss NXT TakeOver This Saturday

Mauro Ranallo

POST Wrestling is reporting that Mauro Ranallo will not be on commentary for this Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: Chicago II special airing live on the WWE Network.

Ranallo had a scheduling conflict and will instead be calling the Showtime Championship Boxing card this Saturday night in Dallas instead.

Vic Joseph, who does commentary for WWE as part of 205 Live, will be replacing Ranallo on Saturday night. Ranallo is scheduled to fly to London, England after the Showtime boxing event to do commentary for the WWE United Kingdom Tournament at Royal Albert Hall.

Source: WrestleView

Mauro Ranallo Announces He’s Returning To WWE NXT

Just when you thought he was out, Mauro Ranallo gets pulled back in — because the announcer says he’s not sitting out his WWE contract after all, he’s just switching brands.

Ranallo revealed on Thursday that he’ll soon join the NXT announce team and explained, “WWE and I mutually agreed to end my responsibilities on SmackDown having nothing to do with rumors about disputes. As I remained under contract with WWE, we discussed a variety of options.”

As we previously reported, this is now the second time Mauro has shot down rumors that he intended to leave the company due to bullying at the hands of JBL.

Mauro adds, “Despite originally agreeing to part ways, there was always a desire to continue working together. We have come to terms on a new agreement that benefits both WWE and me, and I am thrilled to announce I will now be part of the NXT broadcasting team.”

According to Fight Network, he’ll be replacing Tom Phillips.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

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Mauro Ranallo To Call Mayweather vs. McGregor

Via Sporting News, Showtime announced Mauro Ranallo will be the Play-by-Play Announcer for the upcoming Mayweather vs. McGregor fight on August 26. Mauro retweeted the article once the news broke:

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Signs With Bellator MMA

Former WWE SmackDown Live announcer/commentator Mauro Ranallo, who remains under contract with the company until August 12th, has signed with Bellator MMA. They issued the following announcement today:

Bellator Signs Veteran Commentators Mike Goldberg and Mauro RanalloJune 13, 2017

LOS ANGELES — Bellator has signed longstanding MMA commentators Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo to multi-event broadcast agreements beginning with Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva and Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader on Saturday, June 24. The move sees Goldberg return to SPIKE for the first time since 2011, while Ranallo reunites with Bellator President Scott Coker, having worked together through 2013. The pair will join a broadcast team that currently includes Jimmy Smith, Jenn Brown and Chael Sonnen.

“Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo are two of the best in our business and I couldn’t be happier about them joining the Bellator family,” said Scott Coker. “In addition to June 24, we look forward to working together to make future Spike broadcasts even more exciting for our fans as we add further depth to an already-exceptional broadcast team.”

“The addition of highly-regarded announcers Mauro and Mike to our fantastic lineup of broadcasters, and our first-rate production led by Scott Fishman, further demonstrates our commitment MMA fans and expanding the global Bellator brand,” added Spike SVP, Sports and Specials Jon Slusser.

Mike Goldberg is best known for his 20 plus years of play-by-play work in professional MMA and trademark calls that made him popular with fans around the globe. In addition to his two decades in mixed martial arts, he has broadcast every major sport at the network level, most notably his 900 games in the NHL, both nationally and with the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings. He has also hosted entertainment shows, including Shaq Vs. A graduate of Miami (Ohio) University, Goldberg now resides in Phoenix, Ariz.

Mauro Ranallo gained notoriety with MMA fans during his tenure with PRIDE, and later STRIKEFORCE, where his voice became synonymous with the now-legendary events. Throughout his career, Ranallo has spent time working with various sports outside of MMA, including boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing and ice hockey, and will continue his work with Showtime Boxing. Ranallo, a native of British Columbia, Canada, now resides in Los Angeles, Calif.

Please visit Bellator.com and BellatorNYC.com for upcoming event information.

About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on SPIKE, the combat sports television leader. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Parts Ways With WWE, JBL Comments, WWE Investigated JBL?

Image result for Mauro Ranallo & JBL

Mauro Ranallo and WWE have mutually agreed to part ways, Ranallo revealed to Newsweek in a new story posted today by Tufayel Ahmed. He will still remain under WWE contract through August 12th.

“WWE and I have mutually agreed to part ways. It has nothing to do with JBL,” Ranallo stated in an email to Newsweek.

As noted, Ranallo was rumored to have had issues with JBL, which reportedly escalated after Ranallo tweeted out results of him winning the “Wrestling Observer Announcer of the Year” award for 2016. JBL was visibly frustrated with Ranallo and went on a public rant on Bring It To The Table in March, stating that Ranallo “has a hundred and 80 something thousand tweets, and by the time this show airs, maybe 2 hundred something thousand.”

“That is a problem, okay? And he [Ranallo] retweets some Internet poll,” JBL said on Bring It To The Table. “We have, what, two million people who watch SmackDown in the United States alone, and you have some Internet poll with 12 people on it?”

Tension had reportedly been building between both men up until that point. Ranallo missed the following SmackDown tapings on March 14th, and has not appeared on WWE television since. Several past stories of JBL’s behavior resurfaced. JBL issued a statement to Newsweek, noting that he would take place in locker room pranks in the past, but WWE addressed his behavior.

“Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago,” JBL said. “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 a statement to Newsweek stating that they “fully investigate any allegations of inappropriate behavior,” including the JBL situation, however it was not clear if the investigation was ongoing. Below is their statement:

“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.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo – WWE Settlement Talks

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that it is believed that WWE is working to come create a settlement with Mauro Ranallo which would include an agreement for Mauro to not speak publicly about his issues with the company. Meltzer confirmed that WWE has initiated settlement talks with Mauro’s representatives. As noted, Mauro’s WWE contract expires on August 12th.

Source: WrestlingINC

JBL Bullying Reports Getting Mainstream Media, Justin Roberts On People Getting Fired Over His Book

Image result for JBL & Mauro Ranallo

As noted, Mauro Ranallo’s WWE run is apparently over. Ranallo had taken over the lead announcing position on SmackDown in January of 2016.

Ranallo’s current absence from WWE is believed to be over tension with JBL after Ranallo tweeted out results of him winning the “Wrestling Observer Announcer of the Year” award for 2016. JBL, who didn’t place in the top 10 in the category and was actually voted “Worst Television Announcer” in 2015, was upset over the tweet and went on a public rant about Ranallo on Bring It To The Table in March. The Wrestling Observer had reported that tension had been building between both men up until that point. Ranallo missed the following SmackDown tapings on March 14th, and hasn’t appeared on WWE television since.

As noted, CBS Sports reported this weekend that sources told them that Ranallo is not expected back on WWE TV before his contract ends. WWE sent CBS Sports a statement, noting that “Ranallo remains under contract with the company until Aug. 12, 2017.”

More media outlets have been reporting on JBL’s history of bullying. WXPI in Pennsylvania has a story here about the bullying accusations. As noted, Deadspin has a piece about JBL asking John Morrison and his tag team partner at the time, Joey Mercury, to take ring announcer Justin Roberts’ passport during an overseas trip, which they didn’t do. Someone ended up stealing Roberts’ passport, which was never returned. Forbes has an article at this link about the bullying allegations resurfacing, noting that “WWE’s Be a STAR campaign is a staple of its community outreach as WWE Superstars lead anti-bullying rallies across the country.”

There have been many stories in the past over JBL’s behavior. Joey Styles reportedly punched JBL out during an overseas trip in 2008 after dealing with JBL’s bullying. Former ECW and WWE star The Blue Meanie recently stated that JBL punched him during ECW One Night Stand because Meanie had spoken out about JBL’s behavior, although Meanie said that the two are fine with each other now. There are also the past comments in the video above at the 5:30 mark of JBL discussing hazing in the locker room and being proud of hazing The Miz in the past.

In Justin Roberts’ new book, Best Seat in the House: Your Backstage Pass through My WWE Journey, which is available at Amazon.com for $19.52, Roberts discussed being bullied by JBL during his time with WWE, including alleging that he would be scared to work SmackDown tours because he would be bullied by JBL and his friends the whole time. He claimed that JBL once asked the mother of a high school kid if “she had any children who weren’t mentally disabled” after the child had dropped his index cards with notes while interviewing him.

Roberts posted the Instagram post below about writing the book, noting that he wrote the book to tell his story about “being a kid who loved and lived for pro-wrestling.” He stated that the purpose was not to get anyone fired, noting that “sometimes firing someone is just to bandaid a problem and not address the root cause.” He added that he hopes that his story “will help make the wrestling world a better place for everyone who is still involved as there are a lot of great people who fall into that category and should be treated well.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Not Expected To Be Back On WWE TV

As noted previously, Mauro Ranallo has needed time away from WWE in recent weeks, as it was believed the tension building between JBL and him was the main reason for his absence. WWE initially blamed bad weather and being “out sick” as reasons for him not being on SmackDown.

CBS Sports is now reporting that Ranallo is not expected back on WWE TV before his contract ends, according to one of their sources close to the situation. CBS also reached out to WWE for comment and were told “Ranallo remains under contract with the company until Aug. 12, 2017.”

Mauro signed with the WWE back in December of 2015 and has recently removed “WWE” from his Twitter profile, along with references he previously made about WrestleMania. He’s also begun talking about upcoming appearances for Showtime Boxing.

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage Talk On Tension Between JBL And Mauro Ranallo Leading To Mauro’s Absence

Image result for Mauro Ranallo and JBL

As noted, Mauro Ranallo missed his third straight of WWE SmackDown commentary this week due to his battle with depression and the bipolar disorders he’s fought since he was a teenager, something he’s often spoke publicly about. Wrestling Observer Newsletter points to the timing of Mauro’s absence and the public verbal jabs with SmackDown partner JBL. The two had often traded shots and JBL even blocked Mauro on Twitter back in December.

The March 13th episode of “Bring It To The Table” on the WWE Network played a part in all of this as JBL ranted on Mauro during that show. JBL apparently got mad when Mauro tweeted the results of the Wrestling Observer Announcer of the Year Awards, which Mauro won, and commented on how he was honored to have won the award two years in a row. The results list featured the top 10 placements for that category, which JBL not making the top 10. People close to the situation said that things between JBL and Mauro had been building to that point. JBL was said to be legitimately very upset about the awards mention and may have said something. Mauro tweeted on March 13th, “Jealousy is one hell of a drug.” He did not indicate that this tweet was for JBL but that’s how it was taken by many. Mauro also re-tweeted several comments that were mocking JBL’s tirade on “Bring It To The Table.”

After Mauro missed his first SmackDown the following day on March 14th in Pittsburgh, JBL took to Twitter and knocked Mauro for missing the show. Then it was believed that Mauro missed SmackDown due to bad weather in the Northeast part of the country but other announcers, such as Taz and Josh Mathews, were skeptical. JBL tweeted, “I made the show, everyone made the show, everyone. Maybe he shouldn’t have bashed me if he wasn’t going to show up.” JBL later deleted the tweet and hasn’t commented on Mauro since. JBL’s rants were seen as mean spirited, even if he was being in-character.

Mauro thanked fans on Twitter today and noted that he was getting stronger but as noted, it appears he will miss WrestleMania 33. The Observer reports that Mauro has only been in touch with his closest friends like Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock. Those close to Mauro have said that he’s getting stronger and recovering. Rutten, who also co-hosts a podcast with Mauro, has made hints at and outright told people his feelings towards JBL. Rutten mentioned JBL in tweets made after Mauro missed the first SmackDown episode:

 

 

 

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Says He’s Stronger, Comments On WrestleMania

It appears Mauro Ranallo will not be working WrestleMania 33 this week as he tweeted well wishes to his WWE family as they head to Orlando today.

Mauro missed Tuesday night’s WrestleMania 33 go-home edition of WWE SmackDown Live – his third week in a row. Mauro’s absence is related to his battle with depression, which he’s fought since he was a teenager. Mauro noted last week that his doctors had advised him to stay off social media.

Mauro’s good friend and podcast co-host Bas Rutten recently appeared on The Luke Thomas Show and commented on the status of the SmackDown announcer:

“Yeah, he’s doing OK. As everybody knows, he’s very vocal about it but Mauro is bi-polar and sometimes, a few times a year, things are going too fast and he needs to just simply slow down. But he’s doing good and I talked to him… he’s sending me funny video clips, he just sent me something… It’s all in good spirits, I think he will be back to normal very soon.”

Source: WrestlingINC