Mauro Ranallo was the voice of SmackDown Live for a while, but a few weeks before WrestleMania 33, Mauro disappeared. While Mauro was away, JBL talked trash about him on the WWE Network show Bring It To The Table, and then rumors about Mauro’s issues with JBL began to circulate.
Last week Mauro issued a statement confirming that he parted ways with WWE, and he claimed that his departure had nothing to do with JBL. Likewise, JBL issued a statement saying that any negative comments he made about Ranallo were made in character.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea of Mauro Ranallo returning to the company is not a dead issue. It’s being reported that there has been preliminary talk of bringing him back with the idea that he could be used as a company advocate for mental health awareness, but his return is very far from being a lock.
It’s also being reported that the statement Mauro Ranallo released about his departure was negotiated by both sides, as WWE needed him to release a statement that would essentially take the heat off JBL, and hopefully prevent major news outlets from covering the story in the future.
As for why Mauro issued such a tame statement, it’s being said that he loves pro wrestling and he was begged to do so. However, it’s obvious from both Mauro and JBL’s behavior on social that regardless of what they say publicly, there seems to have been tension between the two broadcasters.
JBL recently went on a blocking spree where he blocked Twitter users who support Mauro Ranallo, and he even took it upon himself to block the @stillreal2us account after Mauro tagged us in a tweet simply saying “thank you.”
Mauro remains under contract with WWE until 8/12, and although a potential return may be something that’s being discussed internally, it seems unlikely that Mauro would be interested in putting himself back in the same environment he just walked away from.
