Former WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo will don the headset once more as part of Scott D’Amore’s new Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling promotion. On the Insight podcast, D’Amore tells Chris Van Vliet that Ranallo will be part of the promotion’s broadcast team.

“Mauro Ranallo has agreed to be the voice of Maple Leaf Pro. He’s the man. And Mauro has got a passion for wrestling… He loves wrestling. He’s the best. You turned on Showtime for any big boxing fight, or you turned on to watch a lot of the big MMA fights with Pride and everything, Mauro is that voice.”

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s debut events will take place in Windsor, Ontario on October 19-20, and will be streamed live on TrillerTV. Tickets for the two events will go on sale this coming Monday, August 26, at 10 EST.

Mauro Ranallo and Maple Leaf Pro

Ranallo is highly respected in the world of combat sports commentary so his involvement is a huge score for Maple Leaf Pro. The promotion is having no trouble attracting notable talent, including Raj Dhesi, Josh Alexander, Gisele Shaw, Konosuke Takeshita, Trevor Lee, KUSHIDA, and Kylie Rae.

His role with Maple Leaf Pro will mark his first time commentating on professional wrestling since TNA (then IMPACT Wrestling) Rebellion 2021. At the event, Ranallo called the Winner-Takes-All main event between IMPACT World Champion Rich Swanna and AEW World Champion Kenny Omega which Omega won.

Ranallo had previously been with WWE but parted ways with the company in 2017. While he’d allegedly been the subject of bullying by JBL, a statement released by Mauro at the time said his departure was nothing to do with the former WWE World Champion.

The pro wrestling scene can shift on a dime at this point. MLW has a lot of money to spend, and they may just invest in their commentary team.

MLW is exploring the possibility of bringing veteran commentator Mauro Ranallo back into the wrestling world, with talks underway for a potential collaboration. Ranallo, known for his work in WWE and other combat sports events, could make a wrestling comeback with MLW after being absent from the pro wrestling scene for some time.

MLW & Mauro Ranallo

Fightful Select reports that a longtime commentator known for both combat sports and pro wrestling has been absent from the wrestling scene for a considerable time, but that might soon change.

Reports suggest that MLW has been engaging in discussions with Ranallo regarding a potential role within the promotion. While no deal has been finalized, there appears to be genuine interest from MLW’s side, especially considering Ranallo’s prior collaborations with MLW owner Court Bauer on a Strikeforce project. 

Ranallo’s departure from WWE in 2020 led him to focus primarily on calling combat sports events, such as the main event of IMPACT Rebellion in 2021. 

Mauro Ranallo’s WWE Exit

Mauro Ranallo discussed his departure from WWE in the past, as he highlighted the mental strain of the environment without casting it negatively. Ranallo said the challenging nature of WWE made it difficult for his mental wellbeing. 

He also said that there was added stress working under Vince McMahon while expressing personal struggles within the system. He recounted his desire to work with WWE as a broadcaster and his evolving role, including shifts in commentary teams and formats, ultimately leading to his decision to prioritize his mental health.

Despite his exit from WWE, Ranallo remained engaged in combat sports announcing, notably calling the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. boxing match last month.

WWE & MLW’s Lawsuit

With MLW recently securing a $20 million settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against WWE, the promotion seems financially poised to pursue Ranallo, who has been absent from the pro wrestling landscape for some time.

In January 2022, MLW launched legal action against WWE, accusing the wrestling giant of using coercive tactics to deter third parties from collaborating with MLW, particularly citing interference in potential deals with media outlets like Vice TV and Tubi.

After nearly two years of legal wrangling, WWE and MLW finally reached a settlement in December 2023, bringing closure to the acrimonious dispute. Recent revelations from TKO Group Holding’s 2023 business report unveiled on Tuesday shed light on the terms of the settlement, disclosing WWE’s commitment to pay a substantial $20 million sum as part of the agreement, marking a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings and clarifying WWE’s financial obligations resulting from MLW’s antitrust lawsuit.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more in the pro wrestling world. You never know what story will break next, but we will be here with all the headlines you need!

Mauro Ranallo made his return to pro-wrestling commentary at Sunday’s Impact Rebellion pay-per-view. He called only the high-profile main event match between Kenny Omega and Rich Swann.

Ranallo talked about the experience recently on his Maurologue podcast. The former WWE and NXT broadcaster sounds like he had the time of his life.

“I’ve got to tell you, I had a blast working with D-Lo Brown and Matt Striker and what a match between AEW Champion Kenny Omega and Unified IMPACT belt-holder Rich Swann in a title-for-title mega main event,” Ranallo said.

There is no word on what the future might hold between Impact and Mauro. It sounds as though Ranallo appreciates how he was treated by the company, however. He said Rebellion “reignited his passion” for pro-wrestling.

“A big thank you to Scott D’Amore and all the people at IMPACT Wrestling for making me feel so welcome. It reminded me of, honestly, when I started my career at 16. Yeah, [Rebellion] reignited my passion for professional wrestling.”

Ranallo called it a “very chill, relaxed atmosphere” with a supportive, respectful locker room. He has been in several pro wrestling locker rooms and feels that Impact has a great mix of decorated veterans and talented up-and-comers.

He also spoke about the positive reaction the PPV has garnered.

“Man, they had their working boots on last night. I thought everyone delivered and from what I understand, the pay-per-view is getting rave reviews, and even more importantly, the pay-per-view buy-rate should be one of the best that IMPACT Wrestling has done in some time. Yeah, it was great to see so many familiar faces and I do hope to get to do it again.”

A link to the full episode is here.

Impact Wrestling has announced that Mauro Ranallo will return to pro-wrestling commentary at Rebellion on April 25th. The promotion sent out a press release that Ranallo will call the match between Kenny Omega and Rich Swann on the show.

“Swann vs Omega, champion vs champion, title vs title – this match represents everything I love about professional wrestling,” said Ranallo. “I have been fortunate to call these two superstars’ matches in the past and I’m very excited to be part of this historic encounter.”

 “This once in a generation title vs title showdown deserves to be called by the once in a generation play-by-play announcer. I’ve known Mauro for over two decades. There are very few people in the world who are as passionate about or know their wrestling history as well as Mauro. This is an historic main event, the world champions of two major organizations putting everything on the line. I’m thrilled that April 25^th, at Rebellion, fans will have Mauro’s legendary voice proving the soundtrack to history!”

Ranallo and Impact released the following two videos breaking down Swann vs Omega at Rebellion:

Here are the matches scheduled for Rebellion:

• AEW World Championship vs Impact World Championship
  Kenny Omega (c) vs Rich Swann
• Impact Tag Team Championships
  FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) (c) vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson)
• Knockouts Championship
  Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Tenille Dashwood
• X-Division Championship
  Ace Austin (w/Madman Fulton) (c) vs. TJP vs. Josh Alexander
• Knockouts Tag Team Championships
  Fire N Flava (c) vs Jordynne Grace & TBA
• Brian Myers vs Matt Cardona

Mauro Ranallo departed from WWE for a second time a few months ago, which was a decision that he made. 

Ranallo is still busy by being a commentator in the combat sports world including calling boxing for Showtime. During an interview with POST Wrestling, he left the door open about possibly going to another wrestling promotion. With such a question, AEW is going to be brought up. 

“I’m not interested in going back to that kind of rigorous schedule [with WWE]. I would love to call professional wrestling still, and I’m glad that there are many promotions. 

I mean, AEW has been a win-win-win for them. Like the Monday Night Wars, I believe competition in every sense of the word should bring out the best in anyone. I’m just grateful there are that many more paying opportunities for the workers. So, never say never, John.”

Ranallo noted that he also wants to explore other options and gigs. He’s also enjoyed branching out as a performer and broadcaster in addition to being an advocate for mental health. 

He noted that he loves calling combat sports and wants to continue to do historic and monumental things. 

• Mauro Ranallo Addresses His Decision To Leave WWE

Mauro Ranallo parted ways with WWE for a second time earlier this year and now has opened up on it. 

Ranallo’s first run saw him as the lead announcer for SmackDown Live before he left the company only to return and be in that same role on WWE NXT brand. 

Ranallo did an interview with POST Wrestling where he opened up on his decision. 

“WWE is one of the most mentally grueling places — and that’s not necessarily a criticism by any means — there’s a reason Vince McMahon has built a multi-billion dollar empire. Is it perfect? Not by any means, but neither am I.”

Joining WWE was a dream come true because of his love of pro wrestling. He brought up how his childhood friend envisioned him working for the company and although his late friend didn’t get to see it, he did get a chance to join the company. 

Ranallo felt good chemistry with Jerry Lawler and Bryon Saxton on SmackDown, but WWE made changes. He can work with anyone, but he wasn’t a fan of having several people on the broadcast at the same time such as a four or eight-man booth. 

“I get it, but that’s not what I want as a commentator. I get the stressful situations, I get the changes on the fly and the system there, but for my mental health, even moving to NXT. When we were live, it was the best experience I could ask for, and that’s a testament to what Triple H and everyone down in NXT have done. I just felt, for my own mental health, even doing the show from home, it was to the point where I would have a panic attack in the morning of the recordings in the last few months.”

He continued, All respect, I didn’t like what was happening and who was involved. I didn’t like…all due to respect to all announcers, I believe in chemistry. Maybe I was the problem. On show day, I’m not a great guy to be around because I’m completely focused. I’m prepared and I expect everyone else to be the same. There’s another reason, I’m a play-by-play announcer, and I think I’m one of the best in business, I need to be left alone at times.”

He thanked WWE for everything, noting that his work there improved his standing in the world. It opened other doors for him, as well.

“It was like my life, it was filled with ups and downs and aberrations. Sometimes when a dream comes true, it doesn’t remain a dream, sometimes you’re not supposed to meet your heroes.”

Ranallo voiced his appreciation for the company and while he didn’t see eye to eye with Vince McMahon and vice-versa, he still respects him. NXT was Vince McMahon’s vision, and ultimately it became too much for him. 

• Mauro Ranallo Has Finished Up With WWE

Check out the full interview in the YouTube player embedded below. His comments about WWE begin around the 17-minute mark.

Former WWE on screen personality and NWA commentator Jim Cornette recently commented on Mauro Ranallo leaving WWE and NXT.

Mauro Ranallo recently parted ways with the company reportedly to focus on his mental health work and other projects. During the Jim Cornette Experience, the outspoken Cornette would comment on Ranallo leaving the NXT commentary booth.

Jim Cornette on Mauro Ranallo

Initially, Jim Cornette would question why Mauro would leave the company during the pandemic era. “Believe me, anybody wants to quit the WWE? If you’re f*cking on the road every week and doing TV in that environment? I can understand that fully. But why pick now where you’re doing a TV show once a week from your house?”

“Mauro Ranallo was perfect for NXT” Jim Cornette continued. “He did get amped up every once in a while a little too far over the sh*t that obviously he didn’t need to be amped up for. But still he was just, I don’t know how they’re gonna replace him?”

• New Details On WWE’s Crackdown On Talent Monetizing Third-Party Services

Cornette would then discuss the man who seemingly will be replacing Ranallo on the show. Wade Barrett recently appeared on NXT as a ‘one-off’ but he is reportedly negotiating a longer term deal with WWE.

It’s an interesting piece of news for Cornette to comment on, as he himself was replaced by Wade Barrett/Stu Bennett in NWA. “Wade Barrett, a nice enough straight man there, you know color guy whatever but Mauro had the energy. Beth is the female voice, she’s doing a good job. But Mauro put a lot of energy into that programme sometimes when there wasn’t a lot.”

Do you agree with Jim Cornette on the situation with Mauro Ranallo? Let us know in the comments

Mauro Ranallo’s second stint with has come to an end. The iconic voice of WWE’s NXT brand has already finished up with the company.

On his Facebook page, Ranallo confirmed his departure by writing:

“I appreciate the opportunity I had to realize my childhood dream of working in sports entertainment, and I wish WWE well in the future. Now I want to direct my focus and devote my time to my other projects and to my mental health charitable activities and the well-being of my mother and myself.” 

WWE confirmed the situation Monday night with a brief statement confirming they have “amicably agreed to part ways.”

Ranallo was not present at last week’s NXT and or at TakeOver: XXX event nor did he work the NXT TV tapings from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. This taping included last week’s show as well as this Tuesday’s episode. 

At TakeOver, Corey Graves filled in for Ranallo while Wade Barrett replaced him at the last set of tapings. The reason for his absence was due to him needing to fly back to Canada to tend to a family issue.

It was reported on Monday that Barrett is in talks with WWE about a full-time return to the company. Whether that has anything to do with Ranallo’s departure remains to be seen. 

Mauro Ranallo Talks Pop Culture References and Tegan Nox Botch

NXT announcer Mauro Ranllo will be returning to commentary for tonight’s NXT broadcast on the USA Network. SEScoops has learned that Ranallo is currently in Orlando, FL and will be calling the show in his normal role as the lead announcer alongside Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness. 

The issues that Ranallo had to deal with started over a series of tweets made by SmackDown color commentator Corey Graves.

This is where Graves criticized the NXT lead announcer because he felt that Ranallo didn’t allow fellow commentators Beth Phoenix or Nigel McGuinness to talk enough during the TakeOver: WarGames III broadcast.  

Graves also noted that Ranallo made “Far, far too many” Chicago rap references. Ranallo was supposed to call Survivor Series but didn’t do so and Michael Cole stated on commentary that he reason Ranallo wasn’t calling the show was due to him blowing his voice out the night before. 

Ranallo also missed last week’s episode of NXT. Graves has since apologized for his comments towards Ranallo through the latest episode of After The Bell.

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his thoughts on the recent situation following Corey Graves comments aimed at Mauro Ranallo during NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

Speaking on his show, Reality of Wrestling, Booker T explained how people can’t just share unfiltered opinions and expect them to be immediately forgiven or forgotten.

“You can’t be just saying anything in 2019 and expect for it to be swept under the rug,” he said. “I really don’t know what happened. I know Corey Graves put out an apology to Mauro. I don’t know what really sparked it or what is really going on behind the scenes.”

Booker T then paid respect to Ranallo. He noted how hard he works to do the best he can as an NXT commentator and WWE employee. He shared how he always hatted getting ribbed in the past, often calling people out for fights if he found out he was responsible.

“Big ups to everything you do because I know how hard you work. The angle thing, back in the day, I hated getting ribbed. If they ribbed me, no one would tell me whoever did it. I would always say, ‘You can rib me if you want, but if I find out who did it, you’re gonna be in a fight. Just letting you know.’ Don’t play with me like that, because I’m not to be played with. Shoutout to Mauro, get yourself together, get back on the horse. Get your ass back to work, bro.”

In case you missed it, Graves made some disparaging comments about Ranallo’s vocal contribution to TakeOver. He suggested that Ranallo was talking all over his teammates Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuiness. Ranallo would delete his Twitter following Graves’ remarks.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

In an update to the ongoing story involving Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves, it is now being reported that Graves’ Tweets had been planned as part of the ongoing brand warfare storyline taking place over Survivor Series weekend.

According to a report from Pro Wrestling Sheet, Graves’ Tweets were to be brought up by his commentary partners during Survivor Series.

“According to sources, Corey wrote those tweets to play into the brand warfare element of Survivor Series and the SmackDown announcer planned to bring them up on commentary in a joking manner when he was joined by Mauro at the desk the following day,” wrote Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet and FS1’s WWE Backstage.

Ranallo did not work the Survivor Series event and is not expected to be at the commentary desk for tonight’s NXT either.

Corey Graves commented on the matter on his “WWE: After the Bell” podcast released today:

“Before we go any further, on a personal note, I need to address something,” Graves said on the show. “This past Saturday, during the TakeOver: War Games event, I sent out a Tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show.”

• Corey Graves Apologizes For Tweet Critical of Mauro Ranallo

“It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things and it was never meant to offend, or disrespect or disparage anybody, that was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply, that was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody any undue stress, especially a co-worker, so I apologize.”

Corey Graves has issued an apology for a recent Tweet critical of Mauro Ranallo’s commentary work on the NXT Takeover: WarGames show. Graves kicks off this week’s episode of his podcast “WWE After the Bell” by addressing the controversy.

“Before we go any further, on a personal note, I need to address something,” Graves said on the show. “This past Saturday, during the TakeOver: War Games event, I sent out a Tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show.”

“It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things and it was never meant to offend, or disrespect or disparage anybody, that was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply, that was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody any undue stress, especially a co-worker, so I apologize.”

It has since been reported that Mauro Ranallo will not be back on NXT tonight from Full Sail University. Ranallo’s status for upcoming NXT shows is currently unknown.

• Mauro Ranallo Will Not Return For This Week’s NXT (Report)

NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo will not be present to call the action for this week’s episode of NXT on USA Network, according to John Pollock of POST Wrestling.

Ranallo was originally set to return to announcing duties following his time away from this Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Ranallo was missing from the show following comments made by Corey Graves. The SmackDown announcer had taken to Twitter to criticize Ranallo’s commentary during NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Announcer Michael Cole replaced Ranallo for NXT’s feature matchups. He explained how Ranallo had been too passionate the night before and had blown out his voice.

In the wake of Graves’ criticisms, Ranallo deleted his Twitter account. It was reported that WWE and Ranallo believed he would be returning to work this Wednesday night. There has allegedly been communication between them over the past few days, with a decision ultimately being made to allow Ranallo time away from the desk. At the time of writing, there is no word on if he will return for next week’s episode.

In case you missed it, Graves lobbied some critical feedback towards Ranallo, suggesting he was talking all over his NXT teammates. He wrote on Twitter:

“Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer. #NXTTakeoverWarGames” He also noted how he had made “Far, far too many” references to the Chicago hip-hop scene.

Ranallo is an open, active mental health advocate. He has previously documented his own personal battles in his well-received documentary, Bi-Polar Rock’ N’ Roller.

Corey Graves is dealing with some backlash from fans online at the moment. Graves Tweeted during the NXT TakeOver: War Games event expressing his opinion that Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuiness were not being given many opportunities to speak. Shortly following Graves’ Tweet, Ranallo deleted his Twitter account.

Mauro Ranallo is a mental health advocate who lives with bipolar disorder. Ranallo left the WWE main roster for NXT after a much-publicized conflict with WWE which likely had to do with criticisms from JBL directed at him.

Graves has been active on social media today in regards to the situation. He took aim at the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer with the following Tweet:

Meltzer had the following to say regarding the Graves/Ranallo situation on Wrestling Observer Radio last night/this morning:

“I was furious when I saw this and it’s got nothing to do with the idea of Mauro Ranallo being above criticism but we know what happens when a co-worker does it,” Meltzer said. “Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock went to the building I guess, the gist of everything was that they left and they were very, very upset.”

“It was the Tweet and that’s why he didn’t do the show,” Meltzer continued. He would also say that Ranallo is expected back on Wednesday for NXT, however.

Meltzer later tweeted:

Ranallo’s longtime friend and MMA legend Frank Shamrock reminded Graves of a quote that Graves had Tweeted out shortly before directing the Tweet towards Ranallo:

In this Tweet, Graves states that Ranallo was making too many references to the Chicago rap scene.

Following this past Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, passionate NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo deleted his Twitter account. This came in the wake of comments made by SmackDown announcer Corey Graves.

Graves shared some critical observations over Ranallo’s commentary during the broadcast of TakeOver: WarGames. Taking to Twitter, Graves suggested that Ranallo wasn’t giving his fellow commentators, Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness, an opportunity to provide their thoughts on the action.

He wrote, “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.”

Replying to a fan’s question over how many Chicago rap references Ranallo had made, Graves stated: “Far, far too many.”

At the time of writing, Ranallo’s account is still deleted. His close friend and manager, Frank Shamrock, actually responded to Graves’ comment. He uploaded a picture that read “Social media has made too many of you comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the mouth for it.”

Lost Voice

During last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Ranallo was noticeably missing during the show. He was replaced during the NXT matchups by Michael Cole.

In case you missed it: during the NXT Championship matchup between Adam Cole and Pete Dunne, Cole explained to the WWE Universe why Ranallo wasn’t present.

Acording to Cole, Ranallo was so passionate during the previous night’s TakeOver event that he blew his voice out and was therefore unable to provide the kind of commentary NXT has become known for. It was noted that Ranallo would be back on commentary duties for this week’s episode of NXT.

Ranallo is an open, active mental health advocate. He has previously documented his own personal battles in his well-received documentary, Bi-Polar Rock ‘N’ Roller.

WWE has officially announced that NXT will be debuting on USA Network. Thankfully, it appears as though their announce team will be moving with them come September.

According to Dave Meltzer via Wrestling Observer Radio, the current broadcast team of Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Beth Phoenix will continue to host NXT after it extends to its two-hour time slot.

Meltzer hinted at the history that exists between Mauro Ranallo and Vince McMahon. He stressed that, at this point in time, Vince is not expected to be at these Wednesday night shows. This is apparently a contributing factor in having Ranallo continue as the lead commentator of the NXT team. 

If Vince McMahon were to change his mind, deciding to become more involved as NXT competes with All Elite Wrestling, things may inevitably change.

It was only recently speculated that, if NXT were to end up on the USA Network, there would be no way that Vince McMahon would be able to be “hands-off.“

But for now, the WWE Universe will be able to continue enjoying the commentary from NXT’s announce team, led by Mauro Ranallo’s passionate contributions.

NXT on USA Network will debut on September 18th at 8/7 C.

Popular NXT commentator, and all round good guy, Mauro Ranallo recently took to his Twitter account in order to vent his personal frustration with his own performance at last night’s NXT TV tapings.

Ranallo, who was unfortunately recently involved in a car accident on December 23rd, wrote the following:

“Like me or loathe me, I pride myself on performing my job at the highest level possible. Tonight, I failed. I know it will come across as an excuse to some but the car accident and other personal issues affected me more than I thought. I apologize to @WWENXT I WILL BE BETTER.”

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/1081017592243019776

Following the initial car accident, the NXT commentator broke the news himself via his Instagram account.

“An Angel was looking over me last night. A car lost control and smashed into me at full speed. Happy to report that no one was seriously injured. I’m still in shock. I guess my work here isn’t done yet. #ChristmasMiracle”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BryWh7ZgO03/

Mauro Ranallo is an outspoken advocate for mental health, often taking to his social media in order to share his own experiences with others. Given the responses he tends to receive, his frank openness has seemingly helped others worldwide.

We wish Mauro the best as he continues to recover from the horrible accident from 12/23 and look forward to him continuing his journey as one of the best commentators in not only WWE but the world.

Reason Mauro Ranallo Missed NXT TV Tapings

There was one key member of the WWE NXT announce team that was not at Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. That person was lead announcer Mauro Ranallo. The reason for his absence was due to him being in New York City to receive a Mental Health Advocacy award from Fountain House. Vic Joseph did the announcing for NXT TV.

Ranallo posted the following on his official Instagram account, “Much love to my @shosports fam for coming out and supporting me last night as I received a #MentalHealth advocacy award from the FANTASTIC folks at @fountainhouse in New York city. Fountain House is the standard bearer for mental health care!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFKihHgJ_R/?taken-by=mauroranallo

Top Matches Locally Advertised For WWE SmackDown

Although WWE has yet to officially announce any matches or segments for next Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center, there are two matches being locally advertised. SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair and WWE Champion AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan & Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz & Shinsuke Nakamura & Randy Orton in a six-man tag team match.

This episode will feature the fallout from SmackDown 1000 as well as continue to build the hype for WWE Evolution and Crown Jewel pay-per-view events.

Mauro Ranallo has announced that he will be forced to miss this weekend’s WWE NXT TakeOver: Chicago II special.

The lead announcer for the NXT brand took to his official Twitter account on Thursday morning to reveal that due to a scheduling conflict, he will not be able to call the matches at this event.

Instead, 205 Live announce Vic Joseph will do the play-by-play duties. He wrote the following:

“I’m blessed to have more than one job. Unfortunately,dates may conflict. Off to Dallas for a @ShowtimeBoxing tripleheader . That means I won’t be in Chicago for #NXTTakeOver You’ll be in good hands with @VicJosephWWE @McGuinnessNigel & @WWEPercyWatson.”

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/1007276521021587457

The NXT TakeOver: Chicago II event takes place on Saturday, June 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network.

The Card

– NXT Title Match: Aleister Black © vs. Lars Sullivan

– NXT Women’s Title Match: Shayna Baszler © vs. Nikki Cross

– NXT Tag Team Title Match: Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly © vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

– Street Fight: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano

– Singles Match: Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream

What are your thoughts on Ranallo missing this event? Sound off in the comment section.

Mauro Ranallo has set the record straight on what led to his departure as the lead announcer of WWE SmackDown Live.

Ranallo, who is one of the best announcers in all of pro wrestling and combat sports, signed with the WWE in December 2015 where he made his promotional debut as the lead announcer of SmackDown Live on the USA Network in January of that next year.

Ranallo was absent from commentary beginning with the March 14, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live including missing WrestleMania 33, which was a goal of his to call. At the time, WWE claimed it was due to illness.

Moving along to April of that year, it was reported that the sports entertainment company and Ranallo had mutually parted ways. It was rumored to be due to his issues with fellow commentator JBL. However, Ranallo denied that speculation at the time.

Fast forward to June, it was revealed that Ranallo decided to return to the WWE to be the lead announcer for the NXT brand. 

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour to promote his upcoming documentary on Showtime, Ranallo addressed his departure from the blue brand and how it did not have anything to do with JBL but rather it was because of the tough WWE schedule. 

“I was on the road every week. You add MMA and boxing and kickboxing to it. The road travel destroyed me. So, rumors and all this other stuff, what happened, honestly — and Ariel, you know how honest I’ve been in this thing — I had a breakdown in the Chicago O’Hare airport on my way to Pittsburgh to do SmackDown Live. And again, Frank Shamrock … God bless him … Bas Rutten, man. Guys who fought each other are my biggest supporters. But, I had to phone them and I said ‘I’m done. I cannot do this anymore. It’s going to kill me.’ And I thought I was done with the entire company.”

“As much as there’s two sides to every story, the actual truth from me was my mental health wasn’t going to allow me to maintain that schedule much longer.

H/T to Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcribed quotes.

– Yesterday the horror flick “Mohawk” was released in select theaters across the country, and it features WWE SmackDown Live Superstar Luke Harper. The film had a successful run in film festivals last year, thus resulting in its theatrical release. Check out the synopsis of the film and the preview below:

“After one of her tribe sets an American camp ablaze, a young Mohawk warrior finds herself pursued by a contingent of military renegades set on revenge. Fleeing deep into the woods they call home, Oak and Calvin, along with their British companion Joshua, must now fight back against the bloodthirsty Colonel Holt and his soldiers – using every resource both real and supernatural that the winding forest can offer.”

– Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie was one of several close friends of pop mega-star Demi Lovato who appeared at an event to raise awareness to mental health disorders. A picture of the two can bee seen below, as Tweeted out by Marie:

With the gorgeous @ddlovato before I spoke @_castontour last night and before she absolutely killed it on stage #TellMeYouLoveTour #SanJose 🙌🏼💫 pic.twitter.com/yCctiEyq8a

— Eva Marie (@natalieevamarie) March 2, 2018

– Current NXT broadcaster Mauro Ranallo was asked by a fan on Twitter why he doesn’t have any interest in commentating for RAW or SmackDown Live. Ranallo explained that the schedule is the main reason for his decision:

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/969246608847187968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mauro Ranallo escaped death on Sunday night.

The voice of NXT revealed on Twitter that MMA legend Frank Shamrock saved his life tonight with the Heimlich maneuver after he began choking on food.

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/952744080441622528

When asked what food he was choking on, Ranallo replied salmon.

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/952749474534707201

Calling it the scariest moment of his life, Ranallo tweeted about his choking incident to let people know that the Heimlich maneuver works.

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/952744552514768896

Shamrock was the first person to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion. He and Ranallo are longtime friends as they regularly called Strikeforce events together on Showtime until the promotion’s acquisition and eventual merger by the UFC in 2013.

• WWE signs 6-foot-8 kickboxer-turned-actor

– Samoa Joe is currently out of action recovering from a knee injury that took place at a recent WWE live event in a match against John Cena. Joe last wrestled on the post-SummerSlam edition of RAW on August 21st, when he Joe teamed with the Miz in the main event against John Cena and Roman Reigns.

While initial estimates had Joe on the sidelines until early October, the latest on Joe is that he’ll be probably won’t be back in the ring until late October – after the RAW brand’s Tables, Ladders, Chairs pay-per-view on 10/22.

– In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer provided additional information regarding the issues surrounding Mauro Ranallo’s hiatus from WWE earlier this year, the bullying culture in WWE and JBL’s recent announcement that he’s leaving his role as a broadcaster on SmackDown Live.

According to the report, Mauro Ranallo leaving the company back in April was not entirely due to JBL’s bulling, but more so about the culture of the company going back several years. JBL certainly played a role, but the belief is that JBL’s on-air comments towards him were coming from “somebody else.”

Prior to returning to WWE, Mauro Ranallo spoke to the Associated Press about his decision to walk away from his “dream job” on SmackDown. “I was willing to walk away from my dream job, let’s leave it at that,” he said. “In order for me to do that, I had to be true to my convictions and what makes you a human being.”

When Ranallo returned to the company in June as one of the lead announcers for NXT, the terms of his new agreement included that he’d be reporting to Michael Cole and Triple H, not Vince McMahon.  With the Mauro Ranallo situation resolved, JBL made his own decision to leave WWE television and it was unrelated to their previous disputes.

NXT this week featured a women’s championship match and the NXT debut of Mauro Ranallo. Matches for the show were taped last Friday.

NXT
June 28th 2017
Full Sail University

1. The Velveteen Dream vs. HoHo Lun

• This was a showcase match for the Dream.
• He hit a jackhammer and a flying elbow for the win.

Winner: Velveteen Dream

2. Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan

• Last time these two met, Itami took things too far by continuing to land GTS’ until Kassius Ohno made the save.
• This time, Lorcan was looking for revenge. He landed several uppercuts early until blood started to come from Itami’s nose and the ref delayed the match.
• After Itami was attended to he eventually took control of the match.
• Unlike last week, he only gave Lorcan one GTS and then pinned him.

Winner: Hideo Itami

• After the match, Itami called Ohno down to the ring.
• Before the two could advance their angle however, members of Sanity hit the ring and beat them both up.
• Alexander Wolfe then said their leader, Eric Young, was working on a master plan for the faction.

3. NXT Women’s Championship
Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross

• This was NXT’s first ever Last Woman Standing match.
• Lots of weapon spots, including Asuka landing several kicks on Cross while she was inside a trash can.
• Both of them slammed each other into a pile of steel chairs.
• Cross gave Asuka a power-bomb, resulting in the first NXT “Mamma Mia!” call from Ranallo.
• They set up a ladder by the NXT broadcast booth and Asuka gave Cross a suplex off the ladder and through the announce table.
• Asuka got back up at 9, but Cross stayed down for 10, giving Asuka the win.

Winner: Asuka (retains)

Mauro Ranallo made his WWE NXT debut at Friday night’s TV tapings from Full Sail University (Full Results). His debut will air on Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the  WWE Network.

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/878447983452463104

The tapings kicked off with Mike Rome introducing Percy Watson and Nigel McGuinness. Triple H then came out and said he jumped on a flight to be here with the NXT Universe because there’s no place he’d rather be than home. Triple H then introduced Mauro, saying now there’s someone else that’s going to be calling NXT home. He introduced Mauro as the one and only “Bipolar Rock-n-Roller” Mauro Ranallo, who came out to a huge pop.

Check out Mauro Ranallo’s big return to NXT below: