As SmackDown LIVE announcer Mauro Ranallo’s been off of television for almost month now, and with no on-air references to him since Tom Phillips said he was “out sick” on the blue brand’s March 21 episode, there was already a good deal of speculation about Ranallo’s status with WWE.
Yesterday, fans noticed Mauro removed references to the company from his Twitter profile - and deleted his Tweets from before WrestleMania 33 wishing his “WWE family” well.
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Cageside Seats reached out to WWE for comment, and received the following:
Mauro Ranallo remains under contract with WWE until August 12, 2017.
None of which gives the impression we should expect to hear Mauro calling pro wrestling any time soon.
Ranallo has been active on Twitter promoting both an upcoming Showtime boxing appearance and his podcast with Bas Rutten, and hinting at returning to calling mixed martial arts soon:
With the new Karma 11 Media Lab Studios set to open next week, @BasRuttenMMA & I will be back in the podcasting biz with @rutten_ranallo
— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) April 7, 2017
I will be ringside for @ShowtimeBoxing April 22 at @barclayscenter for #BertoPorter and I hope to call #MMA again soon. Thanks! https://t.co/OzbpBclKH4
— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) April 8, 2017
He’s also been active promoting mental health, frequently reTweeting messages which use the hashtag “SickNotWeak”. His friend and colleague Rutten confirmed Ranallo’s absence was related to the bipolar diagnosis Mauro’s long been open to discussing, and reports his treatment by WWE broadcast partner John Bradshaw Layfield may have played a role in negatively impacting Ranallo’s condition have prompted increased coverage of JBL’s backstage behavior over the years.
We’ll keep you posted on news of Mauro Ranallo’s future with WWE.