NXT has a larger than life talent who provides commentary, this being Mauro Ranallo. His high energy, often pop culture fueled commentary is something that has helped define NXT’s niche in recent years. One of the most highly respected sports commentators around, even was even picked to call the fight between Floyd Mayweather & Connor McGregor, and still calls the action on occasion for MMA companies like Bellator. His skills are renowned, but he does have a tendancy to drown out his fellow commentators on NXT.
The Source Of The Issue
Corey Graves took issue with Mauro not really giving Nigel McGuniness & Beth Phoenix equal time to shine at NXT Takeover, taking to Twitter to air his complaints on a public forum. He had this to say “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”. He has since apologized and explained his intent was to stir up some controversy to discuss at Survivor Series. He said this on his podcast, WWE After The Bell.
““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 not meant to offend, 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”
Mauros Reaction And Why It Happened
Mauro reacted by deleting his Twitter account and withdrawing from the public eye. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Mauro previously worked on Smackdown alongside Jerry Lawler and JBL, and comments from JBL led him to leave the brand on commentary.
Mauro Ranallo has not been shy that he suffers from Bipolar Disorder, calling himself at times ‘The Bipolar Rock n’ Roller’, and there was a documentary made about his struggles if you want more information on that. It is a fantastic watch. Mauro will eventually come back to Twitter, and his role on NXT, but it’s best for him to take his time to deal with the spiral and maintain his mental health. He is one of the best in the game, and I hope him & Corey were able to hash things out in a private setting. I won’t say Corey Graves was wrong, but maybe don’t take shots at a co-worker on social media, especially when there is no chance of it leading to a match.
Mauro is not expected to be on tonights episode of NXT, and we hope to hear his enthusiastic voice again very soon. It won’t be the same without him.
