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Twitter has proven to be hugely beneficial to WWE and the company’s Superstars over the last decade, but there are often times when the negatives of the social networking site outweigh the positives.
Becky Lynch, for example, used social media to her advantage in 2018 when she created a huge amount of buzz for herself by mocking the likes of Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey on Twitter. This led to the rise of her “The Man” character and the first women’s main event in WrestleMania history in 2019.
Unfortunately, for every good WWE story to come from the use of social media, there are plenty of bad stories that gain traction on a regular basis.
In this article, let’s take a more in-depth look at the subject of social media by counting down five people in WWE who deleted their Twitter accounts.
#5 WWE NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo
The inspiration for this article came following Corey Graves’ decision to delete his Twitter account in June 2020. As it turned out, the WWE commentator must have briefly deactivated his account, rather than completely delete it, as his profile returned within 24 hours.
Seven months earlier, Graves’ social media use made headlines again when he took a dig at Mauro Ranallo’s commentary during NXT TakeOver: WarGames in November 2019, leading to Ranallo quitting all forms of social media.
The veteran commentator primarily used Twitter as a tool to spread awareness about mental health, while he often posted videos on Instagram of him playing WWE Superstars’ entrance themes on a keyboard.
However, the following tweet from Graves proved to be the final straw for the WWE NXT announcer.
"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"
Graves later issued an apology for insinuating that Ranallo frequently spoke over Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness, saying on his podcast that it was never his intention to cause his WWE colleague any undue stress.
“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 undue stress, especially a co-worker. So, I apologize.”
Ranallo deleted his social media accounts following Graves’ tweet and he has since encouraged anybody with mental health issues to do the same.
#4 Former WWE Superstar Dash Wilder
Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson received their releases from WWE in April 2020 after over a year of speculation about their futures with the company.
Two months before their long-awaited departures, Dawson dropped a huge hint that The Revival wanted to leave WWE when he suggested on Twitter that they would prefer to have creative control instead of another WWE Tag Team Championship reign.
As you can see below, Wilder took a different approach by deleting his Twitter account in February 2020 and allowing his tag team partner to do all the talking in the final weeks of their WWE contracts.
Dash Wilder (now known as Cash Wheeler) is back on Twitter following the tag team’s exit from WWE, while Scott Dawson (now known as Dax Harwood) continues to use the social media platform.
The Revival (now known as FTR) also caused some buzz on Twitter in April 2020 when it was revealed that they were pitched an outlandish gimmick shortly before their WWE deals came to an end.
Both men have since confirmed that the outfits were indeed suggested to them in a meeting with Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard.
#3 WWE Superstar Nia Jax
Nia Jax sparked speculation about her future with WWE in August 2019 when she deleted her Twitter account and removed all references of WWE from her Instagram bio.
At the time, the former WWE RAW Women’s Champion had been out of action since April 2019 due to a double ACL tear and she did not return to WWE television for another eight months.
She also changed her name on Instagram from Nia Jax to her real name, Lina, while she posted a cryptic message on her Instagram story about focusing on herself.
It is still unknown why Nia Jax deleted her Twitter account, but it has now been reactivated and she has regularly tweeted about her life inside and outside of WWE since making her return on the post-WrestleMania 36 episode of WWE RAW.
As for her Instagram account, the name Lina has changed back to Nia Jax, while her bio now says “WWE Nia Jax”, along with her “Not Like Most” phrase and “The Irresistible Force” nickname.
The timing of Jax’s social media changes prompted lots of rumors shortly after SummerSlam 2019, but it never seriously looked as though she was set to leave WWE.
#2 WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley
Not only is Mick Foley a legend in the wrestling business, but he has also created his own legendary moments with WWE fans on social media.
Back in January 2014, the WWE Hall of Famer summed up the feelings of fans around the world when he smashed his daughter’s television in protest after Daniel Bryan did not participate in the 30-man WWE Royal Rumble.
"Does @WWE actually hate their own audience? I've never been so disgusted with a PPV."
As of the time of writing (June 10, 2020), Foley remains active on his personal Facebook page, as you can see here, but his Twitter account has not been active since May 2020.
Although Foley has not given a reason for his Twitter departure, he mentioned in media interviews in 2017 that he received a lot of abusive messages from fans about some decisions that his on-screen WWE character made during his time as WWE RAW General Manager.
He also tweeted in January 2019 that he intended to one day delete Twitter and Facebook, just like he did with his Instagram account.
“Yes, I bailed out on my @Instagram account after just two posts. I just don’t have the time or enthusiasm to make it anything special. I’m still trying to wean myself off of Twitter and Facebook.”
#1 WWE Superstar Seth Rollins
One of the most bizarre social media interactions between two WWE Superstars took place in September 2019 when Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks took shots at each other on Twitter.
Ahead of his match against Rey Mysterio on the season premiere episode of WWE RAW, Rollins tweeted that he would “empty the tank for one of the greatest ever”.
This prompted Banks to copy the then-WWE Universal Champion’s tweet, accompanied by a graphic of her alongside her opponent on the same show, Alexa Bliss.
It is unclear whether the WWE RAW colleagues were simply joking around – Sasha Banks was feuding with Seth Rollins’ partner, Becky Lynch, at the time – but Rollins’ next tweet suggested he was being serious.
“This is a match I’ve been looking forward to as much as every other match you’ve ever had...aka, not at all. Luckily for me, you’ll underdeliver like you always do and continue to wonder why you’re not in more main events.”
As you can see above, Rollins deleted his Twitter account after the exchange with Banks, but he is now an active user on the site again.
