What’s the story?
Former SmackDown Commentator Mauro Ranallo announced back in April that he and the WWE mutually agreed to part ways, but the latest rumour suggests that Ranallo could return.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter claims that the WWE want to bring the play-by-play commentator back to the company and that he and the company are still in talks with each other.
In case you didn’t know...
Ranallo joined the WWE commentary team in 2015 and made his debut on the 1st SmackDown of 2016. His work was highly praised as fans enjoyed hearing him call the action for SmackDown as well as the Cruiserweight Classic alongside Daniel Bryan.
His absence from commentary began when he missed the March 14, 2017, edition of SmackDown Live and his departure wasn’t be addressed until April when the WWE informed fans that he was ill. Eventually, Ranallo distanced himself from the WWE via social media following a bout with depression which was allegedly caused by fellow commentator JBL.
Many fans called for JBL to be fired in the wake of these claims of bullying and fans were heard chanting “Fire JBL” on episodes of SmackDown, but Ranallo’s claim that JBL was not involved caused some of the controversy to die down.
The heart of the matter
One of the reasons the WWE are supposedly trying to bring Ranallo back is possibly for him to be used as a public advocate for people who deal with depression. This would likely mean Ranallo would join wrestlers and other WWE ambassadors for anti-bullying campaigns in addition to any specific organisations that deal with depression.
Another reason could be Ranallo’s commentary skills which have earned the respect of many fans over the past year. However, another more probable reason the company wants Ranallo back may be to prevent other wrestling organisations from adding him to their commentary team.
What’s next?
While the two are still in communication with each other, the likelihood of Ranallo returning to the company is still low.
The controversy involving JBL and Ranallo has just begun to die down and without any further comments from Ranallo on the matter, there’s no way of knowing if he can move past his alleged issues with JBL.
Author’s Take
The WWE agreeing to part ways with Ranallo was considered a loss for the company by many fans. Of all the commentators employed by the WWE, Corey Graves and Ranallo were two men who received the bulk of the praise for their work on their shows.
WWE bringing back Ranallo would be greatly appreciated by the fans, but how would things work if Ranallo returned?
He could possibly replace Michael Cole on Monday Night Raw considering Cole’s rumoured desire to do less work onscreen. However, it’s doubtful the WWE would rely on him to carry the commentary when a bout with depression can take him off TV for extended periods of time.
