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What’s the story?
For those who haven't noticed, Mike Kanellis hasn't featured on television for a few months and hasn't really had a long run since he and Maria debuted on SmackDown Live last year.
The Superstar formerly known as Mike Bennett does have a good reason, though, and he reminded some "fans" who tweeted their criticisms of him of just how far he's come.
In case you didn't know…
Mike Kanellis has been very open about his problems in the past with addiction, and even recently spoke to Renee Young about his recovery in an interview for WWE's YouTube channel - rather groundbreaking in itself as it's not the kind of thing we usually see WWE tackling head-on.
The heart of the matter
It actually all started rather innocently when Kanellis received this tweet about the lack of TV time he has been getting recently...
A tweet which one half of The Power of Love couple quoted and classily replied...
However, things turned sour when a self-proclaimed troll decided to chuck in their two cents...
Obviously, some "fans" aren't too happy with how WWE is booking Kanellis, with him being brought back to the company alongside wife Maria, taking her name, and never really taking off in the same way creatively as he did in TNA, but Mike seemingly set the fan straight on his personal progress since joining WWE.
The two then got into a back and forth, with Kanellis remaining diplomatic as ever with his replies. However "President Troll" dismissed his accomplishments.
But more "fans" started tweeting at Kanellis too...
Mike had also been giving advice to others tweeting him about being clean and thanking him for being such a nice guy, but it didn't end there.
Kanellis also commented on his booking but was very upbeat in his attitude as to what is under his control and what isn't...
** Warning: Strong language below **
Mike summed it up perfectly with this tweet...
He had a succession of positive tweets after, including from X Pac and many other fans.
His wife Maria also had a similar experience recently and addressed it in much the same way.
What’s next?
Well, who knows when we'll see Mike Kanellis in a WWE ring again?
Mike's wife, Maria Kanellis, is currently out of action for a very good reason, she's pregnant!
The exact timeline of her return is not known at this moment.
Mike Kanellis, meanwhile, was last seen during the November 21 episode of SmackDown Live where he served as a lumberjack.
Author’s take
If being a nice guy was the criteria for success, Mike Kanellis would undoubtedly be a World Champion. The guy has been through a whole lot and is very open about the negative experiences he has had, and tries to help anyone he can on social media too.
It would be great to at least see Mike in the Royal Rumble, but obviously, some things are more important than wrestling in his life right now. You can't help but root for the guy once you know what he's been through and you can only admire his attitude towards online trolls too.
Congratulations to Mike on six months clean, and we wish him all the best in his continued recovery and future fatherhood! Hopefully, it won't be too long until we see him back on television.
