When the WWE hired Mauro Ranallo to become the voice of "SmackDown Live," fans met his arrival with great appreciation. He seemed to take the role seriously and became one of the best commentators on any WWE brand. However, Ranallo has missed the last two weeks of "SmackDown Live" and many fans have started to worry about his wellbeing.
Mauro Ranallo misses two weeks of "SmackDown"
The first episode of "SmackDown Live" that Mauro Ranallo missed was two weeks ago during the horrible snow storms in the Northeast United States. While it seems natural for normal people to miss work in inclement weather conditions, many criticized Ranallo for missing the show.
Within the WWE, JBL made snide comments about Mauro not being there while he was able to make it but many took him to be speaking as the heel announcer that he is. Outside the WWE, former announcer Taz and current Impact Wrestling announcer Josh Mathews both made comments about how people in the wrestling business do not miss shows regardless of the reason, especially if it is just due to bad weather. It was harsh criticism and then when Ranallo missed a second week, this time due to health issues, red flags immediately went up.
Mauro Ranallo and his health problems
The reason that people grew fearful for Mauro Ranallo when he missed the second episode of "SmackDown Live" is because of mental health issues that the WWE announcer has publicly admitted to dealing with.
Ranallo has battled depression for years and also said he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. One might wonder if the bad weather combined with missing a "SmackDown Live" taping and hearing the insults coming his way might have triggered an attack. Mauro is normally very active on social media but hadn't posted anything since he missed the taping due to the weather.
Those fears seem to have been confirmed when Mauro Ranallo popped onto Twitter yesterday to thank WWE fans for their tweets of support. He admitted that his doctor recommended he stay off social media for now, making it sound like his illness was more mental than physical.
