According to an article by Newsweek on Saturday afternoon, Mauro Ranallo has officially confirmed his departure from WWE as a commentator and has denied online reports claiming that John Layfield (JBL) was the reason he left the company.
Ranallo issued the following statement to Newsweek via email.
“WWE and I have mutually agreed to part ways. It has nothing to do with JBL.”
As reported on two weeks ago, a spokesperson for WWE has continued to reiterate that Ranallo will remain under a deal with the company through August 12.
Newsweek addresses the coverage by Dave Meltzer suggesting issues with Layfield had “triggered” Ranallo, who continues to battle bipolar disorder.
The article also features an exclusive statement by Layfield where he admits to previous prank behavior and that all recent allegations were “unfounded rumors.”
“Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued.”
WWE also issued a statement focusing on the companies anti-bullying campaign with Be a STAR and that no formal complain was submitted regarding any actions by Layfield.
“As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive environment, in April 2011, WWE launched our anti-bullying campaign, Be a STAR, which encourages young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect. As a publicly traded company, that mantra carries forward in our corporate culture. As such, we fully investigate any allegations of inappropriate behavior including the recent alleged situation with John Layfield (aka JBL), despite no formal complaint having been submitted.”
Ranallo stated recently on Twitter that he has every intentions on returning to commentary for pro wrestling. It’s believed he will be free to do so once his deal with WWE expires.