***MAURO RANALLO***
In the 35 years The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has been
giving out annual awards, WWE been the recipient of Most Disgusting Promotional
Tactic a record 19 times. In 2017 amidst the mistreatment of Smackdown
announcer Mauro Ranallo, WWE could be shooting for lucky number twenty. Since
this is an issue that involves both bullying and mental illness, it’s a story
that’s close to my heart as I have experienced both in my younger days. Even
people who don’t watch professional wrestling can relate to Mauro’s story in at
least one or two ways.
Mauro Ranallo has been the lead announcer for WWE Smackdown
since January of 2016. Week after week, he’s done a phenomenal job with his
puns, encyclopedic knowledge, undying energy, and overall intelligence. It’s
because of these factors that he has won The Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s
award for Best Television Announcer for two years in a row (2015 for his work
in Japanese wrestling and 2016 for his work in WWE). If he wanted to, he could
rack up a huge winning streak for that award until the end of time itself.
Unfortunately, Mr. Ranallo is also bipolar. It’s a condition
he’s had since he was 19 years old. The trigger that set him off was the death
of his best friend in 1989 due to a heart attack. Mauro has never attempted
suicide before, but he’s had suicidal thoughts. Ever since managing to cope
with his disorder, he’s been an outspoken supporter of the mentally ill
community and wishes to end the negative stigma surrounding it. As someone with
autism and schizophrenia, I look up to this guy every time he speaks on the
subject of mental illness. The fact that he can work as hard as he does while
still holding bipolarity at bay speaks volumes.
With this much talent and humanity under his belt, you would
think that WWE would want to protect this guy as much as possible. But instead,
fellow Smackdown announcer John “Bradshaw” Layfield uses the show Bring It to
the Table to belittle Ranallo for celebrating his winning of the Best
Television Announcer award on Twitter. It should also be known that John
Layfield won the Worst Television Announcer award in 2014 and 2015, and with
good reason. Layfield has also reportedly picked on Ranallo backstage multiple
times and triggered his bipolar disorder to where he wants to quit WWE.
The hashtag #FireJBL has been circulating around the
internet ever since this story made it into mainstream media coverage. While
firing him would be an easy solution, JBL is just a small part of a much bigger
problem within WWE’s corporate culture. Pro-wrestling is a business where the
guys on top try to test the toughness of the guys down below on a frequent
basis and bullying is the way they do it.
JBL has been accused of grabbing people’s asses, stealing
passports, throwing luggage of other wrestlers out on the curb, screaming at
them until they cried, stuff like that. His behavior is encouraged by people
like Vince McMahon (CEO), Triple H (Vince’s son-in-law), and Stephanie McMahon
(Vince’s daughter). Even if the older guard dies of natural causes, there will
still be other people in the company who condone this kind of behavior on a
daily basis as a way of “weeding out the weak”.
But seriously, what purpose does all of this harassing
behavior have other than satisfying sadistic urges? If you really wanted to
test the toughness of someone in WWE, pay attention to their body of work. Can
they take bumps effectively? Can they endure the grind of world travel? Can
they train hard enough to perfect their crafts? I believe WWE wrestlers are
self-motivated enough to do these things that they don’t have to be bullied in
order to prove it. In my opinion, the upper management bullying has nothing to
do with testing toughness and has everything to do with being a dick. Tough or
weak, nobody wants to be treated like that. Nobody at all.
Another example of backstage misconduct comes from Bill
DeMott, an NXT trainer who back in 2015 resigned from the company when he was
being accused of bullying his trainees. He would make them perform dangerous
drills, he would make bigoted slurs at them, he’d sexually harass them, and
there are even stories of him pulling a gun on his students. Again, this awful
human being resigned from WWE; he wasn’t fired. Maybe if there’s enough
pressure put on the company, JBL will leave on his own too. It’s farfetched,
but there’s no sense in feeling hopeless just yet.
My only wish is that Mauro Ranallo can find peace in his
life outside of WWE. Bipolar disorder is no joke and it’s even worse when the
person is being bullied or harassed in the way he has. Mental illness dilutes
your defenses when it comes to taking in trauma or other negative events. It’s
not a matter of not being tough. It’s just the way mental illness works.
Mauro, if you’re reading this somewhere out there, I wish
you a speedy recovery from your recent bout of depression. I’m sad to see you
leave the WWE, but I’m also happy that you can get away from that troglodyte
JBL and everybody who condones his evil behavior. You’re easily my pick for
Best Television Announcer in 2017 and every year beyond that.
And as for you, JBL, enjoy your Most Disgusting Promotional
Tactic award when you eventually get it. Let’s see you mock that on Bring It to
the Table.
***DEMON AXE, CHAPTER 21***
Speaking of bullies and douche-bags, I bet you all have been
waiting patiently for something god-awful to happen to Roger Zee. You’d be
right for wanting that. Ever since the beginning of Demon Axe, he slew
countless people, tortured his worst enemies, brainwashed the weak-minded, and
did it all in the name of anachronistic values. I appreciate your patience
throughout this reading adventure, but you’ll have to keep waiting. Chapter 21
will be dedicated to Raven and Shawn doing battle with King Triscloud, though
ever so reluctantly since he has a mind-controlling crown of thorns wrapped
around his head. Instead of trying to kill him, they’re going to try to hold
him down and pry the crown free. Good luck, you two!
***COMEDIC QUOTE OF THE DAY***
“What kind of a name for
a gun nut is Wayne La Pierre? Doesn’t that sound kind of fruity to you? “Hi,
I’m Wayne Crowley
-George Carlin-
***POST-SCRIPT***
Laughter is the best medicine and the same is true for
recovering from mental illness triggers. Remember that, folks.
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