Below are some top WWE news stories of the day, involving JBL and
• JBL addressed longstanding allegations that he played a role in Mauro Ranallo’s 2017 departure from WWE’s SmackDown commentary team.
Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL denied the accusations, explaining that his comments on the WWE Network show Bring It to the Table were part of his “heel commentator” persona. In the segment, JBL mocked Ranallo for winning a Wrestling Observer award for Best Announcer, which aired shortly before Ranallo’s disappearance from television.
JBL emphasized that the remarks were scripted and not personal. He said, “I’m a heel commentator. The rant was a one hundred percent work about a poll I’d never even seen before. Certainly wasn’t upset about it.”
He also revealed that WWE conducted an internal investigation into Ranallo’s departure, which cleared him of any involvement. “WWE did a big, long study about why Mauro left, and from what they told me, my name was never mentioned,” JBL stated.
Ranallo, who has spoken openly about his mental health struggles, later returned to WWE for a brief period before moving on to other ventures.
WATCH: Sunny Exposes Her Buns Backstage:
• Maven reflected on his 2003 squash match against Triple H, recalling how The Rock supported him afterward.
Triple H, the World Heavyweight Champion at the time, dominated Maven en route to WrestleMania. In a recent YouTube video, Maven shared that The Rock pulled him aside after the match, expressing displeasure at how Maven was booked and criticizing Triple H’s handling of the situation.
The Rock told Maven, “Business has to be done a different way,” and promised they would work together upon his return. Though this never materialized due to The Rock’s extended absence from WWE, Maven appreciated the support and encouragement, noting how much it meant to him.
Maven later faced Triple H again for the World Title after Survivor Series 2004 in a more competitive match, marking a shift in his career trajectory.
Here’s what the inaugural Tough Enough winner said:
“Following this match, The Rock would actually pull me aside and just voice his displeasure. Tell me he didn’t just appreciate the way I was jobbed out, the fact that I was squashed, and said, ‘Business has to be done a different way.’ He didn’t appreciate, he didn’t like the way Hunter just pretty much used me.
I wasn’t in a position to where I could say anything. I was just happy to be on the damn show, but the fact that Rock took the time to tell me, ‘Hey, man, I don’t like what he did’.
Then he told me something. He said, ‘When I come back,’ and I don’t know where he was going, maybe he was filming a movie, doing something, he said, ‘When I come back, we’ll do something together.’ He was, he was trying to make things right.
Now, it never happened, and to be honest with you, I’m still waiting on it, but the fact that he took the time to pull me aside, and the mere fact that he was in my corner, rooting for my career, truly meant the world to me.”
