http://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending-now/wwe-blasted-with-bullying-accusations_/510956665World Wrestling Entertainment, the largest pro wrestling company in the U.S., has been dogged by accusations of bullying over the last week after the sudden departure of a popular television announcer and a book published by a former ring announcer.
Mauro Ranallo, who announced ice hockey, mixed-martial arts and boxing before being hired by WWE in 2015, was missing from a broadcast of WWEs Smackdown Live on USA Network several weeks ago. Ranallos broadcast partner, John Layfield, blasted Ranallos absence on Twitter, saying weather wasnt an excuse because the rest of the crew made it to the arena. He later deleted the tweets. Layfield made negative mention of Ranallo during the broadcast.
Ranallo, who in the past suffered from bipolar disorder, was dealing with depression according to an exclusive report from Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, who broke the story in his weekly newsletter. Layfield also blasted Ranallo during a non-character interview segment on the companys streaming service, WWE Network.
Ranallos situation gathered more attention after the recent release of a book by former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts called Best Seat in the House.
Roberts wrote about being bullied constantly by Layfield, including him asking two wrestlers to steal his passport while WWE was on an overseas tour. He was later teased about the incident by WWE owner Vince McMahon after a meeting. After Layfield denied the allegation on Twitter and referred to Roberts as an "idiot, former WWE wrestler John Hennigan told the website Deadspin the incident happened. In an interview with writer David Bixenspan, Hennigan said he and his tag partner were asked by Layfield to take Roberts passport while on board a plane. Hennigan said they took it because of previous bullying they had suffered at the hands of Layfield and fear of reprisal if they didnt.
After Roberts book was released, Meltzer said he was contacted by 15 former WWE employees who said they were bullied by Layfield, and was approached by more in Orlando during WWEs Wrestlemania event last weekend.
They like humiliating people, Roberts wrote in his book, quoted by Bixenspan of Deadspin. They like laughing at people. The way wrestling is entertainment to us wrestling fans, humiliating people was just entertainment to the bosses.
Layfield is a former wrestler and a noted stock expert who regularly appears on Fox News business programming. He has been a subject of controversy in the company for years for bullying and using real punches and kicks in the ring against wrestlers who were below his level in the company hierarchy.
Numerous wrestlers have spoken out about Layfield after they left WWE. YouTube has dozens of interviews where former performers discuss harassment, bullying and taking real blows from Layfield while wrestling him in supposedly choreographed matches.
CBSSports.com reported Ranallo is not expected to appear again on WWE television. He also deleted all mentions of WWE from his Twitter account. He will remain the lead play-by-play commentator for Showtime boxing.
https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/04/11/mauro-ranallo-jbl-wwe-bullyingThough the situation remains clouded in speculation, some certainties do exist. The problem of hazing and bullying in wrestling does not start nor end with Layfield. His dismissal from the company, which is inevitable only if corporate sponsors call for it, will not change a culture and climate that has existed for decades.
Eric Bischoff, who was WCW president at the peak of the companys success, was asked how he would have handled the situation as an executive.
My time as an executive was 20 years ago, said Bischoff. Our society has changed so much that its hard for me to imagine how I would handle it in todays environment. I cant speculate.
Bischoff explained that he does not have first-hand knowledge of the Ranallo-Layfield situation, yet he did offer to speak to the way he was treated while he was in WWE.
If anybody deserved to be treated badly, it was probably me, but I was treated professionally and with respect, said Bischoff. I wasnt always comfortable. Not everybody liked me, not everybody wanted me around, but I know that I was always treated respectfully by everybody I came across in WWE, including Vince McMahon and JBL. Everything else is speculation, interpretation, and digital chatter, and I refuse to participate in it.
Matt Striker, who worked for WWE as a wrestler and a broadcaster, and is now the lead play-by-play man for Lucha Underground, was asked his perspective on the alleged issue between Ranallo and Layfield, as well as whether hazing is a widespread problem in pro wrestling locker rooms.
"First and foremost, I dont think anyone is qualified to speak about what is going on unless you have a first-hand, eye-witness account, said Striker. Number two, is hazing a thing in the wrestling locker room? First, you have to define hazing. I played organized sports my entire life, and I understand the stigma surrounding wrestling.
People also have to understand, in a time forgotten, wrestling was a bastion for the real tough man, the alpha man. Now, and its happening in society everywhere, the betas are trying to declaw the alphas to level the playing field.
Layfield has also been a newsworthy subject as former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts new memoir shares his memories of allegedly being bullied by Layfield. Over the years, many wrestlersincluding Mark Henry (Authors note: Mark Henry link includes foul language) and Matt Hardyhave discussed JBLs penchant for hazing, which is deeply entrenched in the business of professional wrestling.
Whats really at issue is here is the culture clash, said Striker. Its between the outside world, especially in pro wrestling, and how the doors have been blown off the locker room for almost 20 years now. There is a guard that does not like that, so its all perspective.
Go ask someone who was in the business 70 years ago about bullying and then come ask me, and even Ill say, I barely have a toe in the pool of the business. You might say, What do you mean? Youve been around 20 years. But I didnt go 60 minutes with Ric Flair in Greensboro. I didnt travel down the road and share a locker room with Harley Race. Its a different time.
Sports Illustrated spoke with twelve former WWE wrestlers who declined to speak on the record. Alberto El Patron, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio, voiced support for Layfield as a friend, yet admitted that he could not speak to the current controversy with Ranallo.
I know I had a lot of beef with some of the people in that company, and I can say that I hate some of the people in that place, but JBL was not one of them, said El Patron. He was always fantastic to me and he always treated my family with respect, so I have nothing but respect for JBL. But with all honesty, and I swear on my kids life, I dont watch the product at all, I dont follow, so I dont know what the situation is with JBL.
Ranallo has yet to speak out in regards to his absence from WWE television. Neither Vince McMahon nor Layfield have offered any official statement, and WWE has no plans to punish Layfield or remove him from his position. For now, the story which still has more questions than answers remains under review.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCir...ome_of_the_bullying_listed_in_justin_roberts/Highlights of Justin Roberts' book:
- Someone from Smackdown stole Justin's passport from his bag on the final night of a tour to the UK. It was never returned. He had to go to the US embassy in London to get it reissued. "Stealing a passport out of someone's bag is a pretty evil rib and not giving it back means it's no longer a rib".
- When they were in Japan on a tour, there was two tour buses - faces and heels. "Bradshaw had both buses pull over". They wouldn't move until Justin was moved from the face bus to the heel one. JBL and his cronies then bullied Justin for the entire journey. "I was very comfortable working the RAW tours. I was scared for my life to work SmackDown tours".
- "JBL would throw my bags down the street...he typically referred to me as dipshit and numbnuts despite my always trying to do a great job...every day I saw him, he asked me why I was still alive and told me to go kill myself".
- JBL was being interviewed by a high-schooler and, after the kid dropped his notes, Bradshaw asked the mother if "she had any children who weren't mentally disabled".
- HHH had a thing about trying to pull down Justin's pants
- Jaime Noble and Chris Benoit once tackled Justin down to the ground in the airport and put him in a double crossface. He tapped instantly but they refused to release him. He could barely walk for days afterwards.
There's more - plenty more, especially about JBL - but I don't want to spoil his whole book.
In among that, people like William Regal and the Coach come across really well. Regal gave his phone number to a very young Justin, long before he ever got to the WWE, and told him to call if he wanted help. What a guy.
Batista also sounds like a lovely chap, and Jericho. Justin's father had cancer and Batista/Jericho/Coach all called to check on him.
He says a lot of the SmackDown problems changed when the crews joined up with ECW and Tommy Dreamer came on board. Dreamer, let's say, put a few people in their place.
The dark and light of Benoit is really there, too. He bullied Justin but then, at the same time, he would call Justin's father to check in (genuinely) about how the cancer treatment was going.
Again, I'd really recommend the book...but, man, the WWE sounds like it was (is?) a hard place to work. As for JBL...
Thought this warranted a little more attention in the OT. Fans are calling for WWE to punish JBL, but given how entrenched he and the culture he's associated with are within the WWE, I doubt anything will happen, unfortunately.
