JBL Responds To Bullying Story From Former WWE Employee, Mauro Ranallo - WWE Note
- Mauro Ranallo, who hasn't been on WWE television since missing the March 14th WWE television tapings, removed WWE from his Twitter description. His Twitter profile now reads, "SHOWTIME Boxing/@rutten_ranallo/ COMBAT SPORTS CAROUSEL/ Mental Health Advocate"
As noted, Ranallo is bipolar and his current absence is believed to be over tension with JBL after Ranallo tweeted out results of him winning the "Wrestling Observer Announcer of the Year" award for 2016.
- Justin Roberts' new book, Best Seat in the House: Your Backstage Pass through My WWE Journey, is available at Amazon.com for $19.52.
In the book, Roberts discussed being bullied by JBL during his time with WWE, including alleging that he would be scared to work SmackDown tours because he would be bullied by JBL and his friends the whole time. He claimed that JBL once asked the mother of a high school kid if "she had any children who weren't mentally disabled" after the child had dropped his index cards with notes while interviewing him. He also said that someone from SmackDown stole his passport on the final night of a U.K. tour and it was never returned.
"He [JBL] had a group," Roberts stated in a recent Reddit AMA. "He was like the leader, and he pretty much had a cabinet, just like on TV. They followed him and did what he asked. It was him vs. 'the new guys'
"He had taken my passport out of my bag, and the next tour I guarded it with my life. On the flight back, Orlando Jordan told me he would watch my back and I should go to the gift shop. I didn't take his advice."
JBL denied Roberts' claim about taking his passport, as seen below:
I won't answer Net rumors-but I didn't take Justin Roberts passport. Could have been anyone/he was hated by the whole crew. He's an idiot.
? John Layfield (@JCLayfield) April 7, 2017
Dan Adams contributed to this article.