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Mauro Ranallo Calls the Corey Graves Incident ‘A Blessing in Disguise,’ Publicly Thanks Graves, Explains Why He Quit Social Media

January 30, 2020 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
Mauro Ranallo NXT WWE Image Credit: WWE

TSN 1040 recently interviewed NXT announcer Mauro Ranallo. During the interview, he was asked about Corey Graves’ public criticism of him on Twitter during the NXT TakeOver broadcast on Survivor Series Weekend. Below are some highlights.

Ranallo on his struggle with mental health: “Thankfully, I believe we are starting to do much better than any other time in our history. And yet, there is still so much work to be done, and it is emboldening and heartening to me — it’s almost been two years since I released my story, the documentary Bipolar Rock n Roller. And to this day, and almost everyday, whether it’s in my pro wrestling excursions, Showtime Boxing, Bellator MMA, or in my everyday life, the amount of people who still come up to, and whether I’m calling major championship matches or whatever, the story is always about mental health. And that to me is the legacy I want to leave behind, so I’m really grateful and blessed. And yet, I can share with you guys as well, that the last year for yours truly has maybe been one of the hardest that I’ve had to endure because of my mental health and because of the increase in my schedule, and maybe even the simple fact that I’ve now turned 50. It’s a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, 52-week-a-year condition. And that’s something that the stigma still attaches itself to. People don’t realize that this is chronic. There is no cure. I am working diligently and spending way too much money in therapy and other resources trying to simply stay alive.”

Mauro Ranallo on the Graves incident: “It was a blessing in disguise. I have nothing really to say about Corey Graves or anyone else in my professional existence in the sense that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Everyone is able to critique everyone the way they would. I would never do something like that to a co-worker, but that has been addressed. And if anything, I publicly thank Corey Graves because he was the straw that broke the proverbial back in terms of my social media activity, and I will say here and now, I have deactivated all of my social media since November. And I would implore everyone *laughs*, especially those with mental health issues, [to do the same].”

Mauro Ranallo on the problem with social media: “Social media is so dangerous to those of us with mental health conditions, and I know in the media and in our everyday lives now people are being hired and fired by their social media followings or the amount of information they post or how popular they are. I think it’s a disease, so out of that situation, with my colleague, I am no longer on social media, I will never get back on social media. And I can’t tell you how many people, how many kids, just how many individuals in general just reading research and everything else, there was nothing beneficial to me as someone who is dealing with bipolar disorder or any other mental health issue. The anxiety that social media creates, the false sense of whatever it is, you put on your best face, the perfect photos, the amount of depression that stems from social media, the envy, the anxiety.”

“So, if anything, it was a benefit to me. I always try to look at the positives of negatives that we always endure. So for me, it just allowed me to unhook myself from the social media aspects of life, where I found myself doing way too much, and it ate up way too much of my time. And again, being in the media, being a sports commentator for combat sports, what have you, I’m following everything as much as I ever did. I know as much as I ever did. So, if anything, to everyone, if you suffer from mental health issues, I would severely decrease if not deactivate social media. And I want to bring it up, the tragedy of Kobe Bryant, as we saw on Sunday, the fact that there was so much misinformation shared immediately on social media, whether it was in relation to Kobe’s Canadian basketball alum, Rick Fox, or his entire family. So, this is just a microcosm of a much more serious issue. My therapist and my support network have noticed a change in me, so again, I know how important it is for a lot of people in terms of their job. But I said a big F-U to social media, and I wish I would’ve done it a lot sooner.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit TSN Vancouver 1040, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.