Mauro Ranallo Misses WWE Smackdown Tapings Due To Flu

At Tuesday's Smackdown! tapings, new play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo was absent from his post. Instead, Michael Cole filled in, reuniting the Raw announce team of Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Byron Saxton. Many fans were nervous that this quick about-face signaled disaster for the WWE career of Ranallo, whose expert commentary has been seen as a breath of fresh air. It was especially disconcerting given that the usually Twitter-friendly broadcaster was silent in the face of fan questions regarding his status on Smackdown! Thankfully, Ranallo's position with WWE is safe. According to reports (and later, Ranallo himself via Twitter), the 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter TV Announcer of the Year was stricken with a case of the flu. He showed up to Tuesday's Smackdown! tapings in Ontario, CA willing to work, but when management assessed his condition, they decided he would be better served by going back home to get some rest. "The Voice of Smackdown!" thanked his fans for their concern and noted that he's "still in bed but getting better." Hopefully, the acclaimed announcer will be back at his post next week when Smackdown! hails from Indianapolis, IN.