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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter gave a detailed story and update regarding the Paige-Alberto Del Rio domestic violence saga. In the report, they gave several details about the incident at the airport, the reactions backstage to the two superstar's respective companies, and so much more.
Orlando police first made a statement regarding the incident:
There was an incident at the Orlando International Airport at about 3 p.m. Sunday involving Jose Rodriguez (DOB 5/25/1977). The reported incident was a domestic violence battery and is still under investigation. No arrests have been made as of this time, but the case remains open. That is all the information we have for release at this time."
Paige initially released a tweet saying that a woman had thrown a drink on Alberto after Paige received bad news from family and she tried to take a picture of her:
The woman in question reported to heavy.com and said that Paige's story was completely false. She told heavy.com that she tried taking a photo of a distraught Paige while she was on the phone, but Paige saw this and walked back into the airport restaurant that she was with Del Rio in.
Paige was then seen leaving the restaurant again, this time crying as she was being chased by Alberto, covered in liquid(she had thrown water on him reportedly). She jumped onto the tram and Alberto followed her. The woman stepped onto the tram too.
Paige was heard screaming "You’re such an abusive husband. I hate you. You’ve ruined my life. You’ve ruined my career."
On the tram, Alberto then said "Check her bag. She’s got all the coke in it. It’s all hers". This was the point at which the woman started recording the audio which was sent to TMZ.
He also reportedly made a derogatory remark against her family member who was ill, saying "I hope your f****ing uncle dies tomorrow". He was said to have grabbed her wrist because she was on the phone for so long, and this was the point at which she threw water and ran out.
Paige then gave a huge update on her supposed side to the story regarding the whole airport mess, trying to steer clear of it as soon as possible:
The Observer correctly noted that there are some, if not a lot of Paige's story which is untrue because Alberto is the one being investigated and not Paige.
As a result of all this, GFW has suspended Alberto Del Rio until the issue is resolved. The Observer noted that there was a mixed feeling backstage at GFW regarding the whole situation. It was a common feeling that a suspension is the way to go, as they would look terrible if he were to eventually be cleared of the charges. There were some from the office who wanted him gone, but realised that it isn't the best option at this very moment.
WON stated that TNA/Impact under Dixie Carter would mean that he would be able to get away with it easily, stating that wrestlers in the past have gotten away with drug failures, and also cited Kurt Angle's DUI situation where TNA didn't take action and send him to rehab until his second DUI.
The "old school" wrestling side of GFW apparently wants to cover up and overlook past indiscretions and protect their stars. They view Del Rio as a huge star who can help their ticket sales, TV deals and their reach, especially towards the Latin American/Hispanic community.
WON also stated that GFW sees the potential in signing Paige once her WWE contract expires. They reportedly view her as a potential huge star as well.
Jeff Jarrett on a conference call said that they won't be editing him off the upcoming episodes of GFW, as he's the central figure in the main event scene and the new LAX angle as well.
WON stated that WWE offered no comments when being asked about the situation regarding Paige.
A key person in GFW told The Observer: "Impossible to pull his stuff at this point. He’s in the main thread of all six weeks. This is a disaster."
The creative direction of the tapings was leading to him facing Low Ki for the GFW title on the 17th August episode.
Alberto is also the president of Combates America. WON noted:
Campbell McLaren, who heads Combate Americas, has been defensive of Alberto through almost every incident. His only comment about the incident was to say that Alberto was 'set up.'
It's no secret that Paige's family is dead set against the relationship. Her older brother Roy Bevis stated on social media that Alberto has been trying to prevent Paige from returning to WWE, which is why he publicly trashes them, like how he did on her Periscope live video a couple of times.
Roy also admitted that Alberto was physically abusive, having seen pictures. Her brother Zak Bevis wrote that Brad Maddox physically and mentally abused Paige as well, and now she's facing the same with Alberto. He requested her fans to show that they love her.
Author's Take
This entire situation has been nothing but a disaster. Hopefully, things work out and Paige is free and can return to WWE where she can once again showcase her talents and why WWE put so much faith in her during her early years with the company.
Our thoughts go out to Paige and her family as well for the tough time they're going through. Being in the public eye isn't easy, and she's undoubtedly gone through a lot this past year with injuries, suspensions, falling out with WWE, her never-ending series of incidents with Alberto and the supposed abuse she has gone through as well.
Hopefully, things work out for GFW as well. They put an immense amount of faith in Alberto and made him the central figure of their main event program there. It definitely must be a huge scramble over there now regarding what to do for the coming weeks and months.
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