What’s the Story?
Former WWE and Lucha Underground superstar Alberto Del Rio was on the radio show Busted Open with Dave LaGreca and Larry Dallas on Sirius XM Rush Channel 93 and talked about his WWE experience.
The former WWE Champion discussed his role in the company and that he felt he was the WWE’s biggest representation of the Latin Culture. Transcriptions by Wrestling INC.
"To be honest, I think they need me more than I need them. That's the reason they didn't want me to leave, because they don't have anyone to represent the Latin culture, the Latin market in the company."
In Case You Didn’t Know
Del Rio joined the company in 2010 and would stay with the company until a racial incident led to his release in 2014. He would wrestle for Lucha Underground and AAA after his release, but he would return to the company at the 2015 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view where he defeated John Cena for the United States Championship.
He would stay with the company until September 2016 when he requested an early release from his contract. Since that time he has wrestled for the World Wrestling Council (WWC) and What Culture Pro Wrestling and even became the President of the Mexico-based MMA franchise Combate Americas.
He developed a relationship with current WWE star Paige that went public back in May of 2016 when a photograph of the two arm-in-arm from Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park surfaced. This relationship went to the next level when Paige proposed to Del Rio at a WWC show.
The Heart of the Matter
Del Rio also stated in the interview that his main goal is to pursue happiness and that he did not enjoy working for the WWE in his final months with the company.
"I was getting up every single morning to fly out from San Antonio to wherever we were having the show, and I was just like a little kid on the side of the bed thinking, 'oh my God, I have to go to that place again?' I was miserable so I talked to my dad, who said, 'listen. If you have the power to change the situation and you don't do it, then I'm not being too smart with you.' After that conversation with my dad, I called [WWE] and said, 'I'm done.
Del Rio also discussed the Lucha Libre style in WWE and how his wish to see more of it integrated into the product was another reason why he left the company.
“That's a reason I left the company," Del Rio said. "I wasn't happy. Thank God, I saved my money, I invested my money and I got to the point where I don't need them. They don't need me, I don't need them.”
What’s Next?
Del Rio has proven to be success both in and out of the WWE, but he seems to have no desire to ever return to the WWE.
With his responsibilities as the President of Combate Americas, his wrestling career, and his relationship with Paige, Del Rio seems to be satisfied with where he is in life and there’s no reason for him to return to the WWE.
Sportskeeda’s Take
No one can blame Del Rio for not wanting to return to the company after they diminished his character over the years. He started out great with World Championship wins and major feuds with top stars like John Cena, CM Punk, and others, but would slowly fall back down the ladder. His return in 2015 would result in the exact same circumstance as his first run, but with a worse position as a wrestler in the League of Nations.
Del Rio has a lot of things going for him and seems to have no troubles after leaving the WWE so don’t expect Del Rio to return in anytime soon like he did in 2015.
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