COMPLETE STORY ABOUT ALBERTO DEL RIO AND WWE, AND HIS FUTURE !!

The former Alberto Del Rio, back to being Alberto El Patron, held a press conference in Mexico City on 9/9, while WWE announced that he was released from his contract with the promotion.

The sides had actually cut ties two weeks ago, but for whatever reason, WWE didn’t announce it yet. Part of it could have been unresolved issues involving Paige.

Paige was with Del Rio at the press conference but never spoke. At one point this past week she did quit WWE, but there were talks afterwards of attempting to mend fences and at press time things had been settled and she was scheduled to return, perhaps as early as the 9/19 Raw in Memphis, which would be after her 30 day suspension expired. In actuality, her return depends on her various injuries and there is no date scheduled as of yet, but that would be the earliest date possible. It was a touchy situation since a decision was almost made to fire Paige several weeks ago, to the point I was alerted about a firing to come on deadline, which was to be her, but at that point there was a change of heart. That was back during the week where several people had been let go and before the announcement of her Wellness policy failure. She had gotten legal representation this past week.

She posted a statement on 9/14 saying, “Let me begin by saying that the rumors I’m leaving the WWE are completely false! I certainly look forward to returning back to action at some point, once my injury is treated, and on a healthy return. Although I was disappointed by my suspension, I respect the WWE’s Wellness Policy. However, let me be clear that I was not suspended for failing a drug test, it was merely due to a procedural issue. I took the test, I passed it. I arranged said test to happen after I wasn’t at my home when Aegis contacted me. So I drove 200 miles to do it. Unfortunately, I didn’t do it in time, according to Aegis.”

The story those close to her were saying was that WWE went to drug test her at home and she wasn’t there, as she was in Texas at the time with Del Rio. When they couldn’t find her, the claim is that was considered a violation. She claimed that she did take the test, although that was said to be several days later, and passed that test.

As part of the agreement to allow Del Rio to get out of his contract slightly early, both sides had agreed not to disparage the other in public. The contract of Jose Alberto Rodriguez, 39, was to expire at the end of September and he’d already informed the company in June that he was not taking his option period. The contract, signed last September, but hidden from everyone until his debut at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on 10/17, was a multi-year deal, but he had the ability to opt out after one year if he gave the company written notice.

The notice allowed for a negotiations period, where he was offered more money in the form of being paid as a regular cast member of “Total Divas,” since Paige was a regular on the show. But he was unhappy with the schedule and travel already, plus he had major issues with creative. WWE is very sensitive, particularly now, with any charges of racial discrimination so it was important to get an agreement where he wouldn’t disparage the company.

At the press conference, Del Rio said that he had done everything he could in WWE, and said he was bored and unhappy, and hated getting on the plane every week. He claimed that his son once hid his bags so he wouldn’t leave. He said that was leaving to spend more time with his family and when asked, said he did not rule out some day returning to WWE. In later interviews, he said he had no interest in returning. Then again, when he was fired the first time, he said he would never return, and then did.

He said that he’s talked to both CMLL and AAA, but he will only work for a certain price point, which according to insiders who have been involved with negotiations with him, is about $4,000 per shot. At press time we’ve been able to confirm that CMLL, TNA, New Japan, AAA, Lucha Underground and ROH have made inquiries into booking him and Elite also has interest. He mentioned Elite I his Mexico press conference but said he had not talked with them. He said that he would like to return to Arena Mexico and he would also like to do tag team matches with his father, Dos Caras.

He noted, that like Cody Rhodes, he wants to be a freelance wrestler and not sign any exclusive contracts with anyone. There will be interesting political waters since up to this point, TNA, Lucha Underground and ROH have all wanted to have exclusive television rights in the U.S. of anyone they push.

ROH and New Japan are the least likely. ROH is less likely to pay the kind of numbers he wants, plus Roderick Strong, who he loved working with, is no longer with the company. According to those close to him, he enjoyed working with Strong a lot after making the deal to work ROH in 2014. But unless he were to get a big guarantee per show, that group is less likely. Because he doesn’t want to be away from his kids for a long period of time, he’s not open to doing a New Japan tour, but as far as doing a big show here and there, he’d be up for it. But that is unlikely to happen unless he also signs with CMLL. But CMLL is less likely to pay big money for match as compared to Lucha Underground. TNA in the past has wanted to build around him as the top star, but, like AAA, there are financial issues now where they may not be able to afford it but that depends on what kind of financial backing they can get for revitalizing the company if Dixie Carter sells.

He said that his plan is to do about 60 matches per year for the next two years, and then retire. He said he’s in negotiations to become the President or CEO of an MMA company. It’s known that he’s in negotiations with Campbell McLaren’s Combate Americas group, and had worked there as a television announcer before he went back to WWF in 2015. He’s made it clear at this stage he’s not interested in fighting, but Combate Americas has had interest in positioning him as the company’s public face.

He also has two significant television acting opportunities (one of which is a reality show) and will be opening up a restaurant in San Antonio called La Chilanguita, a Mexican family restaurant, on 9/28. His idea is to franchise Mexican family restaurants across the country, but that’s a very tough business.

Rodriguez never brought up the status of his girlfriend, nor both of them being suspended at the same time for Wellness violations.

In a later interview with Mas Lucha, Rodriguez claimed he failed his drug test and got suspended due to using testosterone replacement therapy prescribed by a doctor. We can confirm that Del Rio’s suspension was because he tested over the 6-1 allowable T:E limit and that he tested positive for a banned PED and not recreational drugs. He claimed the failure wasn’t fair but when you sign with the company you have to adhere to the rules. WWE had banned usage of any TRT back in 2007 except for those already under contract that were using it, and said they would not sign anyone new on it. Those rules may have been relaxed in recent years, but it’s not clear they’ve been for testosterone. There are TUE’s (therapeutic use exemptions) granted for some drugs in the policy but in all cases the WWE doctors have to be the ones to sign off on them and not outside doctors. It’s very easy for wrestlers to find doctors who will prescribe them anything in almost any dosages (Chris Benoit’s prescription for testosterone replacement therapy, which WWE approved of before cracking down although getting it from an outside doctor, saw him test at 59.6-1 and had roughly five times the normal amount of testosterone in his system at the time of his death). WWE had to combat that by not accepting prescriptions for banned medications from outside doctors.

He claimed his physical change was from hiring a nutritionist and noted he was in better physical shape at near 40 than he was at 20. He also said that he was happy he didn’t have to deal with a Wellness policy going forward.

In the same interview, he brought up Andrade Cien Almas in NXT, the former La Sombra, and said that he was his good friend and he wants to come back to Mexico. He said that others from Mexico have had problems getting over in WWE because they have to mentally completely give up the Lucha style and start re-learning, which he said he did, and you have to learn to do their style. He said Almas asked him of things get better once you get to the main roster, and he said he told him that actually, things then get worse.

Rodriguez claimed he recently had a discussion with his father about his life where his father asked him if he wanted to be a main event wrestler for his entire life, like his uncle (Aaron “Mil Mascaras” Rodriguez, one of the four biggest stars in the history of Lucha Libre), or if he wants to enjoy his life. Rodriguez said that he made the decision that he wants to enjoy his life.

The issue with him in wrestling is that it was very important for him to be on top. His qualms with Lucha Underground, besides some financial issues, were that he was promised he would be the top guy in the company, and while he was the highest paid, he didn’t believe he was pushed as the top guy. In WWE, he signed a major contract, and was in line to make more next year as a “Total Divas” cast member, but wasn’t happy with how he was being used creatively. While his ROH tenure ended exactly as agreed to by both sides, he’s essentially walked away four times, twice from WWE (the first time he was fired but he was promised they’d bring him back in a few months and he said that he was never coming back unless he was hired back immediately, which he later rescinded many months later), and once each with AAA (which did push him to the top as he was their mega heavyweight champion when he signed with WWE) and Lucha Underground.

Rodriguez as a general rule is charging $4,000 for independent dates but there are different arrangements being made depending on the company. Because of the political situation involving New Japan, CMLL and AAA, if New Japan gives him a strong enough deal, that would mean he’d end up with CMLL and not AAA. Elite is still working as far as wrestlers go with CMLL.

It was also announced that he and his brother, Guillermo Rodriguez, who is known in Mexico as El Hijo de Dos Caras, would be working a show for Paige’s families’ WAW (AWA promotion in Norwich, England, against Zack & Roy Knight, who are Paige’s two older brothers. In addition, Wrestle Culture Pro Wrestling, also in the U.K., announced that he would be appearing at their tapings on 9/15 at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. He’s also replacing Rey Mysterio Jr. on a 9/24 show in Tijuana teaming with Jeff Cobb against La Mascara & Rush in the main event. CMLL was going to pull all of its talent from the Tijuana show and not allow them to work for the promotion if Mysterio Jr. worked the show, since they claim he is a AAA wrestler. The promotion booked Mysterio on the same show with CMLL talent with the idea that Mysterio is no longer under contract to AAA, and is an independent, but he did work TripleMania and does have another AAA booking coming up. Del Rio also has an announced 10/12date in Yakima, WA at the Sun Dome against Mysterio Jr., for the debut of the Lucha Ilimitado promotion. He claimed he’s got 35 dates booked between now and the end of December.