Backstage News And Notes On Alberto Del Rio's WWE Return, Will He Finish Non-WWE Dates?

As noted, Alberto Del Rio made his surprise WWE return at Hell In a Cell last night and defeated John Cena to become the new WWE United States Champion.

Del Rio received a very good deal to return. There are conflicting reports on if Triple H contacted Del Rio or if Del Rio approached WWE but apparently Del Rio has been the planned opponent for Cena's US Open Challenge all along.

The deal to bring him back to WWE was reportedly done weeks ago but Del Rio was giving the impression that it wasn't done weeks ago. However, people in WWE have known he was coming in. Del Rio, the current AAA Mega Champion, will reportedly work other dates through the end of November but that also hasn't been confirmed. AAA officials reportedly didn't know about his WWE return until Sunday some time.

Del Rio's new WWE schedule is said to be easier than most talents but not as easy as Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker's schedules.

Alberto Del Rio Returns to WWE

WWE United States Champion John Cena had his US Open Challenge answered by Alberto Del Rio at tonight's Hell In a Cell pay-per-view in Los Angeles.

Cena's challenge was first met by Jack Swagger's theme song as Zeb Colter came out on a scooter. Zeb talked about how it was time for Cena to lose the title to someone who will do more with it than Cena ever did. He then introduced current AAA Mega Champion Alberto Del Rio.

The match ended clean with Del Rio capturing the WWE United States Title. This is his first run with the US Title.

I'm grateful for a 2nd chance to come back to @WWE #hellinacell and I'm happy to be performing again

— Alberto Del Rio (@VivaDelRio) October 26, 2015

Alberto El Patron Talks Working For Vince McMahon, The WWE Schedule, Lucha Underground, More

I spoke with Alberto El Patron last week, who did color commentary in Spanish for the new MMA series Combate Americas, which launched on NBC Universo last Thursday and will take place every Thursday. The series comes a year after the reality series became the first fight-themed program in history to win a major TV award - "Best Variety or Reality Show" - at the 29th annual Imagen Awards last August. Fighters from the reality series as well as new, up and coming Latino talent and established, free agents will be featured in the live event series.

Below is the second and final part of the interview. Click here for part one of the interview, where El Patron discussed his MMA background, why a potential fight with Bill Goldberg doesn't interest him, if he would be open to fighting CM Punk in the UFC and more.

You left the WWE on less than good terms after standing up for yourself [to an employee who made some racist comments]. Over a year later, has your relationship with them changed at all? Are you open to a return?

"Oh, we're good. We shook hands, we talked about what happened. They apologized, I apologized. We're good right now. I'm pretty happy with what I'm doing now. The schedule in that company is brutal. I was doing over 250 appearances per year, I was never home. At the moment, I'm working everywhere they want to see me, and I have the opportunity to spend time with my family. I get to enjoy my kids, I'm at home 4-5 days a week, I do 1-2 shows per week. I'm happy, I don't have plans to go back, but like they say, 'never say never.'"

There are a lot of guys like you and Batista who mention the schedule. If they fixed that, and gave a couple of periods [between pay-per-views] a year where guys could rest up, do you think that would improve morale?

"Of course. We would all be more healthy. There was no time for us to rest, because I was going back home a day and a half for almost seven years. That was the reason some of us were getting tired and hurt. If they made changes, it would help everyone and they'd all be happier."

What was your reaction when you found out the employee who made the racist joke had left the company?

"I knew he was going to be fired. After all this happened with them, we started to talk again. I apologized to them, and they told me they were going to fire him. I don't know why they let me go and kept this guy so long after all this happened. It is what it is, it's all in the past. I'm doing fantastic. I'm showing all my co-workers that if you have the talent, there's a place for you out there. You need to leave the WWE bubble for a while, because there's life after WWE. I'm showing everybody that you can leave, and you can make more money than WWE just showing up, and I'm working 1-2 shows per week for the same money."

Vince McMahon seems to be stepping his responsibilities down. What was it like working for Vince, and how do you see that and the business changing as Triple H assumes more of his responsibilities?

"Vince McMahon is a gentleman. I loved working for him. He was always nice to me, helping my improve my character, giving advice to me to be better. He's a great boss. I can't tell you how the business will change, because I haven't watched WWE since I left, not even five seconds. I'm not one of those guys that goes searching for information online to find out what WWE wrestlers are doing. I left that place, and I'm doing great. It's not that I don't watch because I have a problem with them, I'm just not interested in what they're doing. I prefer to spend those hours with my kids. "

You signed with Lucha Underground earlier this year. What's that experience been like?

"It's good. It's a new product. It's growing and getting more viewers every week. They have good talent, but they also have people that I have no idea why they're there. But that's the same story everywhere. I had the opportunity to work with one of my good friends, Johnny Mundo. We had the chance to work a great series of matches, and I really enjoyed it."

Have you heard anything about a second season of Lucha Underground? Would you be a part of it? [Please note that this interview was conducted before the second season of Lucha Underground was announced this week]

"I don't know if I'm going to be a part of it. They said they were going to start in the Summer, then June, then August, now I think they say December. I don't know what's going on over there. I have to talk to the people in charge, and I will be talking to them this week. We'll see what happens."

You had been approached by TNA last year as well. What made you decide to sign on with Lucha Underground over TNA?

"Money was better with Lucha Underground. At this point in my life, I have nothing to prove. I've proven to everyone I'm one of the best in-ring performers in the world. They know every time I'm in the ring I give more than 100 percent. At the end of the day, it's about money and Lucha Underground made me a nice offer."

Do you think it makes it hard for a new group like Lucha Underground considering there is so much WWE content out there?

"It's really difficult to compete with such a big and great organization as WWE. Lucha Underground has the right idea. Good talent, and if they keep doing things the way they started, they can grow and be an important organization in pro wrestling."

Which Wrestler Topped The 25th Annual PWI 500?, Full Top 10 Listing

The 25th annual PWI 500 is now available for download at pwi-online.com. Topping this year's list, for the first time, is WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, whose unexpected title win at WrestleMania, combined with several key victories throughout the evaluation period helped him lock down the number 1 position.

"Thanks @OfficialPWI for the number 1 spot," Rollins tweeted Thursday. "But let's be honest here...was there really ever a second option? Mwuhahahaha!!"

Rollins joins an elite group of wrestlers who have topped the PWI 500 since it debuted in 1991, including Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and, last year's top-ranked wrestler, Daniel Bryan.

Rounding out this year's Top 10:

2. John Cena, who achieved his 12th consecutive Top 10 ranking.
3. AJ Styles
4. Roman Reigns
5. Shinsuke Nakamura
6. Randy Orton
7. Jay Briscoe
8. Rusev
9. Alberto El Patron
10. Kevin Owens

The PWI 500 is compiled each year using criteria that includes win-loss record, championships won, quality of competition, major feuds, prominence within their individual promotion(s), and overall wrestling ability. The evaluation period was from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

The print edition of the 2015 PWI 500 hits news stands on Sept. 29, but the digital edition can be downloaded now for just $3.50 at pwi-online.com.

WWE Changes Contracts After High Profile Departures

After the recent situation with Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk, WWE has changed all performer contracts. The contract now say that if a talent is fired for disciplinary reasons, they forfeit all merchandise rights and can't work in pro wrestling or MMA for one year.

Alberto Del Rio Heading to ROH

Ring of Honor has issued the following press release:

Alberto El Patron Is Coming To ROH In 2015

The hottest free agent in the world makes his debut in the organization known for the best wrestling on the planet as Alberto El Patron debuts in Ring of Honor on January 3rd, 2015 in Nashville, TN.

Formerly known in WWE as Alberto Del Rio, Alberto El Patron is a former 4 time World Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment and the current AAA Heavyweight Champion in Mexico. Known for his brash demeanor, this Mexican aristocrat brings an attitude and desire to prove his greatness to Ring of Honor but how will that attitude mesh with the ROH stars?

One thing that is certain is Alberto’s credentials. A celebrated amateur wrestler in Mexico, Alberto has won numerous amateur championships and tournaments. In addition to his amateur accolades, Alberto has won numerous world championships in his home country of Mexico, including the CMLL Heavyweight Championship. But would you expect anything less given his bloodlines? Alberto is the son of legendary luchador Dos Caras and nephew of Mil Mascaras, continuing one of Mexico’s greatest wrestling legacies.

Upon signing with ROH, Alberto has requested that Ring of Honor matchmaker Nigel McGuinness challenge him with the very best that ROH has to offer, and many of the stars in Ring of Honor have already started making phone calls to Nigel to take on El Patron.

More?

Details Behind WWE and Alberto Del Rio's Legal Settlement

Alberto Del Rio and World Wrestling Entertainment have reached a confidential legal settlement concerning Del Rio's non-compete clause.

It is being said that both sides have agreed that Del Rio, real name Alberto Rodriguez, would make no further remarks in a negative manner about WWE, mainly concerning the allegation of racist jokes and insinuating insensitivity by those in power.

Rodriguez on Twitter put out a joint statement with WWE stating, “Following my departure from WWE, an understanding was reached with regards to my future booking opportunities. We wish each other well in our respective future endeavors.”

Another source close to the talks said that there was a last minute change to the agreement. At one stage, the joint settlement was expected to include a WWE apology for inappropriate remarks. The source said WWE agreed, but then in its written settlement agreement, took that out of the deal.

Rodriguez had done media interviews in Mexico, as well as the U.K., talking about racial jokes said by people higher up in WWE. These were claims supported by the original Sin Cara but said he didn't blame that for failing in WWE. Rey Mysterio has remained silent on the issue and recent reports suggest relations could be strained despite this.

Rodriguez said he was told WWE would hire him back after a period but Del Rio was not placated by a phone call with Triple H. Many WWE wrestlers are said to have gone to bat for Del Rio but it was Del Rio himself who declined to return.

Rodriguez was given a one-year, unpaid, non-compete term from the date of his firing. It was highly unlikely such a term, even with the slap being a contract breach, would have held up in court.

Rodriguez had wrestled for AAA and on independent shows in Mexico, as well as for Wrestle-One in Japan, even with the non-compete in effect, with the feeling it would be unenforceable outside the U.S.

It is believed the settlement includes an agreement he would not sue the company, that he would no longer publicly talk negatively about the company, and that the non-compete would be dropped.

Alberto Del Rio and WWE Reach A Joint Settlement

Alberto Del Rio and WWE have appeared to have reached a joint settlement in their on-going legal dispute over Del Rio's contract since departing the company several months back.

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion was released after an incident in which he slapped a WWE.com social media manager after the manager allegedly made a racist remark. WWE claimed Del Rio was in breach of his contract and tried to keep him from wrestling until August 2015.

The agreement reportedly means Del Rio can take bookings going forward with the understanding that neither he or WWE will disparage each other.

His new ring name will be "El Patron" (The Boss).

@VivaDelRio: I want to announce the following joint statement by me and the WWE... pic.twitter.com/tbk4dxUHN8

— Alberto El Patron (@VivaDelRio) November 10, 2014

Top WWE Executive Allegedly Makes Racist Remarks Around WWE Employees

Controversial WWE Employee Leaves The Company

WWE posted a job listing today for a new Social Media Manager. This was the job held by Cody Barbierri, the employee who had an altercation with Alberto Del Rio, leading to Del Rio's WWE release.

PWInsider has confirmed that Barbierri left WWE earlier this month. The details of his departure are not known yet. Barbierri worked with WWE since September 2012 and is now working as an independent social media consultant.

Fired WWE wrestler Alberto Del Rio reportedly gets non-compete clause thrown out to join Mexico’s AAA promotion

Alberto Del Rio fans can breath a sigh of relief. The ex-WWE superstar who was fired last month for reportedly slapping an employee over a racist joke, is set to wrestle again after getting a non-compete clause thrown out in court, WrestlingInc.com reports. The news first broke on the Spanish-language Web site SuperLuchas.net, which has been following Del Rio’s post-WWE career as he signed with the Mexican promotion AAA.

Speaking about the non-compete clause, Del Rio, now known as Alberto “El Patron,” told reporters (via SuperLuchas.net) at a press conference for an upcoming AAA event:

“It is unconstitutional that you cannot work… Thanks to lawyers and support of AAA, I can fight without any problems.”

The event, which will be El Patron’s debut with AAA, is set to take place on Sept. 14 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, Mexico. El Patron will team up with La Parka and Myzteziz to face Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Texano Jr. and Averno in the main event.

Top WWE Stars Reportedly Side with Alberto Del Rio, Will He Speak Out In the US Soon?, More

Alberto Del Rio will reportedly be doing media appearances in the United States soon to go into more details about what happened with his WWE departure. Del Rio's representatives have contacted indie wrestling promoters in the US and said that Del Rio will be taking bookings for autograph signings and matches in the US very soon because he doesn't feel that WWE's one-year non-compete that keeps him from doing MMA and pro wrestling, while not paying him, will hold up in court. Del Rio's asking price for indie bookings is said to be extremely high.

Del Rio has been upset about WWE's social media worker Cody Barbierri not being fired for the incident they were involved in but for legal reasons, hasn't been saying anything like that publicly. At first Del Rio was going to speak out in the US media but decided against it. Now, his lawyers have reportedly given him the green light to speak out in the US.

It was also reported by those close to the situation that when Triple H called Del Rio about the departure, he told Del Rio to keep his nose clean and when the heat died down, they would re-hire him in 6 months. Del Rio said he wasn't interested in coming back. Top stars including Big Show, Randy Orton and John Cena all told Del Rio that they would push for him to be re-hired because most of the locker room was sympathetic to what had happened. Again, Del Rio made it clear he didn't want to come back.

Alberto Del Rio Talks About Incident with WWE Social Media Worker, His Future, Vince, More

Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio recently appeared on Televisa's Primero Noticias in Mexico. Thanks to PWInsider for the following recap:

On being fired, Del Rio said there was an incident, an altercation with a WWE employee, that one day he’ll give all of the details on. Right now he’s assessing the best way to do so via legal means, so that everything he says isn’t used against him, since legal matters in the U.S. are handled differently than they are in Mexico.

He said there was an incident where he was offended, where he was completely the victim. He said WWE made a statement that he displayed unprofessional conduct, and that yes it’s true, that he smacked the WWE employee because as he always says, you can take away his job but you can’t take away his dignity and his pride, nor try to offend or humiliate where he comes from, which is of course Mexico, and he doesn’t forget his roots. This problem led to the termination of his contract with WWE.

The interviewer asked if ADR was the victim of racism. Alberto says yes, that there were comments this employee made, and that he admitted he reacted in an inappropriate manner. He said that he wouldn't advise anyone to conduct themselves in the manner that he did. He admitted that he "smacked" the WWE employee and that he is completely embarrassed by his own attitude and by his own reaction, but in that moment, he demanded an apology.

The interviewer interrupted ADR and asked what the employee said to him, Alberto says that part he’s gonna keep to himself for now. He said he's a few days away from being able to tell the world exactly what happened. He said that a lot of people know what happened because there were many people present there in the WWE catering area. The interviewer asks who else was there, Alberto says right next to him was Jack Swagger, one of the referees was behind him, people from the crew, etc. They were all eating in Laredo, Texas at a TV taping.

ADR said he spoke to Vince McMahon after the incident occurred and everything appeared to be fine. Interviewer backs up to the incident, Alberto says someone said something to the WWE employee, and when he responded to the comment, the response was directed at Alberto.

The interviewer asks if he’s had any incidents with this employee before and Alberto says yes. He said that "a while back" there was a time the WWE employee was pretending to read something on his laptop and said, “It says on here Alberto is a ‘tal por cual’ “ (Mexican slang for a slut) and that he tried to play it off like it was a joke and shake Alberto’s hand. Alberto refused and told the employee to get away from him. He said this incident occurred 7 or 8 months prior to the slap. So when this incident occurred recently, Alberto demanded an apology, but that the WWE employee walked right up to Alberto’s face, smirked at him and said nothing. That's when Alberto smacked him. Again, he said he is embarrassed by his reaction, but he doesn’t regret it. He said that yes, it cost him his job, but he thinks WWE is the one who loses the most in this situation.

The interviewer asks if it was another wrestler who he had this incident with, Alberto says no, that it’s their Social Media Manager. He says he never even knew this person's name until after all of this happened. WWE released a statement saying Alberto was fired due to unprofessional conduct, but he wonders why they didn’t mention there was an isolated incident that led to his unprofessional conduct.

Alberto said after the incident happened, Vince McMahon asked to speak to him. Alberto said that Vince himself told him that he understood where Alberto was coming from and why he was upset by the comment, because first he’s insulted and then after the insult the guy smirks in his face. Vince said that he understood ADR's reaction. Everything appeared to be fine after his talk with Vince.

ADR was suspended the next day, which he understood, but that for reasons WWE later decided, they changed their mind and was let go.

Alberto said Triple H called him Thursday morning and told him that it hurts WWE more because they’ve invested a lot of time and money into him, but that they need to let him go. Alberto told him that it was fine, and that once his release was made public AAA contacted him, Japan contacted him, some North American promotions as well.

Alberto said that he has not had any other conversations with WWE since his release, but that word got out of what happened from other people who witnessed the incident occur.

He said going forward, he’s using El Patron now since WWE owns “Alberto Del Rio” (his real name is Jose Alberto Rodriguez). They asked him if he’s going to sue WWE, he said he’s not sure. He said that the reason he went to a lawyer is because when he received his release in the mail, they mentioned he couldn’t wrestle in the United States for a year. ADR admitted he’s not fully familiar with the laws in the U.S. but he thinks it’s unconstitutional to prevent him from wrestling, since that’s how he makes a living and feeds his family.

Del Rio was asked if he wants to wrestle again in the U.S. He says no and that he was already considering not signing a new contract when his contract was up next February. He said he wasn’t sure if he was going to stay or go, so he’s not sure what would have happened, but unfortunately this incident happened which forced him out of the company. He spoke with his wife after he was let go and decided he wasn’t going to pursue legal action against WWE, but then he received his termination letter with the 1 year no compete clause and that changed everything.

Transcript of Alberto Del Rio's Promo at AAA TripleMania Last Night, Says Racism Is a Monster

Below is the English translation of Alberto Del Rio's promo at AAA's TripleMania event in Mexico last night:

"History will mark this day as the day that El Patron returned home. But the truth is, after listening to that grand reception, I don’t think El Patron ever left, because his heart belongs to you, it belongs to Mexico. A lot has been said about why I left, why I came back. Seven years ago I embarked on that dream, that adventure called America. And by suffering, blood, sweat and tears we showed North Americans and the entire world, that when you do things with heart, with passion, with love, and being humble under the eyes of God our Father, dreams do come true. Of course it wasn’t easy, and then came a day that the dream turned into a nightmare. Similar to many of you, or if not you, to family members of yours, who have gone to the other side looking for a better life for those that we love, I came across a monster, a monster called racism. Racism doesn’t distinguish sex, race, religion, color, it doesn’t care…if you have money, if you don’t have it. But this man that’s standing right here (points at his father Dos Caras), that has given me everything and has made me the person that I am, gave me the biggest gift a father can give his son – honesty and the spirit to triumph. He never lowered his head, so that I could learn to never lower it in front of anyone. I love you, Dad. In the U.S., they might be able to take my job, but they’ll never, ever take away my dignity and my pride. And on this night, my fellow Mexicans, I promise you and God that never again will someone come and disrespect my people, myself and all those that I love – because I am El Patron Alberto and I am Mexican ladies and gentlemen!"

Rumor Mill - Del Rio Reportedly Told by WWE He Was Being Suspended, More on Backstage Incident

As noted, WWE released Alberto Del Rio after he slapped WWE's Manager of Social Media Live Events Cody Barbierri at last week's TV tapings. Del Rio confronted Barbierri in catering for a remark that Barbierri made earlier. The story is that someone made a remark to Barbierri about not cleaning off his plate and as a joke, he said that was Del Rio's job. Del Rio was not there at the time but was told about it. When he confronted Barbierri, he told him he did not appreciate the racist remark and wanted an apology.

It was going around backstage that Del Rio "slapped the shit" out of Barbierri, knocking him to the floor, and Del Rio's release wasn't so much that he assaulted Barbierri but based more on how hard he hit him.

Del Rio was reportedly told after the incident that he was being suspended for a short time, until just past SummerSlam. There's a belief that Barbierri threatened to sue WWE and at that point, WWE felt they had no choice but to let Del Rio go due to legal reasons. Triple H called Del Rio on August 7th, letting him go and he was reportedly furious.

Rumor Mill - More on Alberto Del Rio’s Incident That Caused His Release From WWE, Identity of Employee Revealed

Rumors have been circulating ever since the news came out of Alberto Del Rio being released due to “Unprofessional Conduct.” It was revealed that Del Rio slapped a WWE employee and now it seems like the name of that employee has been leaked.

Ring of Honor founder and RF video own Rob Feinstein claimed that Alberto Del Rio slapped a member of WWE’s social media team this past week at WWE Smackdown television tapings. The claim was backed up by PWInsider.com and F4WOnline.com as well.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer noted that the name of the social media member that received the slap was Cody Barbierri. If you dig deeper into LinkedIn and Twitter, Barbierri is noted as WWE’s manager of social media live events.

A new report is surfacing that WWE’s social media manager was supposedly asked to wipe his plate clean following a meal in catering. He joked, saying that it was Del Rio’s job to clean the plate. This was perceived as a racist joke about Hispanics. Del Rio was told about the incident and confronted him. The individual, which appears to be Barbierri, did not apologize and smiled at him. This caused Alberto Del Rio to slap him in anger.

WWE's Twitter Puts Full Blame On Alberto Del Rio For His Release

The the official WWE Twitter account posted the following tweets this afternoon, which were retweeted by Triple H.

The first tweet notes that recently released Superstar Alberto Del Rio is "responsible for his actions" after it was announced he was let go by the company for unprofessional conduct.

According to a source, at the WWE SmackDown tapings on Tuesday in the catering area, somebody asked another person to clean off his plate. The person was said to be a WWE social media manager who joked something along the lines of how "That's Del Rio's job." Del Rio unhappy with this remarked confronted the person and allegedly slapped him across the face.

Strange...

Rumor Mill - More on the Alberto Del Rio Release

While details are still coming in from various sources and wrestlers, the story going around this morning is that Del Rio slapped a Social Media Manager at this weeks television (Likely Raw, since he wasn't on Smackdown).

The lead up to the confrontation started in catering, when sombody (assuming a catering staff member) asked the person (the Social Media Manager) to clean off his plate. The social media manager then joked about how that's "Del Rios Job".

Alberto found out and confronted him. The Social Media Manager didn't apologize and then smiled at him, so Del Rio slapped him.

Rumor Mill - Reason for Alberto Del Rio's Release

Rob Feinstein of RF Video wrote on his Facebook that Del Rio was involved in a backstage incident at the recent WWE TV tapings. RF claimed that Del Rio had words with an employee who works for WWE's social media department and allegedly slapped him. This should be taken as strictly rumor for now.

Alberto Del Rio Released

From WWE.com:

WWE announced the release of Alberto Del Rio due to unprofessional conduct and an altercation with an employee.

It would be remiss of us if we didn’t mention that Del Rio’s release doesn’t follow normal WWE protocol. First, the company is featuring it as a top story on their official website. Usually, they downplay releases and bury them in their “News” section. Second, they do not list his real name (Alberto Rodríguez) nor do they wish him the best in his future endeavors - an ongoing rib.

If Del Rio is really gone or if it’s part of some type of elaborate angle, he has not Tweeted about it. If it’s the former, his final bout with WWE was Tuesday night against Jack Swagger in Laredo, TX, in which he went under on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event. He was not used at this week’s Smackdown taping.