WWE: Alberto Del Rio Departure Another Missed Opportunity

With his departure from the WWE after a recent suspension, Alberto Del Rio is another example of a missed opportunity in the WWE.

The news of Alberto Del Rio leaving the WWE after his recent 30-day suspension is another sad example of a good wrestler not reaching his full potential before his departure. This type of piece has been written in the past for a number of talents like Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and Ryback.

These types of columns are almost like obituaries for WWE careers that ended too soon or highlight things that weren’t accomplished. But Alberto Del Rio’s WWE run was different. He was able to accomplish things that other “future endeavored” superstars weren’t able to do. Alberto Del Rio won the world heavyweight championship.

Overall, Alberto Del Rio was seemingly the perfect package with decent skills on the microphone and a great technical style. Del Rio also knew how to annoy the heck out of you; whether it was stating that fact that “you already knew that” or was obnoxious enough to have a personal ring announcer introduce him before matches.

Alberto Del Rio had everything the WWE could want with a top heel. But his most recent run in the company that started last year saw the most improvement.

While Alberto Del Rio was not able to win a world title in his second stint in the WWE, he still had great matches. This includes the rivalry with Kalisto and the Money in the Bank ladder match in July. But WWE didn’t really do Del Rio any favors by placing him in a Mex-America storyline with Zeb Colter or as a member of the League of Nations faction – both fell flatter than pancakes.

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Fans can say that Alberto Del Rio didn’t get the proper booking or a good creative direction, but he wasn’t completely innocent either. Del Rio made some poor decisions. The most recent example was the failed Talent Wellness Program test that gave him the 30-day suspension. One can argue that he didn’t need to strike the WWE employee who made the negative racial comment – although one couldn’t blame him.

This is a situation where it felt like both sides benefit from a split. Alberto Del Rio will likely return to Mexico and continue to be a big star in the world of lucha libre. Don’t be surprised if he receives offers to go to Japan as well. Maybe we’ll see Alberto El Patron make a return in Lucha Underground in the fourth season.

It was highly unlikely fans were going to see Alberto Del Rio add to his four world heavyweight championship reigns he had from 2010 to 2013. But he was likely one of the many superstars who would have benefitted the most from the recent brand extension that sent him to SmackDown.

For now, wrestling fans will have to wait until the end of September to see if he will return to television with TNA or another major promotion.

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