5 Things you did not know about Alberto Del Rio

Some facts about the former WWE superstar from beyond the ring.

I did it all for the money, Perro

Alberto Del Rio is one of modern wrestling’s most tragic stories, and biggest wasted opportunities. He was brought in with much pomp and fanfare, defeating John Cena upon his return at Hell in a Cell, to capture the U.S. Championship, only to be buried on television night after night. Many wrestling fans predicted his departure a long time ago, because of how he was being used on television.

His U.S. title run was a disappointment, his run in the League of Nations did not help things either and since then, he’s been at the bottom of the barrel. But the fact remains that Alberto Del Rio is one of modern wrestling’s most popular superstars and this piece is an attempt to get to know the man, beyond his accomplishments in WWE. Here are 5 things that you did not know about ‘The Pride of Mexico’- Alberto Del Rio. Read on, guys.

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5: Before Paige, Alberto Del Rio was dating Charlotte

Del Rio was caught between members of the women’s revolution

Charlotte was once married to Bram from TNA. But shortly following their divorce, Del Rio and Charlotte began seeing one another. It was a short-lived fling and Del Rio moved on to Paige. One speculates whether the Paige-Charlotte angle that happened in May stemmed from the fact that Vince McMahon likes to recreate real life angles on television.

Nothing much came from the angle, and there were cringeworthy moments such as using Charlotte’s brother Reid's death to get heat. In any case, it is firmly established that there's no bigger Ladies’ Man in the WWE than the Pride of Mexico, Alberto Del Rio.

4: Del Rio almost wrestled at the Olympics  

We're done with the Rio Olympics, so let’s talk about Del Rio’s Olympic story

What a lot of fans may not know is that Alberto Del Rio is not just a professional wrestler. He’s had quite an amateur wrestling background as well. And it wasn’t just a hobby for him, Del Rio was really good at it. In fact, he’s been a part of the Mexican national team and won several accolades and awards for his Greco-Roman wrestling skills over the years. Del Rio was placed 3rd in the World Junior Championships, in addition to victories in the Central American and Caribbean Games, as well as the Pan American Games.

Alberto Del Rio then set his eyes on the ultimate prize - The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. However, due to a lack of funding, Mexico did not send a wrestling team that year. One wonders if Del Rio would have won a medal if things had been different. Imagine a Kurt Angle-Del Rio feud on who was the superior Olympian in the wrestling world of today.

3: Alberto Del Rio hails from a prominent wrestling family 

My family tree has no woe 

 One could say that Alberto Del Rio had wrestling in his blood from the time that he was born. Hailing from one of Mexico’s most prominent sports entertainment families, Alberto Del Rio is the son of Don Caras, a world famous Luchador. And that's not all. Two of his uncles - Mil Máscaras and Sicodelico are Mexican wrestling legends in their own right. In fact, his brother Memo Montenegro was even signed to NXT but released soon after.

At present  even two of his cousins are part of the wrestling business. Professional wrestling is something Del Rio was born to do. It’s a shame that things had to end the way they did in WWE, but we’re sure he’ll move to greener pastures, as he’s in his prime right now.

3: He left WWE on bad terms in 2014 

Alberto Del Rio was fired for using Stephanie McMahon’s finisher- ‘The slap’

 Few years after winning the largest Royal Rumble in WWE history, Alberto Del Rio was fired for slapping a fellow employee backstage. We side with him in this case, Why? Because Social Media Manager Cody Barbierri had cracked a racist joke which instigated this action.

Apparently, he had said Del Rio needs to clean the plates in catering because he is Mexican. In fact, the same employee had cracked racist jokes about Del Rio before and tried to pass it off like it was nothing. Thankfully the employee is no longer employed by WWE. But sadly, neither is Del Rio. 

1: Del Rio has had an incredible MMA Career 

Del Rio is an expert at beating people up

Alberto Del Rio, much like Brock Lesnar, has had a storied career in professional wrestling, amateur wrestling, and Mixed Martial Arts as well. In fact, his MMA record stands at 9 wins and 5 losses after 14 fights. It’s unfortunate to see such an amazing talent leave the world’s largest wrestling empire. But we’re sure his career is far from over, perro.