Alberto Del Rio recently appeared on ‘SmackDown’ to challenge John Cena. (WWE.com)
World Wrestling Entertainment has officially released Alberto Del Rio.
The WWE made the announcement on its website on Friday morning, writing that Del Rio and the company have mutually agreed upon the terms of his exit. Del Rio put out the following statement on Twitter shortly after the news was made official:
My business relationship with @WWE has come to an end in good terms…thanks for the opportunities they gave me.
Termine mi relación con WWE
At a press conference in Mexico City this afternoon, Del Rio said that he did not feel comfortable in the WWE recently. He says he asked to leave and the WWE granted his request.
Del Rio also revealed that he is in talks with several promotions but does not plan on being exclusive to one. He also does not want to wrestle more than 60 days out of the year, and he will retire in two years. As well, he is in negations to be president of an MMA promotion and a commentator.
This news comes at the end of several months of rumors about Del Rio’s future with the WWE. There have been many reports about backstage drama regarding the relationship between Alberto Del Rio and his girlfriend, fellow WWE superstar Paige. The company allegedly tried to force the couple to break up or they would be fired, and the desire to keep them apart probably explains why they were drafted to different shows, Paige to Monday Night Raw and Alberto Del Rio to SmackDown. The WWE has denied these reports.
Not long after those rumors came about, Del Rio’s name was removed from all upcoming WWE events.
As well, Paige has reportedly hired legal representation and is exploring options with her lawyers. Paige is contracted to stay with the WWE until 2019, making it a bit complicated for her to leave alongside Del Rio. Paige was present for the Friday afternoon press conference but did not address reporters.
The details have to be worked out, but it does seem like Paige is unlikely to return after her suspension ends. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently said that the fact that the news about Paige’s lawyers is out there at all likely indicates she is done with the company.
“And if she is done with the company, well, I mean, that’s gonna be tough,” Meltzer said. “…They’re probably trying to maneuver to where she can be released and she can work elsewhere, because she is under contract for a long time, and WWE obviously would probably not want her working the entire term of the contract.”
Alberto Del Rio and Paige were both suspended recently for violating the company’s wellness policy. The details of that situation are still unknown.
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