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José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
,
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
promoter,
sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
, and
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
, currently signed to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) as a commentator. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his time in
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
under the ring name Alberto Del Rio, and
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
under the ring name Alberto El Patrón. Before working for WWE, Rodríguez used the name Dos Caras Jr. as both a mixed martial artist and
luchador Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
in mostly Mexico and Japan, achieving success in
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
(CMLL) by winning the
CMLL World Heavyweight Championship The CMLL World Heavyweight Championship ( es, Campeonato Mundial de Peso Completo del CMLL) is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship established in 1991 and promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). CMLL introduced the ...
once. Rodríguez signed with WWE in 2009 and made his debut on their main roster the following year as Alberto Del Rio. In WWE, he became the first
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
-born world champion in WWE history after he won the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
and the World Heavyweight Championship twice each. He also won the 2011 Royal Rumble and the 2011 Money in the Bank ladder match, making him the only professional wrestler to win both in the same calendar year. Rodríguez departed WWE in 2014 and wrestled as Alberto El Patrón in other promotions such as
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its or ...
(AAA),
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH),
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
, Japanese and Puerto Rican promotions, and various United States independent promotions. In AAA, he won the
AAA Mega Championship The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the Englis ...
once. He returned to WWE in 2015, winning the United States Championship twice, before departing again in 2016. He subsequently signed with
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
and won the
Impact World Championship The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional w ...
title at Slammiversary XV. In professional wrestling he is the only man in history to have been WWE, (WWE) World Heavyweight, Impact World, GFW Global, AAA Mega, and CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.


Family and early life

Born in
San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
into one of the most well known Mexican wrestling families, his father is noted luchador
Dos Caras José Luis Rodríguez Arellano (born February 21, 1951) is a Mexican '' Luchador Enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) who wrestles under the ring name Dos Caras (Spanish for "two faces"). His most active years were in the 1970s and 1980 ...
, while his uncles are
Mil Máscaras Mil Máscaras (born Aarón Rodríguez Arellano, July 15, 1942) is a Mexican luchador (professional wrestler) and actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of the lucha libre tradition in Mexico – along with El Santo and Blue Demo ...
and Sicodelico. His cousins,
Sicodelico Jr. Aaron Rodríguez (born June 13, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Sicodelico Jr. Rodríguez is the son of Sicodelico and the nephew of Mil Máscaras and Dos Caras, and the cousin of Alberto Del Rio (Dos Car ...
and Hijo de Sicodelico, are also wrestlers. His younger brother
Guillermo Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People *Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player *Guillermo Ar ...
signed a WWE contract in August 2012 and was assigned to the promotion's developmental territory
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
under the ring name Memo Montenegro, but was released in July 2013. Rodríguez graduated from
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí The Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí (in es, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, UASLP) is a public university in Mexico. It is the largest, oldest, and most comprehensive university in the state of San Luis Potosí, as well as ...
where he earned a degree in
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
.


Amateur wrestling

Growing up in a family of wrestlers Rodríguez decided to take up
Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...
, training under Leonel Kolesni and Juan Fernández. He earned a place on the Mexico national team in Greco-Roman wrestling and while competing on the national team obtained several accomplishments. In 1997, he placed third at the World Junior Championships, in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. He also won the
Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for countries in Cent ...
in his weight division three times and won a medal at the
Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
. Rodríguez was on track to compete at the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, but due to a lack of funding and support, Mexico did not send a wrestling team that year.


Professional wrestling career


AAA (2000–2002)

After not competing at the 2000 Olympic games, Rodríguez turned to the family business, and trained with his father to become a professional wrestler. He made his debut appearance on 9 May 2000 as Dos Caras Jr. when he ran in during an
AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...
(now known as Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide) show to save his father from a beat down from
El Texano Juan Conrado Aguilar Jáuregui (November 26, 1958 – January 15, 2006), better known by his ring name El Texano, was a Mexican ''Lucha libre, Luchador'', or Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, ...
and
Pirata Morgan Pedro Ortiz Villanueva (born July 29, 1962) is a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, and wrestling trainer who is best known under the ring name Pirata Morgan. Ortiz made his professional wrestling debut in 1979 and has in the last 20 ye ...
. Over the next couple of years, Caras worked both in Mexico and Japan to gain experience in the ring. In Mexico he worked exclusively for AAA making appearances at shows such as the 2002 ''
Verano de Escándalo Verano de Escándalo (Spanish Language, Spanish for "Summer of Scandal") is a major annual professional wrestling event in Mexico promoted by the Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA) promotion. The show is as the name indicates a summer show, traditi ...
'', where he teamed with El Gronda and El Hijo del Solitario to defeat the trio of Pirata Morgan, Sangre Chicana and
El Brazo Juan Alvarado Nieves (July 30, 1961 – October 15, 2013) was a Mexican Luchador (professional wrestler). He was best known under the ring name El Brazo (Spanish for "the Arm"), which he used since his debut in 1980. Alvarado was part of the Al ...
.


Japanese promotions (2001–2004)

Rodríguez's first foray into
puroresu is the predominant style of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of , which is shortened to puroresu. The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu Tanabe's act ...
was in 2001 for the
Battlarts , more commonly referred to as simply Battlarts was a professional wrestling promotion based in Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan. The promotion was formed in 1996 by Japanese wrestler Yuki Ishikawa and featured all of the wrestlers from the Fujiwara Gum ...
promotion, where he defeated Kazunari Murakami at the YUKI-BOM-BA-YE event. Rodríguez returned to
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
the following year wrestling for
Pro Wrestling Zero1 (stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
(Zero1) and
All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
(AJPW). After wrestling for Zero1 primarily throughout 2002 and 2003, Rodríguez joined Hustle, debuting on their inaugural Hustle 1 event. He would continue to wrestle for Hustle under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
s Dos Caras Jr. and Hustle Kamen Gold until October 2004.


Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2005–2009)

In 2005, Caras was signed to a contract with
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
(CMLL). In his first test in the company, Caras competed in the 2005 ''
La Copa Junior The Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) has held the La Copa Junior ("The Junior Cup") tournament on an infrequent schedule since 1996. The tournament pays respect to the fact that wrestling is a family t ...
'', but the storyline of the tournament saw him defeated in the semi-final by
Dr. Wagner Jr. Juan Manuel González Barrón (born August 12, 1965) is a Mexican ''luchador'' (Spanish for "professional wrestler") who is best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner Jr., having used that name since 1987. He is the son of Manuel González Rivera ...
Caras's advancement to the semi-final of the cup, mere months after signing with the company was an indicator that the bookers were interested in elevating him up the rankings, this was further supported when he received matches for both the
CMLL World Heavyweight Championship The CMLL World Heavyweight Championship ( es, Campeonato Mundial de Peso Completo del CMLL) is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship established in 1991 and promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). CMLL introduced the ...
and the
CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship The CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (''Campeonato Mundial de Peso Semicompleto del CMLL'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) since 1991. As it is a ...
inside a three-week period. The following year on 31 March 2006 Caras was entered again into the ''La Copa Junior'' tournament and earned a return victory over Dr. Wagner Jr. who knocked him out of the tournament the previous year. He also won against Heavy Metal and
Apolo Dantés José Luis Amezcua Muñoz (born September 28, 1968) is a Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, best known by his ring name Apolo Dantés. He is the son of Alfonso Dantés, a successful and respected ''luchador' ...
to gain a place in the final, defeating
Héctor Garza Héctor Solano Segura (June 12, 1969 – May 26, 2013) was a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Héctor Garza. During his career he worked for various major Mexican professional wrestling promotions such as Consejo ...
to win the prize. While working in Japan, Caras had taken to teaming with another second-generation wrestler,
Lizmark Jr. Juan Carlos Baños (born October 16, 1972) is a Mexican professional wrestler or "Luchador" known as Lizmark Jr. or El Hijo de Lizmark (The Son of Lizmark). Baños previously worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and AAA. Lizmark Jr. works as ...
, and when both found themselves in CMLL they were teamed up once again with the team's famous fathers being the selling point. Over the next year Caras found himself without much direction, he worked storylines with
Último Guerrero José Gutiérrez Hernández (born March 1, 1972), better known by his ring name Último Guerrero (Spanish for ''Last Warrior''), is a Mexico, Mexican (or Professional wrestling, professional wrestler), who works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Li ...
and
Kenzo Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion in the lat ...
but nothing long term came of it. Caras received two opportunities to challenge
Universo 2000 Andrés Reyes González (April 18, 1963 – May 1, 2018) was a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, who was best known under the ring name Universo 2000. Reyes made his professional wrestling debut in 1985 and worked for Consejo Mundial de ...
for the CMLL World Heavyweight title but came up short until his third attempt on 8 July 2007 when he became the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. While in wrestling promotions outside of Mexico the Heavyweight title would indicate that he was the top man in the federation, Mexican wrestling promotions tend to put more emphasis on the lower weight divisions over the heavyweights. After the contract dealings with WWE surfaced he began showing signs of becoming a ''rudo'' (villain). He turned his attention away from the matches and instead try to win the approval of the fans, often costing his team the match because he was distracted. Caras himself explained this behavior by stating that he "hurt his shoulder, but bravely stayed in the arena". After hinting at a change for weeks Caras finally cemented his villainous persona on 11 April 2009, the second member of the Rodríguez family to be a heel (after his uncle, El Sicodélico Sr). Caras's run with the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship remained largely uneventful with only four title defenses in the 533 days that he held the championship, before losing it and departing for WWE.


World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE


Contract negotiations (2008–2009)

By the fall of 2008, a story broke that Rodríguez had wrestled a dark match for
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWE) and that they had offered him a contract. Over the following months conflicting reports of whether he had signed or not arose, but he remained CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. When he lost the title to Último Guerrero it was believed that he had indeed signed with WWE, with him being rumored to be a surprise participant in the 2009
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
. However, he remained with CMLL and stated that he signed a four-year deal and chose CMLL because they offered him a better deal than WWE.


Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2010)

On 17 June 2009, Rodríguez confirmed that he had signed a three-year contract with WWE, stating that he would not have to go to
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW), WWE's
developmental territory In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, but directly to the main roster. Furthermore, he would retain the rights to his name, mask and image, but allow the WWE to use it for promotional purposes while he is under contract with them. He agreed to the contract since it addressed the main reasons why he turned down the WWE's offer in January 2009. Despite his claims, he had a match with
Kris Logan Brian Christopher Button
at FCW under the name Dos. He later also went on to wrestle under the ring names Dorado and El Dorado. During a segment on the
Abraham Washington Brian Bary Jossie (born February 2, 1978), better known by his ring name Abraham Washington (abbreviated A. W.), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manag ...
show at the 6 August taping, Rodríguez revealed a new, unmasked wrestling character named Alberto Banderas. When he revealed his face, he was criticized by some Mexicans for revealing, to which he responded that only a few people know why he lost the mask in that way. During WWE's ''WrestleMania Revenge'' tour of Europe in April 2010, he made numerous appearances in untelevised matches for the Raw brand. One night he wrestled as Dos Caras, but he did not wear his mask. He was presented as a villain in a losing effort against
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. The following month Caras put his mask back on for WWE's tour of Mexico and worked as a hometown hero, prior to returning unmasked during untelevised matches for subsequent ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown'' shows. Later, Rodríguez said that he hated his time in FCW, but that he learned a lot.


Early feuds (2010–2011)

On 25 June 2010, episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', Rodríguez appeared on a taped promotional video as the unmasked Alberto Del Rio. Thereafter, a vignette aired every week on ''SmackDown'' promoting his character as an arrogant rich Mexican aristocrat, espousing his own virtues of honesty, integrity and mental faculties. After two months, Del Rio wrestled his first match at a house show in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Australia and a week later, he made his television debut on the 20 August episode of ''SmackDown'' by defeating
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...
in the main event by submission with the
cross armbreaker Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...
. As part of his act, Del Rio made his entrances in an expensive car, while he was introduced by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez. The following week, Del Rio continued the storyline with Mysterio by attacking him after his match with Kane, giving him a storyline injury by refusing to relinquish his
armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, pr ...
. Two weeks later, he defeated
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team d ...
via submission in Hardy's last appearance with the company causing Hardy's friend Christian to challenge Del Rio to a match at
Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
. Despite declining the match, on the 24 September episode of ''SmackDown'' Del Rio attacked Christian and injured him the same way he did Mysterio the previous month. This was done to write Christian off television, as he had suffered a torn
pectoral muscle Pectoral muscles (colloquially referred to as "pecs") are the muscles that connect the front of the human chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. This region contains four muscles that provide movements to the upper limbs or ribs. P ...
. Mysterio returned on the 8 October episode of ''SmackDown'', and handed Del Rio his first defeat in the main event match. In October, Del Rio defeated
Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National Ch ...
to represent the SmackDown brand at
Bragging Rights Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
, but during the pay-per-view event, he attacked teammate Rey Mysterio, before being eliminated from the match by Team Raw's
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
, in the traditional five-on-five elimination match, Del Rio captained a team against Rey Mysterio's team. Despite Del Rio's team losing, he was removed from the match after
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
knocked him out with a WMD. On the 26 November episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Big Show via countout to qualify for the 2010 King of the Ring tournament. In the tournament the next week on ''Raw'', he made United States Champion Daniel Bryan submit in the first round, but was defeated by John Morrison in the semifinal after being distracted by Mysterio who was inside his car. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Del Rio competed in a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
and also included Kane and Rey Mysterio. On 7 January 2011 episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Mysterio in a
two-out-of-three-falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, with help from Ricardo Rodriguez by holding Mysterio out of the ring to end his long feud with Mysterio. On the fourth season of ''
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'', starting in December 2010, Del Rio mentored rookie
Conor O'Brian Ryan Parmeter (born February 6, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, currently appearing for Impact Wrestling as a member of the Violent By Design under the ring name Kon. He is best known for his work in WWE, where he wrestled under the ...
, who became the second contestant to be eliminated from the competition on 18 January. The following week the rookies competed in a fatal-four-way match, of which the winner could change their pro.
Brodus Clay George Murdoch (born February 21, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and cable news personality known by his ring/stage name Tyrus. As a wrestler, he is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the reigning NWA World ...
won the match and chose Del Rio as his new pro. After the conclusion of ''NXT'', Del Rio hired Clay as his bodyguard. On 30 January 2011, Del Rio defeated 39 other participants, last eliminating
Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Art ...
, to win the 2011 Royal Rumble and earn the right to compete for either the World Heavyweight Championship or the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
at
WrestleMania XXVII WrestleMania XXVII (also written as WrestleMania 27) was the 27th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDow ...
. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio chose to compete for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship. At
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
, Del Rio attacked Edge, after he had successfully defended his title and solidified his spot as Del Rio's opponent at WrestleMania. However, Edge managed to come out the exchange victorious, after Christian returned from his injury and attacked Del Rio. On 18 March episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio and Christian finally had their first one–on–one match in a
steel cage Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
, in which Christian won. At WrestleMania XXVII, Del Rio was unsuccessful in his World Heavyweight Title match against Edge. On 8 April episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Christian to earn a rematch against Edge at Extreme Rules. However, when Edge unexpectedly retired from professional wrestling on 11 April episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio was instead booked to face Christian in a
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
for the vacant World Heavyweight Title.


WWE Champion (2011–2012)

On 25 April episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio was drafted from SmackDown to Raw. Ricardo Rodriguez moved to Raw with him, while Brodus Clay remained on SmackDown. On 1 May at Extreme Rules, Del Rio lost to Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. On 23 May episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio slapped Big Show after he had gotten into a confrontation with Ricardo Rodriguez. After competing in a match, Show was run over by Del Rio's car, driven by Rodriguez, leaving him sidelined with a storyline knee injury. Show made his return three weeks later, chasing Del Rio out of the ring and beating Rodriguez down. On 19 June at Capitol Punishment, Del Rio defeated Show via referee stoppage, when he was unable to continue the match due to a pre-match assault by
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
. On 27 June episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio defeated Show in a steel cage match, again after interference from Henry. On 17 July at Money in the Bank, Del Rio defeated
Alex Riley Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and commentator best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Alex Riley. He was a participant in the second season of ''NXT''. Professional wrestling ...
,
Evan Bourne Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was ...
,
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
,
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-hal ...
,
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
,
R-Truth Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand under the ring name R-Truth. Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WW ...
and Rey Mysterio in the Raw
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
for a future
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
match whenever and wherever over the next year, while also becoming the first wrestler in history to win a Royal Rumble and a Money in the Bank match in the same year. Following the orders of
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
, Del Rio attempted to cash in his contract later that same night on CM Punk, who had just defeated
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
for the WWE Championship, but was attacked and laid out by Punk before he could do so. Del Rio eventually cashed in his contract on 14 August at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, challenging CM Punk after the main event, where he had defeated John Cena to become the undisputed WWE Champion. Between the two matches, Punk was attacked by
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his r ...
, which led to Del Rio scoring a quick pinfall victory to win the WWE Championship for the first time. In winning the title, Del Rio became the first ever Mexican-born WWE Champion. Del Rio made his first televised title defense the next night on ''Raw'', defeating Rey Mysterio to retain his title. On 18 September at
Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Del Rio lost the championship to John Cena, but gained it back on 2 October at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
by defeating Cena and Punk in a
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
match. On 23 October at Vengeance, Del Rio successfully defended the WWE Championship against John Cena in a
Last Man Standing match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, after The Miz and R-Truth interfered. On 20 November at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
, Del Rio lost the WWE Championship to Punk. Del Rio received a WWE championship rematch on the 28 November episode of ''Raw'', but lost after Punk dropped him onto an exposed turnbuckle, managing to avoid a disqualification, which would have cost him the title in the process. On 18 December at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Del Rio failed again to regain the WWE Title from Punk in a triple threat Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, also involving The Miz. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio suffered a torn groin muscle, which required surgery and sidelined him for four to six weeks.


World Heavyweight Champion (2012–2013)

Del Rio returned at a WWE house show in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
on 11 February 2012, arm wrestling
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European indep ...
to a no contest. On 19 February at
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
, Del Rio made an appearance to show support to Raw General Manager
John Laurinaitis John Hodger Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1962), also known by his former ringname Johnny Ace, is an American retired professional wrestler and business executive. He has wrestled for such promotions as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), All Japan ...
. Del Rio returned on the 2 April episode of ''Raw'', confronting World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and vowing to become the next champion. On the 6 April episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Sheamus in a non-title match by disqualification to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. On 20 May at Over the Limit, Del Rio failed to capture the World Heavyweight Championship from Sheamus in a fatal four-way match, also involving
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
and
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
. On the 25 May episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Kane and Randy Orton in a triple threat match to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. The next week on ''SmackDown'', Del Rio suffered a legitimate concussion, which led to WWE pulling him from his scheduled World Heavyweight Championship match against Sheamus at No Way Out. Del Rio returned on the 18 June episode of ''Raw'', defeating United States Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match. The next week on ''Raw'', Del Rio wrestled
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
to a no contest in a Contract on a Pole match for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. As a result, both Del Rio and Ziggler were entered into the championship match four days later on ''SmackDown'', where Sheamus retained the title after pinning Ziggler. Del Rio received another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship on 15 July at Money in the Bank, where he again lost Sheamus. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio was looking to take out his frustrations on
Zack Ryder Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
, but his post-match assault was interrupted by his longtime rival Rey Mysterio making his return and attacking him. Four days later on ''SmackDown'', Del Rio and Ziggler lost to Mysterio and Sheamus by disqualification after Rodriguez interfered, but Del Rio viciously attacked Sheamus. On the 27 July episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Mysterio in a fatal four-way match to again become number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The title match, originally set for
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, was moved to the 10 August episode of ''SmackDown'', after Del Rio threatened to press charges against Sheamus for stealing his car on the 6 August episode of ''Raw'', which would have prevented Sheamus from appearing at SummerSlam. However, before the match began, Del Rio attacked Sheamus along with men posing as police officers, which led to SmackDown General Manager
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
taking away his number one contender's status in result. However, the next week, Sheamus had the title match put back on for SummerSlam on 19 August, where Del Rio again failed in another attempt to dethrone Sheamus after the referee did not notice Del Rio's foot on the bottom rope. On the 24 August episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Randy Orton by submission to once again become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the 7 September ''SmackDown'', Del Rio filed assault charges against Sheamus, after Sheamus had attacked him and Rodriguez on the 3 September episode of ''Raw'', which led to Booker T banning the '' Brogue Kick'' with the caveat that Sheamus would be stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship if he used the move again. However, on 16 September at
Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Booker T concluded his investigation into the dangers of the move and lifted the ban. In the match that followed, Sheamus used the ''Brogue Kick'' to defeat Del Rio and retain the World Heavyweight Championship. With his rivalry with Sheamus behind him, Del Rio moved on to feuding with Randy Orton, with the two attacking each other on the 28 September episode of ''SmackDown''. The rivalry built to a singles match on 28 October at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
, where Orton emerged victorious. On the 31 October episode of ''
Main Event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
'', Del Rio teamed with
The Prime Time Players The Prime Time Players were an American professional wrestling tag team performing in the WWE, composed of Darren Young and Titus O'Neil. The two initially competed on ''WWE NXT'', debuting as a team in January 2012 and were later promoted to t ...
(
Darren Young Frederick Douglas Rosser III (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign. He is best known for his ...
and
Titus O'Neil Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr. (born April 29, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is the Global Ambassador of WWE and also performs for the promotion as a wrestler under the ring name Titus O'Neil. D ...
) to face Orton, Rey Mysterio, and
Sin Cara In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, ...
in six-man tag team bout that ended with Orton pinning Del Rio for the win. On the 6 November episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio was again defeated by Orton in a
Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, after taking an ''
RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
'' onto the ringside steel steps. The two were then on opposing teams for the traditional five-on-five elimination tag match on 18 November at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
. Del Rio's team, led by Dolph Ziggler, defeated Orton's team, led by
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for m ...
, despite Del Rio being eliminated by Orton prior to the finish. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio once again lost to Orton in a two-out-of-three-falls match, ending the feud. On 16 December at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Del Rio turned
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
when he saved Ricardo Rodriguez and the Spanish announcers from 3MB (
Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE Int ...
,
Heath Slater Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in W ...
, and
Jinder Mahal Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, under the ring name Jinder Mahal. Having started his career on the independent circuit, Mahal joine ...
). Later in the event, Del Rio teamed with The Miz and
The Brooklyn Brawler Steven Kenneth Lombardi (born April 18, 1961) is an American professional wrestler and road agent, better known by his ring name, The Brooklyn Brawler. He worked for the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, as well as several independent promot ...
to defeat 3MB in a six-man tag team match. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio and Miz teamed up with
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
to defeat 3MB in another six-man tag team match. On the 28 December episode of ''SmackDown'', Ricardo Rodriguez was awarded a title match against World Heavyweight Champion Big Show, but Show knocked Rodriguez out backstage. Del Rio was then awarded the title match in Rodriguez's place, however, the match ended in a no contest after Sheamus attacked Big Show. On the 31 December episode of ''Raw'', Big Show chose to defend his title against Ricardo Rodriguez. As Rodriguez was about to lose the match, Del Rio attacked Big Show from behind, causing a disqualification and re-igniting a feud between Del Rio and Big Show. On the 11 January episode ''SmackDown'', as Del Rio's character transitioned into a hero of the
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
fanbase, he defeated Big Show in a Last Man Standing match to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. Del Rio made his first successful title defense on 27 January at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, defeating Big Show in another Last Man Standing match, after Rodriguez duct taped Show's legs to the ropes. After repeated attacks from Big Show to both himself and Rodriguez, Del Rio and Big Show faced off in a singles match on 17 February at
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
, where Del Rio submitted him to the cross armbreaker to retain his title. Del Rio then began a feud with his new number one contender, Jack Swagger, over his opposing political views regarding immigration in America. The feud escalated on the 18 March episode of ''Raw'', when Swagger broke Rodriguez's ankle with his ''Patriot Lock'' submission. Del Rio continued feuding with Swagger on the 1 April episode of ''Raw'', defeating Swagger's manager Zeb Colter via disqualification after Colter hit Del Rio with Ricardo Rodriguez's crutch. On 7 April at
WrestleMania 29 WrestleMania 29 (billed in print ads as WrestleMania NY/NJ) was the 29th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. N ...
, Del Rio defeated Swagger via submission to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio defeated Swagger and Zeb Colter in a Two-on-one handicap match after forcing Swagger to submit to the cross armbreaker. After that, Del Rio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Dolph Ziggler who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, ending his reign at 90 days. After losing the title, Del Rio would continue feud with Swagger and Ziggler over the title. On the 29 April episode of ''Raw'', Ricardo Rodriguez defeated
Big E Langston Ettore Ewen (born March 1, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former powerlifter. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Big E, but is currently inactive due to a broken neck. In ...
and Zeb Colter in a three-way match to give Del Rio the right to choose the stipulation of his three-way match at Extreme Rules and chose a ladder match. However, Ziggler would suffer a legitimate concussion at a ''SmackDown'' taping, thus removing their match from Extreme Rules. In result of Ziggler's injury, Del Rio instead would be booked to face Swagger in a number one contender "I Quit" match at Extreme Rules on 19 May, which Del Rio won. In the following weeks, Del Rio would face Ziggler's
enforcer Enforcer or enforcers may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Comics * Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character * Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team * New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team Film and television * ''The Enforcer ...
Big E. Langston in a series of matches, which Del Rio won 3–2. Del Rio finally received his title shot on 16 June at
Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
, and during the match, a double-turn occurred; Del Rio turned heel once again by repeatedly and ruthlessly targeting Ziggler's head after his recent concussion to defeat Ziggler and regain the World Heavyweight Championship. Del Rio later explained that he targeted Ziggler's head the same way Ziggler targeted Del Rio's injured leg when Ziggler cashed in Money in the Bank to win the title from Del Rio. On 14 July at Money in the Bank, Del Rio defeated Ziggler by disqualification to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, after Ziggler's girlfriend
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
hit Del Rio in the face with her
Divas Championship The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gu ...
belt. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio defeated Ziggler in a non-title rematch after a distraction by AJ. On the 29 July episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio re-entered a feud with Christian after losing to him in a non-title match. On the 2 August episode of ''SmackDown'', after Christian won a triple-threat match to become the number on contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, Del Rio attacked him during a post-match interview. On the 5 August episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio lost a non-title match to
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
, after Ricardo Rodriguez's interference backfired, which led to Del Rio viciously attacking Rodriguez post-match. On the 9 August episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio again lost to Christian in a non-title match. On 18 August at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, Del Rio successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Christian. Upon Rodriguez's return, he aligned himself with Rob Van Dam, accompanying him to matches and helping him defeat Del Rio in a non-title match to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. On the 13 September episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Rodriguez in a single match. On 15 September
Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Van Dam defeated Del Rio by disqualification after Del Rio refused to relinquish the cross armbreaker, retaining the World Heavyweight Championship in result. After the match, Van Dam attacked Del Rio and executed the ''Van Terminator''. On 6 October at Battleground, Del Rio defeated Van Dam in a
Hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
by submission to again retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio lost to Ricardo Rodriguez after
Vickie Guerrero Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
announced his
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
opponent as John Cena. Afterwards, Del Rio brutally attacked Rodriguez. On 27 October at Hell in a Cell, Del Rio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Cena, ending his reign at 133 days. Del Rio received his rematch for the title on 24 November at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
, but again lost to Cena.


Final feuds and departure (2013–2014)

The following night on the 25 November episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio teamed up with Randy Orton in a losing effort John Cena and Big Show in a tag team match. On the 2 and 9 December episodes of ''Raw'', Del Rio suffered upset losses to the returning Sin Cara. Del Rio finally defeated Sin Cara on the 6 January 2014, episode of ''Raw''. After the match, Del Rio insulted the soon-to-be returning
Batista Batista is a Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player * Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also ...
and that he would eliminate Batista in the Royal Rumble to get everyone talking about him. On the 13 January episode of ''Raw'', he defeated Rey Mysterio and after the match, once again confronted Batista. On the 20 January episode of ''Raw'', after he defeated Rey Mysterio, Batista returned and attacked Del Rio with a ''Batista Bomb''. Six days later at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, Del Rio entered the Rumble match at number 27 and performed well, but was eliminated by Batista who went on to win the match. On the 3 February episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio confronted and ultimately assaulted Batista, which led to Batista powerbombing Del Rio through the broadcast table the following week. Before that, Del Rio squashed Dolph Ziggler. This led to a match between Del Rio and Batista at
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
, which Batista won. The following night on Raw, Del Rio defeated Batista in a rematch from the previous night. At
WrestleMania XXX WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome ...
, Alberto Del Rio participated in the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal and made a number of eliminations before being eliminated by Sheamus. On the 2 June episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler to qualify for the
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
Money in the Bank ladder match which later became for the vacant
WWE World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...
; Del Rio would lose the match to John Cena. On the 4 July episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio unsuccessfully challenged Sheamus for the United States Championship. He defeated Ziggler on the 7 July episode of ''Raw'' to earn another United States Championship opportunity against Sheamus, but was again unsuccessful after a
Last Man Standing match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
the following night on ''Main Event''. At Battleground he participated in a battle royal for the vacant Intercontinental Championship but was eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. Del Rio lost several matches over the following weeks and was fired from WWE on 7 August, due to "unprofessional conduct" following an altercation with an employee who allegedly made a racist joke.


Return to AAA (2014–2015, 2018)

On 11 August 2014, AAA announced that after bring fired by WWE, Rodríguez would be returning to the promotion at
Triplemanía XXII Triplemanía XXII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) produced by the AAA promotion. It took place on August 17, 2014, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. The event was the twenty-second annual Triplemanía, which is ...
. In a press conference on 14 August, Rodríguez acknowledged that WWE owned the Alberto Del Rio name and also revealed that he would be working for AAA under the new ring name El Patrón ("The Boss"). He was nicknamed this in WWE by Ricardo Rodriguez, during ring introductions and Spanish commentary, but it was not trademarked. Rodríguez also stated that for the moment he was under a 90-day no-compete clause, which would prevent him from wrestling for AAA. He later also revealed that as part of his departure from WWE, Del Rio was banned from wrestling in the United States for one year. On 17 August at Triplemanía XXII, El Patrón and his father
Dos Caras José Luis Rodríguez Arellano (born February 21, 1951) is a Mexican '' Luchador Enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) who wrestles under the ring name Dos Caras (Spanish for "two faces"). His most active years were in the 1970s and 1980 ...
appeared to open the show, speaking on coming to AAA and addressing WWE, claiming that the company was racist. They were interrupted by the ''
Los Perros del Mal Los Perros del Mal (''English: The Dogs of Evil'') was a Mexican ''Lucha libre'' wrestling group stable, originally competed in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and in Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA). The name (meaning "The Dogs of Evil") is a pla ...
'' stable. After one of the members laid his hands on Caras, El Patrón ran after the stable and cleared house, while officials reminded him that he has the no-compete clause from the WWE. The show ended with El Patrón attacking ''Los Perros del Mal'' leader
El Hijo del Perro Aguayo Pedro Aguayo Ramírez (July 23, 1979 – March 21, 2015) was a Mexican ''luchador'' or professional wrestler and promoter who achieved fame in lucha libre as Perro Aguayo Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo ("The Son of Perro Aguayo"). He was the rea ...
, after his win in the main event. In early September 2014, Rodríguez's lawyers had resolved his issues with WWE and he was no longer restricted by the 90-day no-compete clause. On 14 September, Rodríguez, now billed as "El Patrón Alberto", made his AAA in-ring return teaming with Místico, Myzteziz and La Parka II, La Parka in a six-man tag team main event, where they defeated Aguayo, Averno (wrestler), Averno and El Texano Jr. Alberto then began feuding with El Texano Jr. over the
AAA Mega Championship The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the Englis ...
. On 28 November, Ricardo Rodriguez made his AAA debut, once again becoming Alberto's personal ring announcer. On 7 December at Guerra de Titanes (2014), Guerra de Titanes, Alberto defeated El Texano Jr. to become the new AAA Mega Champion. With the win, Rodríguez became the first wrestler to have held both the CMLL and AAA world heavyweight championships. On 24 May 2015, Alberto came together with Myzteziz and Rey Mysterio Jr. to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup (2015), Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating John Morrison (wrestler), Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Ken Anderson (wrestler), Mr. Anderson in the finals. At ''Triplemanía XXIII'', El Patrón defeated Brian Cage in a Hair vs. Hair ''Lucha de Apuestas''. At ''Héroes Inmortales IX'', El Patrón retained the Mega Championship against Johnny Mundo. After Rodríguez returned to WWE and it became clear that he would not return to AAA to defend the Mega Championship and was therefore stripped of the title on 9 November. WWE had allowed him to participate at Guerra de Titanes but when the event was canceled, WWE rescinded the offer. In 2018, it was announces El Patrón would make his return at Triplemanía XXVI, facing a mysterious opponent. However, during a press conference on 21 August, AAA did not mention El Patrón's match as part of the final card. El Patrón explained he would not appear since he had a discussion with Dorian Roldán over the money and they did not find an opponent for him. Roldán said that Alberto had no communication with the promotion, so they did not include him in the final card.


World Wrestling Council (2014–2015, 2016–2017)

On 24 August 2014, the World Wrestling Council began a storyline by airing a backstage segment where heel manager Juan Manuel Ortega talked by telephone with someone only identified as "patrón" and referenced a reunion previously held at WrestleMania XXX. The following week featured a segment where the manager picked Ricardo Rodriguez from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and drove to a golf club where Ray González, Ray González Sr. (who had been feuding with several of Ortega's protégés) was playing a round. There it was revealed that the former WWE ring announcer had been sent on behalf of El Patrón, delivering a sign of disrespect as a "personal message" before fleeing the scene. The following week a match between both was confirmed for Septiembre Negro, where González Sr. defeated and injured Rodriguez (now promoted as "El Emisario del Patrón") and immediately challenged El Patrón to a match at WWC Aniversario. On 24 September 2014, the storyline with Rodriguez continued, when he was depicted calling Ortega to confirm the presence of El Patrón at Aniversario. However, after being announced he was unable to make an appearance and the storyline digressed, with Hernandez (wrestler), Hernandez supplanting him at Aniversario. On 7 November 2015, WWC resumed the angle with El Patrón, beginning with a segment where he assaulted Ray González's son, El Hijo de Ray González, during a training session at Texas Wrestling Academy in retaliation for the injury that his father inflicted on Rodriguez. The following day, Ray González Sr. challenged El Patrón to a match. The majority of the promotional skits were filmed before he returned to WWE, but was given continuity, being the only external appearance cleared by the promotion after the enactment of a new contract. On 5 December 2015, González Sr. defeated El Patrón (who, by then was the WWE United States Championship, WWE United States Champion) by disqualification in WWC's season closing event, Lockout. On 15 October 2016, El Patrón returned to World Wrestling Council (WWC) at the second night of WWC's annual Aniversario event, where he faced Ray Gonzalez in a "Jaula de la Muerte" match.


Wrestle-1 (2014)

On 1 November 2014, Rodríguez, working under the ring name "Alberto", made his debut for the Japanese Wrestle-1 promotion, defeating Masakatsu Funaki.


Ring of Honor (2014–2015)

On 11 December 2014,
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
(ROH) announced that Rodríguez, billed as "Alberto El Patrón", had signed to make his debut for the promotion on 3 January 2015. He defeated Christopher Daniels in his debut match. During the ROH Winter Warriors tour on 30–31 January, El Patrón defeated A. C. H. and Roderick Strong. On 1 March 2015, at ROH 13th Anniversary Show, El Patrón unsuccessfully challenged Jay Lethal for the ROH World Television Championship.


World Wrestling League (2015)

Rodríguez competed for the World Wrestling League defeating champion Shane Sewell, Glamour Boy Shane and Ricky Banderas to capture the WWL World Heavyweight Championship in January 2015. The title was vacated on 19 September 2015, after a controversy during a defense against Ricky Banderas.


Lucha Underground (2015)

On 17 January 2015,
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
announced that Rodríguez had signed with the promotion. He debuted at the promotion's television tapings in Los Angeles, California later that same day. During his debut, Rodríguez, billed as Alberto El Patrón, was attacked by his AAA rival El Texano Jr., who was also making his debut. This led to a match on the 25 March episode, where he successfully defended the AAA Mega Championship against El Texano Jr. in a Professional wrestling match types#Strap match, Bullrope match. On 6 May, Alberto defeated Johnny Mundo in a match for the number one contender for the Lucha Underground Championship. However, on 13 May 2015, Alberto was defeated by Hernandez after Mundo threw him against a window, losing his opportunity. Then, Alberto and Mundo feuded until Ultima Lucha 1, Ultima Lucha, where Mundo defeated Alberto after an interference from Melina Perez, Melina, Mundo's girlfriend.


Return to WWE (2015–2016)

Del Rio made a surprise return to the
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
at Hell in a Cell (2015), Hell in a Cell on 25 October 2015, with Dutch Mantel, Zeb Colter as his Manager (professional wrestling), manager, and defeated
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
to win the United States Championship. The next night on ''Raw'', Del Rio revealed that he and Zeb Colter had started their new country "MexAmerica" and unofficially renamed the United States Championship the "MexAmerican Championship". In November, Del Rio took part in the tournament for the vacant WWE World Championship, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Cody Rhodes, Stardust in the first round and Kalisto (wrestler), Kalisto in the quarterfinals, before being eliminated by Roman Reigns in the semi–finals at Survivor Series (2015), Survivor Series. On the 30 November episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio joined
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European indep ...
' new stable, The League of Nations (professional wrestling), The League of Nations, and a week later ended his association with Zeb Colter. After retaining his championship against
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
, in a Professional wrestling match types#Chairs match, chairs match, at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2015), TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Del Rio reignited his Feud (professional wrestling), feud with John Cena, after the latter returned on 28 December. On the 11 January episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio lost the United States Championship to Kalisto (wrestler), Kalisto, regained the championship on the 14 January episode of ''SmackDown'', but lost it again to Kalisto at Royal Rumble (2016), Royal Rumble. After scoring three tag team victories over Kalisto and his partner Hunico, Sin Cara, Del Rio demanded a two-out-of-three falls match for the United States Championship at Fastlane (2016), Fastlane, which Del Rio then lost 1–2. At WrestleMania 32, Del Rio was part of a six-man tag match along with his fellow League of Nations members Sheamus and Alexander Rusev, Rusev, against The New Day (wrestling), The New Day, where his team won when Sheamus pinned Xavier Woods. After WrestleMania, The League of Nations began to dissolve when Wade Barrett, King Barrett was ejected from the group on the 4 April episode of ''Raw'', where Del Rio and the rest of the group attacked him. On the 28 April episode of ''SmackDown'', the group officially disbanded after Del Rio and Rusev walked out on Sheamus during a six-man tag match against Kalisto, Antonio Cesaro, Cesaro and Sami Zayn. On the 2 May episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio was involved in a Professional wrestling battle royal, Battle Royal to determine the No. 1 contender for Kalisto's United States Championship, but was eliminated by
Zack Ryder Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
. On the 26 May episode of ''SmackDown'', Del Rio defeated Zack Ryder to qualify for the Money in the Bank (2016), 2016
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
. At Money in the Bank, Del Rio was unsuccessful as the match was won by Dean Ambrose. During the 2016 WWE draft, Del Rio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. On the 26 July episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Del Rio participated in a 16-man battle royal to determine who would advance in a number one contenders tournament for the WWE World Championship, he was ultimately unsuccessful in the match. His last appearance in WWE was on the 16 August episode of ''SmackDown Live'', in which Del Rio was defeated by John Cena. On 18 August 2016, Rodríguez was suspended for thirty days for his first violation of WWE's wellness policy. On 30 August, it was reported that Rodríguez would be exercising an opt-out clause from his WWE contract, allowing his departure should he be unhappy with his position within the company. Reportedly, Rodríguez was unhappy with WWE, claiming he had been given empty promises, including a main event push, when he made his return in October 2015. On 9 September, WWE officially announced that they had come to terms with his release from the company.


Independent circuit (2016–present)

Following his second departure from WWE, Rodríguez would begin taking bookings on the independent circuit, returning to his Alberto El Patrón ring name. He stated that he did not want to sign with any promotion and would limit himself to 60 dates per year for the next two years before retiring from professional wrestling. Rodríguez was scheduled to return to AAA on 2 October at ''Héroes Inmortales X'', but ended up no-showing the event. The following day, Rodríguez claimed that he had been attacked by a "knife-wielding criminal" at a restaurant prior to the event, suffering multiple lacerations on his arm and other parts of the body. El Patrón made a number of appearances for the What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) promotion, ending Big Damo's WCPW career in his first match before challenging unsuccessfully for WCPW's Internet and Tag Team Championships. He was forced to miss the "Delete WCPW" PPV on 30 November 2016, due to flight issues but was at their "Loaded" episode taping the following day, defeating John Morrison (wrestler), Johnny Mundo. El Patrón made a number of appearances for World Association Of Wrestling (WAW) promotion, El Patrón defeated Robbie Dynamite via pinfall then El Patrón defeating
Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National Ch ...
in the same event and won WAW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. In 2019, Rodríguez and Chavo Guerrero Jr. created their own promotion, Nación Lucha Libre, which aired their first show on a television channel.


Impact Wrestling (2017–2018)

During the ''Impact Wrestling'' tapings on 2 March 2017, Rodríguez debuted for
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
, under the ring name Alberto El Patrón. He interrupted Bruce Prichard and Bobby Lashley, Lashley in an attempt to insert himself into the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship picture. El Patrón was then interrupted by Ethan Carter III, who insisted that Alberto had to earn his shot at the title, but Lashley disagreed and granted El Patrón a World Championship match. Later that night, El Patrón defeated Lashley in controversial style to win the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship. However, El Patrón relinquished the title the following night due to the controversial victory and faced EC3 in a World Championship number one contenders match on the 16 March episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', which he won, becoming the number one contender in the process. On the 4 May episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', El Patrón defeated Eli Drake and become the number one contender to the GFW Global Championship (2014–2017), GFW Global Championship. On the 11 May episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', he defeated Magnus to win the GFW Global Championship. On the 1 June episode of ''Impact Wrestlling'', El Patrón defeated Ethan Carter III in a Six Sides of Steel Cage match and kept his number one contendership At Slammiversary XV, Slammiversary, El Patrón defeated Lashley to unify the GFW Global Championship and the Impact Wrestling Championship. On the 6 July Impact he was referred to as the "Unified Champion" and the "Unified World Champion". In the main-event, El Patron was defeated by Lashley by disqualification after interference by Latin American X-Change, LAX, saying that he was the new member of the faction. However, on the 13 July episode of ''Impact '', El Patrón refused to join LAX, and defeated them in a tag-team match with Lashley. On the 20 July episode of ''Impact'', after LAX held El Patrón's family hostage, El Patrón put on their T-shirt. He attacked them shortly after. This led to a handicap match between El Patrón and LAX on the 27 July episode of ''Impact'', which he won. After the match, he was attacked by the others members of LAX, but was saved by
Dos Caras José Luis Rodríguez Arellano (born February 21, 1951) is a Mexican '' Luchador Enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) who wrestles under the ring name Dos Caras (Spanish for "two faces"). His most active years were in the 1970s and 1980 ...
and El Hijo de Dos Caras. The following week, The Patron Family was defeated by LAX after an interference o LAX newest member, Low Ki. El Patron was scheduled to defend his Unified GFW World Heavyweight Championship against Low Ki at Destination X (2017), Destination X. On 12 July 2017, El Patrón was suspended by GFW due to a personal domestic violence issue with his real-life girlfriend Paige (wrestler), Paige. As a result of the suspension, on 14 August, he was stripped of the Unified GFW World Heavyweight Championship. On 5 November 2017, at Bound for Glory (2017), Bound for Glory, El Patrón returned from suspension, claiming that everyone is "a loser and a backstabber" and even going as far as confronting Jeremy Borash, turning heel in the process. Later that night, he interrupted the main event by attacking John Morrison (wrestler), Johnny Impact and Eli Drake. El Patrón was released from Impact on 7 April 2018 after legitimately No-show (professional wrestling), no-showing the ''
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
'' vs ''Impact Wrestling'' event in New Orleans the previous night.


Mixed martial arts career


Early career

After making his professional wrestling debut in 2000, Dos Caras Jr. decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts (MMA). Dos Caras most notably faced Mirko Cro Cop in the Pride Fighting Championships promotion, losing by first-round head kick knockout.


Combate Americas

On 11 October 2016, he was named President of MMA promotion ''Combate Americas''. The presidency was a figurehead role, where Rodríguez held no actual power in the company and was mainly in charge of promoting the brand to Mexican media. Rodríguez stepped down from the role on 20 July 2017, to concentrate on his professional wrestling career. On 9 July 2019, it was announced that Rodríguez would be returning to mixed martial arts competition for the first time since 2010 to take on UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz in Combate Americas. The event, which was contested at a catchweight of 210 pounds, took place in Hidalgo, Texas on 7 December 2019. Rodríguez lost the bout via first round submission.


Ultimate Fighting Championship

In March 2022, it was reported that Rodríguez had signed with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) as a Spanish language, Spanish-language commentator. He debuted for the promotion on 19 March at their ''UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall'' event.


Personal life

Rodríguez was previously married to Angela Velkei, with whom he has three children. Velkei filed for divorce from Rodríguez in June 2016 and stated that the marriage ended the previous month due to adultery. On 28 April 2022, Del Río shared a video in which he was asking for multiple blood donations in order to save Angela Velkei from dying, without explaining which was the health problem she was dealing with for which she was hospitalized on the Hospital San José in Ciudad Satélite, Satélite, Naucalpan, State of Mexico. On 2 May of the same year, Del Río reported on his social media that Velkei had died. In May 2016, Rodríguez and fellow professional wrestler Saraya-Jade Bevis, better known as Paige (wrestler), Paige, went public with their relationship. The two became engaged in October 2016. They split up in late 2017. On 14 July 2021, during an interview with Hannibal TV, Rodriguez made threats to expose Paige for previous arrests and also made claims of domestic violence against her. Rodríguez owned a restaurant in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas named La Cantinita, which opened in 2016. However, the restaurant closed in November 2017. On 24 May 2018, Rodríguez became a naturalized citizen of the United States.


Sexual assault charges

Rodríguez was arrested on 9 May 2020, in San Antonio, Texas after allegedly battering and sexually assaulting his girlfriend. He was booked into the Bexar County jail and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of assault causing bodily harm. Rodríguez was later released on $50,000 bail at approximately 3:30 A.M. on 10 May. On 9 October, Rodríguez was indicted by a grand jury and formally charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault, two Felony, felonies. Rodriguez's trial was delayed several times, until the charges were ultimately dropped on 10 December 2021.


Championships and accomplishments


Amateur wrestling

*
Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for countries in Cent ...
** First place (3 times) * World Junior Championships ** Gold (1997)


Professional wrestling

*Alianza Universal De Lucha Libre **''Copa Universo'' (2019) – with LA Park *Big League Wrestling **BLW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
**
CMLL World Heavyweight Championship The CMLL World Heavyweight Championship ( es, Campeonato Mundial de Peso Completo del CMLL) is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship established in 1991 and promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). CMLL introduced the ...
(List of CMLL World Heavyweight Champions, 1 time) **
La Copa Junior The Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) has held the La Copa Junior ("The Junior Cup") tournament on an infrequent schedule since 1996. The tournament pays respect to the fact that wrestling is a family t ...
(La Copa Junior (2006), 2006) *
Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
**Global Force Wrestling#GFW Global Championship, GFW Global Championship (Global Force Wrestling#GFW Global Championship, 1 time) **Impact World Championship, impact World Heavyweight Championship (List of Impact World Champions, 1 time) *
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its or ...
**
AAA Mega Championship The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the Englis ...
(List of AAA Mega Champions, 1 time) ** Lucha Libre World Cup (Lucha Libre World Cup (2015), 2015) – with Místico, Myzteziz and Rey Mysterio, Rey Mysterio Jr. ** ''Face (professional wrestling), Técnico'' of the Year (2014) *New Generation Championship Wrestling **NGCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** Ranked No. 6 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500'' in 2011 *Qatar Pro Wrestling **QPW World Championship (1 time) *World Association of Wrestling **WAW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE **
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
(List of WWE Champions, 2 times) ** World Heavyweight Championship (List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE), 2 times) ** WWE United States Championship (List of WWE United States Champions, 2 times) ** Bragging Rights (2010), Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with WWE SmackDown, Team SmackDown (
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
,
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...
,
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
,
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, Tyler Reks, and
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-hal ...
) ** Money in the Bank ladder match, Money in the Bank (Money in the Bank ladder match#2011, Raw 2011) ** Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble (2011), 2011) * World Wrestling League ** WWL World Heavyweight Championship (WWL World Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) * ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Gimmick, Best Gimmick (2010)


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 9–6 , Tito Ortiz , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Combate Americas 51: Tito vs. Alberto , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:10 , McAllen, Texas, United States of America, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5 , Yamamoto Hanshi , TKO (punches) , Cage of Combat 4: Spanish Bombs , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:47 , Madrid, Spain , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Arthur Bart , KO (head kick) , Cage of Combat 3: San Vale Todo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:51 , Torreón,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 8–4 , Toshiyuki Moriya , Submission (neck crank) , COC I: Cage of Combat I , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:17 , Veracruz, Veracruz, Veracruz,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Ignacio Laguna , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Berkman MMA Promotions I , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:36 , Mexico City,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Hato Kiyoshi , Submission (rear-naked choke) , MMA Xtreme 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:31 , Honduras , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Joao Tua , Submission (guillotine choke) , MMA Xtreme 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:41 , Honduras , , - , Win , align=center, 4–4 , George King , Submission (rear-naked choke) , VFX: Vale Tudo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 , Tláhuac,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, , - , Loss , align=center, 3–4 , Kazuhiro Nakamura , Decision (unanimous) , Pride 27 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Osaka,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Mirko Cro Cop , KO (head kick) , Pride Bushido 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 , Saitama, Saitama, Saitama,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Brad Kohler , TKO (shoulder injury) , 2003 in Deep#Deep: 12th Impact, Deep: 12th Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:25 , Tokyo,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Hiroyuki Ito , DQ (grabbing the ropes) , 2003 in Deep#Deep: 9th Impact, Deep: 9th Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:21 , Tokyo,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Tatsuaki Nakano , Submission (rear-naked choke) , 2002 in Deep#Deep: 6th Impact, Deep: 6th Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:05 , Tokyo,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Kengo Watanabe , Submission (rear-naked choke) , 2002 in Deep#Deep: 4th Impact, Deep: 4th Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:52 , Nagoya,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Kengo Watanabe , TKO (broken arm) , 2001 in Deep#Deep: 2nd Impact, Deep: 2nd Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:50 , Yokohama,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


See also

*List of professional wrestlers by MMA record


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Del Rio, Alberto 1977 births Heavyweight mixed martial artists Living people Masked wrestlers Mexican male mixed martial artists Mexican male professional wrestlers Mexican male sport wrestlers Naturalized citizens of the United States NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions People from San Luis Potosí City Professional wrestlers from San Luis Potosí World Heavyweight Champions (WWE) WWE Champions AAA Mega Champions 21st-century professional wrestlers CMLL World Heavyweight Champions