Jesús Ricardo Rodríguez (born February 17, 1986) is a
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
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 ...
and
commentator. 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
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 ...
Ricardo Rodriguez. He returned to the
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
in 2014 as Chimaera. He also worked as an announcer for
Combate Americas
Combate Global (previously Combate Americas) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) sports franchise and media company directed toward a Hispanic audience. It includes TV broadcasts, live events, and mobile content
Combate Global airs on Univi ...
and as a manager for
Alberto del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
wrestling promotion
Nación Lucha Libre
Nación Lucha Libre is a ''lucha libre'' Mexican professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. The promotion, founded in 2019, was owned and managed by Alberto El Patrón and Chavo Guerrero Jr. It closed down on January 8, 202 ...
before its closure in January 2020. He has also worked as a Spanish language commentator for
AEW AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
.
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (2006–2010)
Before wrestling for independent California promotions, Rodriguez wrestled with other upcoming wrestlers in backyards for BBW Beyond Backyard Wrestling. He wrestled for various promotions as the masked wrestler Chimaera, and his professional wrestling debut came at UEW's 1st Annual West Coast Cruiser Cup Tournament on August 11, 2006.
[Ricardo Rodriguez Matches](_blank)
cagematch.net At Pro Wrestling Affiliates, Chimaera lost to Charles Mercury in the first round of a PWA Light Heavyweight Championship tournament.
Chimaera and Jason Watts teamed up to take on the NWPW Tag Team Champions Aerial Star and Ric Ellis and initially lost, but beat them for the championship on October 4, 2008. They lost the title in a two-on-one handicap match to
Ryan Stone
Ryan Adam Stone (born March 20, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who most recently played for Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Playing career Early career
Stone was drafted 23rd overall in the 2000 Weste ...
.
On August 2, 2009, he had a three-way match for the AWS Lightweight Championship, with
Peter Avalon
Peter Hernandez (born June 14, 1989), better known by the ring name "Pretty" Peter Avalon, is a Cuban-American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his appearances in Championship Wrestling from Hollywood ...
and Chris Kadillak. In
Chikara, he participated in the
Young Lions Cup VII and was eliminated by
KC Day. At
Dragon Gate USA
Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate.
Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Pr ...
, Chimaera competed in a Dragon Gate Fray match which was won by Brad Allen on March 26, 2010. For Deutsche Wrestling Allianz Chimaera had two championship opportunities one for the DWA Cruiserweight Championship and one for DWA Tag Team Championship.
He also participated in Vendetta Pro Triforce Championship tournament and beat
and Jason Watts in the final for the vacant Vendetta Pro Triforce Championship and vacated the championship when he signed with WWE.
[Ricardo Rodriguez Matches](_blank)
cagematch.net He also participated in the World War III 159 Man battle royal.
Rodriguez was also a trainer for
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
based promotion, Fit Pit Pro Wrestling. He has also wrestled in So Cal Pro, EMLL, CWX, NWPW, NWT/NTLL, BPW, the West Coast Wrestling Company, Vendetta Pro and in both IWL and LLII as Jesse Long.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Florida Championship Wrestling (2010–2011)
Rodriguez, as Chimaera, debuted in
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 ...
on December 2, 2010, in a ten-man tag match, teaming with
Husky Harris, Buck Dixon,
Matt Clements, and Kenny Li to defeat
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 ...
,
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 ...
, James Bronson,
Kevin Hackman, and
Roman Leakee.
On December 17, 2010, Chimaera lost to
Richie Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Jr. (born July 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Richie Steamboat. He is known for wrestling in WWE's developmental territories Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT, and w ...
.
From 2011, he competed in FCW under the Ricardo Rodriguez gimmick.
On August 28, 2011, Rodriguez said that
Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
was an employee of his father's agency. Rodriguez formed a
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
called
the Ascension with
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 ...
,
Tito Colon,
Kenneth Cameron, and
Raquel Diaz
Shaul Marie Guerrero (born October 14, 1990) is an American professional wrestler, ring announcer and burlesque performer. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she performed under the ring name Raquel Di ...
. However, by September 26, the Ascension no longer associated with him, as a video package promoting the Ascension only featured the latter four Ascension members without Rodriguez, and when the Ascension had their first match together in October, Rodriguez did not accompany them.
Alberto Del Rio's ring announcer (2010–2013)
![Ricardo Rodriguez](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Ricardo_Rodriguez.jpg)
Rodriguez debuted in the WWE on the
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 ...
brand on August 20, 2010, as a personal ring announcer to
Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
.
As well as being the personal ring announcer, Rodriguez also helped Del Rio win matches by distracting his opponents.
On the January 4, 2011 episode 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- ...
'', Rodriguez took Del Rio's place in a
battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
for the NXT Pros, and was quickly eliminated by
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 ...
. On ''NXT'', Rodriguez feuded with Del Rio's Rookie, Conor O'Brian, after he claimed a rat problem. On the January 18 episode of ''NXT'', Rodriguez and O'Brian brawled backstage, setting up Rodriguez's WWE singles debut, which he won. After the match, O'Brian was eliminated from ''NXT''.
Del Rio later gained a new Rookie,
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 Worlds ...
, after Clay won a match which allowed him to change his Pro. Del Rio "temporarily" passed Pro responsibilities of Clay to Rodriguez on the February 1 episode of ''NXT'' but never returned for the rest of the season, so Rodriguez managed to coach Clay to a second-place finish in the season finale on March 1.
At the
2011 WWE Draft, Rodriguez and Del Rio were drafted to the
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand; the duo clashed with
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 ...
when Rodriguez ran over Big Show's leg by using Del Rio's car. On June 6, Rodriguez masqueraded as Big Show as Del Rio mocked Big Show. On his return to ''Raw'' on June 13, Big Show attacked Del Rio. Rodriguez came to his employee's aid and he was brutally attacked which caused him to take time off for an injury. Rodriguez returned on July 18, 2011 On August 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', when
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 ...
called out Del Rio, Rodriguez walked out alone to reply to Cena. Rodriguez spoke in a mixture of English and Spanish, explaining that Del Rio was not present. Cena then asked Rodriguez to deliver a message to Del Rio, and then promptly punched Rodriguez in the face.
On the September 12 episode of ''Raw'', Rodriguez wrestled his first match for the brand, teaming with Del Rio to lose to
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 ...
and
Bret Hart
Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling backgr ...
.
At
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Rodriguez tried to help Del Rio regain the WWE Championship during Del Rio's
Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Rodriguez climbed to the top of a ladder in the ring to try to reach the WWE Championship hanging above the ring, but Del Rio's opponents,
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 ...
and
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 fame a ...
, tipped the ladder over such that Rodriguez fell out of the ring and crashed through a table at ringside. Rodriguez's fall was described by critics as dangerous and scary-looking, as well as "the major moment of the show". Fellow professional wrestler
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 ...
, well known for his participation in various dangerous matches, also commented that it was "one heck of a
bump
Bump or Bumps may refer to:
* A collision or impact
* A raised protrusion on the skin such as a pimple, goose bump, prayer bump, lie bumps, etc.
Infrastructure and industry
* Coal mine bump, a seismic jolt occurring within a mine
* Bump (uni ...
". On the January 9, 2012 episode of ''Raw'', when Del Rio was absent, the Miz bullied Rodriguez into insulting and calling out R-Truth. R-Truth came out and made Rodriguez sing
La Cucaracha
La Cucaracha ("The Cockroach") is a popular Mexican folk song about a cockroach who cannot walk. The song's origins are unclear, but it dates back at least to the 1910s during the Mexican Revolution. The song belongs to the Mexican genre. The s ...
. After that, R-Truth delivered his finisher to Rodriguez. At the
2012 Royal Rumble
The 2012 Royal Rumble was the 25th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 29, 2012, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal ...
event, Rodriguez participated in the Royal Rumble match, entering at #8. He and Mick Foley eliminated
Justin Gabriel
Phillip Paul Lloyd (born 3 March 1981) is a South African-American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Justin Gabriel. He is currently wrestling under the ring name P. J. Black.
A second-generation ...
, after which Rodriguez was eliminated by
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 ...
.
Rodriguez and Del Rio were traded to the SmackDown brand on the April 20 episode of ''SmackDown''. On the May 21 episode of ''Raw'',
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 ...
criticised Rodriguez's announcing and then attacked Rodriguez. Rodriguez unsuccessfully challenged Marella to a match on the May 25 ''SmackDown''. On the June 8 ''SmackDown'', to tie in with Del Rio's feud with
World Heavyweight Champion
At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...
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 ...
, Rodriguez dressed up as Sheamus and mocked Sheamus' mannerisms. Rodriguez's portrayal of Sheamus was praised as very funny from critics and fans alike. On the June 11 episode of ''Raw'', Rodriguez resumed his feud with Marella, teaming with
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur ...
to beat Marella and
Layla
"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compose ...
. After the match, Marella embarrassed Rodriguez by ripping off Rodriguez's shirt to reveal he was wearing a
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
T-shirt underneath. Their feud ended at
No Way Out, when Rodriguez lost to Marella in a non-title
tuxedo match, Rodriguez's first pay-per-view singles match. In September 2012, during Del Rio's feud with Sheamus, Rodriguez suffered a ''Brogue Kick'' from Sheamus and thus enlisted
David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
's help as his
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
to try and ban the ''Brogue Kick''. Rodriguez was later pinned in a six-man tag match later that month with Del Rio and Otunga against Sheamus,
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 ...
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, s ...
.
![Ricardo-Rodriguez-WWE-2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Ricardo-Rodriguez-WWE-2011.jpg)
Rodriguez came to the aid of the Spanish announce team at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, who were being heckled by
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 ...
). As 3MB turned on Rodriguez, Del Rio came to his aid, signalling a face turn for the duo. The turn was further cemented the next night at ''Raw'' in a similar situation as Rodriguez came to the aid of
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 ...
, who was being assaulted by
The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt poli ...
, but Rodriguez ended up being attacked himself. On the December 28 ''SmackDown'', Rodriguez was randomly selected to be the next contender for Big Show's World Heavyweight Championship, but Show knocked him out backstage, starting a feud between Del Rio and Show. Rodriguez received his title match against Show on the December 31 ''Raw''; as Rodriguez was about to lose, Del Rio interfered and attacked Show, causing Rodriguez to lose via disqualification. After Del Rio defeated Show to win the World Heavyweight Championship in January 2013, Rodriguez started bringing a
bucket
A bucket is typically a watertight, vertical Cylinder (geometry), cylinder or Truncation (geometry), truncated Cone (geometry), cone or square, with an open top and a flat bottom, attached to a semicircular carrying handle (grip), handle called ...
to the ring. During Del Rio's title defense against Show 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 ...
, Rodriguez
duct-taped Show's legs to the ring ropes to ensure that Del Rio won the Last Man Standing match; the next week, Show attacked Rodriguez twice. During Del Rio's next feud with
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 st ...
, Rodriguez suffered a storyline broken ankle due to Swagger's attack. On the edition of April 29 of ''Raw'', Rodriguez defeated
Zeb Colter
Wayne Maurice Keown (born November 29, 1949) is an American professional wrestling manager, booker and retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Dutch Mantel (also spelled Dutch Mantell).
Keown debuted in 1972, as Wayne Cow ...
and Big E Langston in a triple-threat match, giving Del Rio the right to choose the stipulation for his World Heavyweight Championship match at
Extreme Rules.
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 ...
, Del Rio reverted to being a heel by ruthlessly targeting Ziggler's head after Ziggler's recent concussion to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Rodriguez was suspended for 30 days for his first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy on July 2, 2013. He returned to television on the August 5 episode of ''Raw'', but after he inadvertently cost Del Rio a non-title match against
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 ...
, Del Rio viciously assaulted Rodriguez.
Rodriguez returned on the August 19 episode of ''Raw'', revealing that he now worked for Rob Van Dam. The next week on ''Raw'', Rodriguez cost Del Rio a match against Van Dam, and as per match stipulation, Van Dam would get a shot at Del Rio's World Heavyweight Championship 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 ...
. Just days before the event,
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 ...
who was acting in authority, stated that Rodriguez would not be allowed at ringside for the title match at Night of Champions. He was also forced to wrestle Del Rio on ''SmackDown'', and he lost. On October 7, he defeated Del Rio, who attacked him after the match. Van Dam and Rodriguez ended their alliance after Van Dam's feud with Del Rio, as he ceased to accompany him to the ring and ring announcing him since after Van Dam returned in April 2014.
El Local and PPV commentator (2012–2014)
Rodriguez started to wrestle as the masked
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 ...
El Local, who remained distinct from his ring announcer character, debuting on the November 3 episode of ''
Saturday Morning Slam'' in a loss to Sin Cara. In late 2013, El Local began teaming up with another masked competitor (
Tyson Kidd
Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer.
The final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Wilson w ...
) to form Los Locales, a team which never won a match.
During this time, Rodriguez became a commentator for the Spanish broadcast team for WWE pay-per-views. In May 2014, Rodriguez (as El Local) formed a tag team with the debuting
Kalisto on
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- ...
, in a winning effort against
The Legionnaires
''The Legionnaires'' ( sv, Legionärerna) is a 1968 documentary novel by Swedish author Per Olov Enquist about the Swedish extradition of Baltic soldiers shortly after the Second World War. It won the Nordic Council Literature Prize
The Nordic ...
(
Marcus Louis
Mikael Vierge (born July 11, 1983) is a French professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with WWE NXT under the ring name Marcus Louis and with Impact Wrestling under the ring name Baron Dax.
Professional w ...
and
Sylvester Lefort
Thomas Sylvester La Ruffa (born May 4, 1984) is a French professional wrestler currently wrestling under the ring name Tom LaRuffa. He is best known for his time in WWE, in their developmental territory NXT as Sylvester Lefort, and for his time in ...
). Rodriguez was released by WWE on July 30, 2014.
Return to the independent circuit (2014–present)
On August 30, 2014, Rodríguez made his debut for the
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
(WWC), mocking
Ray González
Ramón González Rivera (born May 4, 1972), better known by his ring name Ray González, is a Puerto Rican Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and businessman. He has performed in the World Wrestling Council (WWC) and International Wres ...
. On September 7, 2014 at Septiembre Negro, was defeated by González.Weiner In October 2014, Rodríguez ordered Shawn Hernandez to attack Ray González. The feud ended eventually in a Tables Match between
Shawn Hernandez
Shawn Hernandez (born February 11, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Hernandez. He is an eight-time tag team champion, having won the Impact Wor ...
and Ray González in
Aniversario 2014. On January 24, 2015, at Hora de la Verdad, Rodriguez defeated
Carlos Cotto
Carlos Omar Cotto Cruz (born February 13, 1980) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and boxer. As a wrestler, he perform under the alias of El Chicano and has performed mostly for the International Wrestling Association and the World Wrestl ...
to win the
WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Puerto Rico Championship is the secondary professional wrestling championship that is defended in the World Wrestling Council based in Puerto Rico. The title was created in January 1974 and, as its name suggests, is defended exclusively wi ...
. However, he lost the title against the former champion on February 21, 2015.
On November 28, 2014, Rodriguez made his debut for Mexican promotion
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 ...
, reassuming the role of Alberto Del Rio's (then
El Patrón Alberto) personal ring announcer. In October 2015, Del Rio returned to WWE without Rodriguez. In September 2015, Rodriguez was hired as trainer for The Great Khali's wrestling school in Punjab, the Continental Wrestling Entertainment. The school held its first event on December 12, 2015.
All Elite Wrestling (2021)
On October 27, 2021, Rodríguez worked as the Spanish commentator for
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
, taking the place left of
Willie Urbina (who was fired due to racist remarks he made against Japanese wrestler
Hikaru Shida
is a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, actress, and model, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former and the longest-reigning AEW Women's World Champion. On February 25, 2021, she became the longest reign ...
). He would only appear at one taping.
Three Legacies Wrestling (2022-current)
Ricardo Rodriguez relocated to Lancaster, PA in 2022 and in September opened up his own wrestling academy called “Three Legacies Wrestling Academy”. The academy features seminars and lessons from himself as well as special seminars from other WWE alumni. The academy hosts wrestling shows monthly/bi-monthly at different locations throughout Lancaster, PA.
Other media
Rodríguez has appeared in a number of
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 ...
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
, including ''
WWE '12
''WWE '12'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. It was released on November 22, 2011, in North America, November 25 in Europe, and on January 26, 2012, in Japan. ...
'', ''
WWE '13
''WWE '13'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. It was released on October 30, 2012, in North America and November 2, 2012, in United Kingdom. It is the fourteenth ...
'', ''
WWE 2K14
''WWE 2K14'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on October 29, 2013, in North America, October 30, 2013, in Japan, October 31, 2013, in Austr ...
'' and ''
WWE 2K15
''WWE 2K15'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K14'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K16''. ...
''.
Championships and accomplishments
*Battleground Pro Wrestling
**BPW MAX Championship (1 time)
[
*Insane Wrestling League
**IWL Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eric Watts
*New Wave Pro Wrestling
**NWPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jason Watts
*'']Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
**PWI ranked him #434 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
in 2015 and 2016
*Vendetta Pro Wrestling
**Vendetta Pro Tri-Force Championship (1 time)
**Vendetta Pro Tri-Force Championship Tournament
*World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
** WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship
The WWC Puerto Rico Championship is the secondary professional wrestling championship that is defended in the World Wrestling Council based in Puerto Rico. The title was created in January 1974 and, as its name suggests, is defended exclusively wi ...
( 1 time)
*''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
''
** Best Non-Wrestler (2011)
*Other titles
**CWX Lucha Libre Championship (1 time)[
**NWT/NTLL Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)][
]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Ricardo
1986 births
All Elite Wrestling personnel
American people of Mexican descent
American male professional wrestlers
Living people
Professional wrestling announcers
Professional wrestlers from California
Sportspeople from Los Angeles
20th-century professional wrestlers
WWC Puerto Rico Champions