How will Alberto Del Rio be remembered?

[Creepy Old Man]

Two-time WWE Champion
Two-time World Heavyweight Champion
2011 Royal Rumble winner
2011 Money in the Bank winner
Multiple pay-per-views, Raws and Smackdowns headlined

On paper it's a better resume than that of Hall of Famers like Hennig, Steamboat and Guerrero, but he never truly connected with the fans. There were sporadic periods when he drew decent heat (e.g. for a couple months after his babyface turn, his heel turn on Ziggler months later), but more often that not, his strong in-ring performances and passable mic work have met with apathy. Del Rio has a good look and is an exceptional athlete, but that's rarely been enough to win over the fans.

Personally I think Del Rio has a lot of talent, but lacks the charisma to get his character over. He could possibly be saved by a different gimmick, but WWE clearly aren't going to budge on that. So he'll probably live and die in WWE as the "Mexican Aristocrat", a guy few really cared about. At the risk of being contentious, I argue that he would have at least had a strong internet following, had he been a foot shorter and less handsome.

How do you think fans will look back on his run - which is reportedly coming to an end - years from now?

 

[King502]

His resume speaks for its self he is an amazing performer a lot of great matches

 

[Mudlup50]

It's truly a shame honestly, I highly doubt he's gonna be remembered much at all. Yea he's a 4 time world champion but people never cared >< yea he's a pretty good wrestler...but no one cared. Yea his resume is impressive but at the same point you can argue that just about every HoFer was more over even if they didn't have close to these accomplishments

Granted, once nostalgia goggles are on people might realize how good he was and forget about they didn't care before xD he might come back in 2 years and get over, IWC will love him the moment he retires is my guess because he is a good wrestler.

 

[MartialHorror]

He'll be remembered as a jobber. Alberto del Rio is a good in-ring performer and he is passable on the mic, but as everyone says, he can't seem to connect with the fans. Just look at when he was put in the last Money in the Bank. When everyone in the main match verbally confronted each-other for the first time, they gave good promos, but Alberto del Dio was the only one that didn't stand out. It wasn't a bad promo, it's just that everyone else was better.

I think WWE deserves some of the blame though. I wasnt around when del Rio was getting a heavy push, but he hasn't had any compelling storylines, that much time to do much on the mic and his character is a bland heel character. When he does get put into a story, it's usually to put someone else (Batista) over. I couldn't take his inclusion in Money in the Bank seriously because he seems to lose more matches than win. Compared to everyone else, he seemed like an afterthought.

While this means del Rio likely will have a secure job, being good in the ring while unexceptional in every other regard just means you will be used to make others look good. I didnt appreciate him until his recent Roman Reigns match, since that was the first time I enjoyed a solo Roman Reigns match. Now I feel kind of bad being so dismissive of him.

 

[deadman talking]

alberto del rio, i think, will be remembered as a solid fighting champion. he has had a respectable run thus far, although lately he has been jobbing more often. a lot of wrestlers have had their best/better matches against del rio. i think sheamus had his best feud with berti. one of the better of today that will be appreciated more tomorrow.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Alberto Del Rio would have been huge in the 50's and 60's, when people came to wrestling shows to watch......y'know....wrestling. Not the pyrotechnics, not the over-the-top personalities, not the comedy or music. From everything I've heard, they appreciated technical wrestling and went crazy for 30 minute contests in which two men worked a match rather than went for a few cheap pops and a quick exit.

Of course, there were heels and faces back then too, and Del Rio would have been considered a supreme heel. In an age when heels were totally bad and faces were totally good, ADR would have presented an interesting contrast as a bad guy who didn't need to cheat to win, though he occasionally would, just to keep up his heel image.

Today, superior workmanship in the ring is something that's surely appreciated by a wrestler's opponents, but most of the folks who attend wrestling shows have little patience for it.

So, I believe most people will be happy when he's gone, neither realizing nor caring what he brought to the table. Personally, ADR was one of my favorites and I'll miss him. He belonged to an earlier age.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think he'll ultimately be remembered as someone who had a great deal of in-ring talent, had a good look, could deliver high quality matches constantly, was ultimately pushed to a level on the card he shouldn't have been in due to an inability to get over as much as necessary for a main event spot, was given too many main event slot pushes and ultimately settled into the mid to upper mid-card where his overall abilities seemed more suited. Had he come along in the 50s through the early 80s, he'd have been a major star in any territory he went.

The first few years in WWE, his character was essentially that of a Mexican version of the Million Dollar Man character with just a dash of John "Bradshaw" Layfield added. He's not as charismatic on the mic as they are, nor does he have anywhere close to as easy of a time as they did. However, inside the ring, Del Rio's stronger than either of them in my opinion. He has a better physique than either DiBiase or JBL, is more athletic and is the superior mat technician with legit credentials to show for it. It's ultimately been Del Rio's inability to get into the minds of fans, at least to a large degree, that's held him back. When he's in the ring, he shines, but not so much when cutting promos.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I think most will describe him as a "man with a nose that oddly didn't quite fit his face who could use a throat lozenge ".

Maybe not. It is more likely people will say " he sucked " and then someone will say "but he was really good in the ring" and then another person will tell that person they "don't understand wrestling" and then the whole conversion will devolve in to a discussion about whoever is the John Cena of that time.

I think he is one of the most enjoyable in ring performers today, if not the most enjoyable. I think his tattoos are terrible and he should have only spoken Spanish. His most memorable feud was when he rushed to Ricardo's aid against Big Show and got a huge pop. I think his tights make his legs look to long and skinny and he doesn't have the upper body like a Brock Lesnar to compensate for it, he should have worn long tights or something like gauchos or tuxedo pants.

But mostly I think everyone will agree that he was better than The Miz.

 

[Барбоса]

I'll remember him as a good in-ring talent that was pushed to the top before his gimmick had actually gotten over.

I'll also remember that aside from the cars and having a personal attendant/ring announcer, his gimmick was never really played up to the potential it had. Where was the using of his seeming vast wealth to bribe referees, pay mercenaries or even attempting to buy the WWE title?

If he was supposed to be the Mexican Ted Dibiase have him actually act like the Mexican Ted Dibiase.

 

[Pedigree1]

ADR is the ultimate Mat Technician,super strong,great build! He looks like a wrestler he truly does.. He got pushed into the ME scene well before he was ready IMO.. Not saying he should have never been champion,but when he made his debut,he was that of a Mexican Million Dollar Man..

I think,the WWE should have made him act like the Million Dollar Man.. Bribe Refs,try to buy the title,ETC.. He is ever bit as superior in the ring as they come.. Mic wise true he was not that good,but for whatever reason he just couldn't connect with the audience..

I agree you need strong Mic skills you do,to help you connect. But i wonder was he doomed and no matter what,was the audience was never going to accept him anyway??

In the End,i can venture to say the vast majority will not miss him.. Personally I love him,he is a super in-ring technician and just a rich snob.. I just love that wink,and ADR is someone who is stuck in the wrong era.. Had he been in a earlier period he would have been viewed as one of the greats

 

[AzLunchbox]

......Alberto Del Who???

In all seriousness though, I think Del Rio will be remembered as someone who SHOULD have been a big star.

He has the looks. He has the skills. He has the ability to make others look good. He has only average mic skills but is passable.

There's no reason Del Rio shouldn't get over. And WWE saw that as well. So they pushed him.....and pushed him.....and turned him....and pushed him.....and turned him again.....and pushed him some more. But he never got over.

So despite looking good on paper I think he will be remembered in a similar way as Lex Luger. Someone who should have been huge....but just never really clicked.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I think he'll be remembered as the guy who had a really funny heelish entrance gimmick by having his own personal ring announcer (who just happened to get fired this week.)

As it stands, Alberto Del Rio became a whole lot less interesting or entertaining after he split from Ricardo Rodriguez. Skill wise, Alberto Del Rio reminds me of guys like Steve Keirn and Brad Armstrong. I know that's ancient history to most, but Keirn and Armstrong were always very good wrestlers in the ring, but they had no personalities or ability to truly get over. But they were always valuable as reliable enhancement talent. Del Rio is pretty much in this same class, IMO.

 

[That Zon Kid]

he'll be remembered as the mexican guy who didn't wear a mask

 

[The_Reptile_]

Great gimmick. Great in ring performer. Almost no charisma, and his Mexican Billionaire gimmick was never explored to its full potential. It's a shame too, because he genuinely could have been something good if creative didn't screw the pooch which him almost every single time.

 

[SpoodBeest]

Unjustly hated so many people labeled him as boring, droning or god awful and I never could understand why. When he first debuted his character clicked, things were working out, he was building up heat and then he won the Rumble and I think that quick push turned people off big time and they began to resent him. So by the time hew won MITB and also won the title it fueled this fire even more and he kept a decent card position until only the fall of last year and the only reason he's as low as he is now is becausing he's waking once his contract expires.

I never understood why so many people claimed he had no charisma or that he had passable mic skills. He was always charismatic and despite his accent he had no problem with his control and delivery on the stick. Did his routine get repetitive? Sure but thats natural, wrestling is structured to be so. Wrestlers do their old stick. The guy has better stage presence than the rest of the roster. Sadly he's just another midcarder on the roster now and he has nothing that made him so great during his initial heel run. He hasn't been packaged properly ever since he turned babyface.

 

[Navi]

Like so many others have said, and I feel like I'm just repeating them, he was a great technician in the ring, but boring as hell on the mic. The gimmick they gave him seems to crumble after the Richardo Rodriquez split, and he just wasn't that interesting anymore.

It's a shame, because if creative really was creative, they could have done so much more with him, but sadly no.

The one thing I will remember about him though is just how skinny his legs were. When you see him at a live show he doesn't look half as muscular as he does on TV.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I'll remember him as a good in-ring talent that was pushed to the top before his gimmick had actually gotten over.

I'll also remember that aside from the cars and having a personal attendant/ring announcer, his gimmick was never really played up to the potential it had. Where was the using of his seeming vast wealth to bribe referees, pay mercenaries or even attempting to buy the WWE title?

If he was supposed to be the Mexican Ted Dibiase have him actually act like the Mexican Ted Dibiase.

Agreed.

Why wasn't he using his money to hire some other wrestlers as his own protection team? Why wasn't he putting bounties on the Champion's head or attempting to buy the title? The gimmick had far more potential than was unlocked, thats for sure. It's strange that WWE didn't do more with the "wealth" side of his character, as Money = Power and they clearly had high hopes for Del Rio, giving him multiple title reigns, a Royal Rumble win and the MITB briefcase. Why do all this and do nothing to develop the character?

He didn't immediately get over with fans, yet was pushed straight to the top of the card. Had these ideas of character/gimmick progression been capitalised upon, then maybe the fans would have reacted to Del Rio more than they have done. There's no doubting he's a great athlete and more than good enough in the ring. The gimmick itself is good, the WWE just didn't capitalise it on how they should, which stopped Del Rio from really cracking it as a main eventer.

I think in years to come Del Rio won't be remembered that fondly, he'll never make it on a list of great champions. He'll be thought of as someone pushed too quickly to the main event, who won alot but probably shouldn't have, as the fans didn't really give a shit, but with a gimmick with a lot of untapped potential.

 

[DracoTheDragonBollea]

Del Rio is a great wrestler, the thing was during his face turn, it wasn't really him that got over with the fans, it was Ricardo. Then after his heel turn again, he only drew heat because he was now working against Ricardo who aligned himself with RVD.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

I will remember him for being good in the ring, bad on the mic, and getting multiple pushes that really never went anywhere. And I'll remember him using the word "destiny" way too often.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't think he'll be remembered. And Del Rio has nobody to blame but himself for that. WWE gave him the world and he simply didn't have enough to take advantage.

I appreciate his ring work, but having seen him live I understand who nobody connects with him. He's just that guy that other people face. Even when he was one of the top stars.

If pub quizzes featured wrestling questions, and one had the answer of Del Rio, even the most hardcore of fans will struggle to answer it.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Agreed.

Why wasn't he using his money to hire some other wrestlers as his own protection team? Why wasn't he putting bounties on the Champion's head or attempting to buy the title? The gimmick had far more potential than was unlocked, thats for sure. It's strange that WWE didn't do more with the "wealth" side of his character, as Money = Power and they clearly had high hopes for Del Rio, giving him multiple title reigns, a Royal Rumble win and the MITB briefcase. Why do all this and do nothing to develop the character?

He didn't immediately get over with fans, yet was pushed straight to the top of the card. Had these ideas of character/gimmick progression been capitalised upon, then maybe the fans would have reacted to Del Rio more than they have done. There's no doubting he's a great athlete and more than good enough in the ring. The gimmick itself is good, the WWE just didn't capitalise it on how they should, which stopped Del Rio from really cracking it as a main eventer.

Yup, Del Rio's character, particularly when he was always going on about how it was his destiny to win the WWE Title, should've been paired off with John Cena -- the working man, Mr. Hustle Loyalty Respect himself. It's no different from the Hogan-DiBiase formula. It worked then, and it could've worked again here. It also could've served as the main event for Wrestlemania 27. Del Rio WAS over at a heel around that time...he was coming off the feud with Mysterio (his one truly good feud in the WWE, IMO). The Miz wasn't working as champ, and no one bought into Cena Vs. Miz either. Instead of having Del Rio face Edge (and LOSE), why not have him face champ Cena and do exact what Triple Naitch says above in the weeks leading to WM? Have bounties on the head of Cena? Possibly get Brodus Clay over as his bodyguard even more?

Finally, Del Rio and Edge just didn't click. Edge is not the kinda of face (he's not really a face at all) to be the kind to rally sentiment against the evil aristocrat that Del Rio was portraying. Cena would've been perfect for that.

 

[chicagokmc]

Hall of famer at some point 15 - 20 years from now. At the end of the day it's about what happened in his career, not what should have or could have happened. If he retires today he's more accomplished than several HOF'ers including dare I say it Koko B Ware...

 

[Degenerate88]

Alberto who? Seriously? Who are we talking about? That will be a fan's response next year. Thats practically my response now. The guy has never been anything to give an ounce of crap about. He should go back to Mexico where he apparently is a somebody.

 

[theblasterkid]

I haven't watched wrestling from 2006-2013 (Summerslam was a start up again), but I like Del Rio. The guy puts on some awesome matches and I think his enzuigiri is one of the best! Maybe he got pushed to fast, I don't know. I think he would make a hell of a IC champ though.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

I think Alberto's WWE Career falls into a bit of "A Tale of Two Del Rio's"

When Alberto first debuted, his character and portrayal of that character were pretty universally well received. He had a great look, he was solid in the ring, and he had the size that Vince McMahon soils his pants over. While his gimmick was far from original, it was kind of a breath of fresh air to be reintroduced to that Million Dollar Man/JBL classic rich heel who could buy what he could not earn. Alberto was pushed to the top of the card as a heel, but one you loved. He was given impressive wins that culminated in a Royal Rumble victory and an eventual decent run(s) with The World Title.

And then he won Money in the Bank....

As we all know, starting July 2011, we were introduced to "The Summer of Punk." CM Punk dropped his pipe bomb and overnight became the most interesting anti establishment hero since Stone Cold Steve Austin. For some reason, and I'm purely speculating here, WWE seemed like they believed Punk was just a flash in the pan. After his widely anticipated return, Punk defeated John Cena at Summerslam, only to lose his title in controversial fashion to Alberto Del Rio. WWE had finally listened to it's fans and pushed the guy we wanted, only to try and take it away, using a more safe and company friendly superstar. After this happened, people started to turn on Del Rio. His previously tolerable weaknesses suddenly jumped to the forefront and now made him "boring" and "unwatchable." There was a bit of fan backlash and WWE had to rectify it, Alberto Del Rio dropped the title back to CM Punk and was never quite the same afterwards.

Alberto Del Rio is an entertaining wrestler who can put on a good show and occupy a main event spot. Sadly, due to The WWE's mismanagement of him, he was irreparably damaged and unfortunately, I believe the second half of his career is how he'll be remembered.