**Merged** Alberto Del Rio

[LongLiveTheStreak]

Given the history of superstars who debut with self-promotional vigenettes weeks before we see them in the ring(Beaver Cleavage, R-Truth, Kizarny) this guy has a lot to prove to me.
Remember R-Truth's viginattes? Since he debuted, he has spent his career in mid-card limbo.
Remember Kizarny's weird vigenettes where he was this freak-show at a carnival? He debuted in the ring with a horrible performance against MVP(although he won) during MVP's losing streak of `08. Kizarny got no reaction from the crowd at all, and was sent striaght to future endeavorment.
So Alberto del Rio has a long, long way to go. Especially aince WWE started his Smackdown career with a submission victory over Rey Mysterio.

 

[Nada]

Dos Caras Jr. is a fantastic in ring performer, those of us who have followed him know this. He can easily back it up in the ring.

I dare say him and Bryan Danielson are the 2 best in ring perfomers in WWE at the moment, yes better than Jericho, who is a legend but is past his prime at least when it comes in ring performance.

While watching this last RAW i kept thinking "man i cant wait to see what Alberto does on Smackdown", usually its the other way around.

Its not so much his gimmick, but he gives this aura of a "champion" a real champion mind you, not some guy with a belt around his waist like Sheamus or dare i even say John Cena, they are good at what they do but they never struck me as "champions", they dont have that Ric Flair esque vibe that you are watching something great, something unique.

When you watch real life champions from other sports like Kobe Bryant, Ronaldo, Messi etc there is this magical aura, Alberto has the same thing going for him.

The last time we saw this was Batistas brief heel run lately, where he dressed differently, arrived in a limo, required "spotlight!", it felt big regardless of the fact that Batista isent the most exciting inring performer, it still felt special.

 

[16mikeytot]

Don't get the hype. Doesn't seem like a big deal. Would have been much more interested if he'd come in wearing a mask, been a face and done a lot more flips. As it is, his introduction into the WWE - and his character - is so eerily reminiscent of Carlito it's not even funny. I'll be very, very surprised if he has a long term future in the WWE as a main eventer.

No this guy definitely has a huge future with wwe. It's being reported that wwe wants to push Del Rio as a big time heel and then have him become a top face. Apparently Del Rio is proceeded to take Mysterios spot as the next huge latin star.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Wow, i haven't seen any of his vignettes or his match with Rey, but his stuff on SD this week was really good.

The cocky arrogance does remind you of Carlito though.

Spoiler

Even Striker says 'Has anyone had a more impactful debut on SD than Alberto Del Rio' or something like that, and i immediately thought 'yeah Carlito, when he won the US belt off Cena in his first match.' But i like this guy a lot more so far already.

The classic cars bit is very JBL, and the golden shower (heh, heh, 'golden shower') is very Orton (wish he'd go back to that actually) but i just found it hilarious listening to his personal ring announcer. That guy seemed to be just as smug and arrogant as Del Rio.

Anyway, i look forward to seeing more of this guy.

Hopefully he won't assume he can ride his previous accollades into instant success like Carlito did and he'll actually go far in WWE.

 

[The Encore]

Smackdown airs in 20 Minutes for me, and I don't read the spoilers. I am looking forward to seeing more of Mr. Del Rio. His debut was beyond impressive, he did everything he needed to do to look like a future world champion. As shallow as this seems, I KNOW he will be a future world champion in the WWE. And if I'm wrong crucify me (Literally put me in his finisher haha) He showed solid promo skills for his first time on Television, and his wrestling looked better than rey's in that match. Let alone the entrance was awesome. He has the aurora on him that just tells you this is worth watching. Let alone this man got tons of heat as he beat Rey Mysterio last week.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Alberto Del Rio was once again impressive in his appearance on SmackDown. He came out, again with no fan fare and simply just put Rey Mysterio down. He worked the crowd well and focused his attention on the arm, picking it apart until he was forced to leave. He looked strong, commanding and was over with the crowd (they hated him). Del Rio is no doubt going to be a hated heel for the next few months AT LEAST.

The only question is; Where now for Alberto? Rey will most likely be off television now and while that give Del Rio credibility, it leaves him without a feud and due to the lack of upper-midcard/main event faces on SmackDown, Del Rio is going to be stuck unless a suitable opponent is found. Right now, I wouldn't mind seeing a feud between him and Christian. I think those two could work some interesting matches. A run with the IC Title seems obvious, but with Dolph being a heel (and being built as a bit of a vicious heel at that), I'm not sure if he'll move to that or just bypass it all together.

 

[Ferbian]

I think it's a shame that he had to go up against a jobber this week. I think he could've at least been booked against one of the lower guys on Smackdown. I think they could've easily paired him up against Chavo. And sure I get that he's a heel and all that, but talking degrading to him about his Mexican heritage might still get Alberto Del Rio some heat.

Nonetheless he looked great last night, poking at the feud with Rey Mysterio was a good little touch, like he was all caring and just wanted to end Mysterios pain. Also his match against the jobber weren't all bad for a jobber match. I loved his belly to back suplex (I didn't quite get the name of it), as well as the time where he placed the jobber on the ropes, then pushes him off.

Now he just needs to actually be put in matches with proper roster members. No more jobbers please, that would kill the momentum of his debut match. Alberto certainly has a bright future ahead of him, I'm sure.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

All right, so Alberto made his Monday Night Raw debut last night. Del Rio continues to impress me with his mic skills, in-ring work and all round look. I personally can't wait to see more of him on SmackDown, but getting back to Raw and it was nice to see him interrupt a match as opposed to just let it finish. It showed that he was what was most important about that subject and not the match itself. Del Rio targeting smaller wrestlers is also an interesting idea. He appears to have a thing for the cruiserweights and I wouldn't be surprised if we see him face off with Chavo Guerrero on this coming Friday Night SmackDown.

I also liked how, Del Rio seems to have a lack of fear about him (The Look he gave Mark Henry, to me, showed that he would be willing to face Henry at some point) which is rare for a heel, who isn't 6'6 +, in this day & age. Overall, a really good showing from Del Rio once again.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I haven't seen him wrestle in the ring yet. The good thing is I only have about a month until I can see him and other wrestlers that I haven't been able to see in years on cable television. I like his look and his gimmick. He reminds of a cross between Tito Santana and The Model Rick Martel. He also has that Million Dollar Man image that Dibiase couldn't pull off if he tried. It's also great to see someone Latin in WWE that isn't Rey Mysterio. Before Rey and Eddie were big, the only other Latin people in WWE were the Mexicools. Rio plays his role pretty well. I just have to wait and see how he performs in the ring before I give my verdict.

 

[Ferbian]

I'm already growing very fond of Alberto Del Rio. He's very entertaining, and he's slowly starting to look a liiittle bit legit with being able to destroy the smaller guys.

He's definitely showing a great future. And he is given some decent time, which only shows that he's liked by WWE management, and they're definitely high on pushing this guy, and I really can't blame them. They have done nice at hyping the guy, while following up with the hype.

All of this, has me excited to watch Alberto Del Rio on Smackdown this week, and I can only hope that they're pushing Rey Mysterio to be in a feud with Alberto, and to do it firmly and thoroughly to have Alberto look like a legit guy in the mid-card / upper mid-card / lower main event.

 

[DanAlmighty]

Stryker said it best. If memory serves me correct Grish asked him what his 1st impressions of Alberto Del Rio were during the debut match and it was either "A star has arrived" or " A star is born". Either way, Del Rio has been EXCELLENT so far! Give him some time to go through the little guys and lower card and then give him to Matt Hardy and Christian (that's the current Smackdown formula right!??). But give him some actual time in proper feuds to help get him properly over. Give him the IC title and give it some prestige by holding it for a lengthy period, defending on TV and PPV and allow him to speak alot to (like they do with Miz). I do wonder why people say they cant understand him....his accent isn't that bad on my British ears?? He's gold on the mic, has natural charisma, a great look and gimmick.....I already love the guy!

On a side note....i LOVED the little spot in his match against the jobber where he put the guy on the ropes and winked at him before shoving him on his face, out of the ring. Comic gold!

 

[Furyof5]

Alberto Del Rio is excellent so far. His in ring work is great because its pretty old school when he is implementing ring psychology and his mannerisms are fantastic. On top of this he has shown to be able to carry himself on the stick and follow it up with his character, which is quite rare for a heel today.

The character of the rich Mexican is excellent for him and fits him to a T. The entrance with the Rolls and his own personal announcer is great for getting heat and the amount of heat he has been getting is rather surprising. If the crowd's reaction to him is any indication then he is going to go places, and fast.

On top of all of this Rey Mysterio, whom rarely puts anyone below him over, actually lost to this man in his debut, CLEAN! So this seems like a great indicator for his future in the wrestling business. A future I welcome open armed.

 

[ctln4rko]

he has an AWESOME finisher, but his gimmick is way too much like jbl. the limo, scarf, seriosly, how do you go from beating and hurting rey myserio to beating a jobber.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I agree, I am getting fond of this guy, just for the sheer entertainment of seeing him beat up on Rey (Sorry Rey fans) and his finisher is amazing to me. His mic skills make me want to see what he'll do next. That being said, my friend pointed out to me where he had seen him before, he said DelRio reminds him of another version of JBL. You have the white scarf around the next, the billionaire/wealthy persona, the grand statements he makes, the 'better than you' ego, the way he drives in for his ring entrance in a fancy car each time. Not that I'm saying he's trying to be JBL, but the similarities were hard for me not to ignore when I watched the replay of my SD the other night. I would like to see what exactly this DelRio cat has in mind, granted, I'm a fan of the original JBL, but I know he's probably not intending it to be a impersonation of him, but I just can't get over the similarities, even beating on Rey, like JBL did...ah...memories.

 

[Lionshare]

i think alberto del rio has been impressive since his debut, i've been watching a lot of videos from cmll, and i think he's a future star, very agile for a man his size, and has a variety of moves that can make him carry any fight, if he doesn't complain about losing the mask and focus in his new persona, he can get really far in the wwe...

 

[ThomasRKOSeay]

I didn't Like Del Rio's apperance on RAW, It was too fast for him to go to RAW. I hope WWE just keeps him on Smackdown, Smackdown needs talant, and hes the savior for Smackdown. Smackdown has been weak lately, I hope WWE dosen't screw Del Rio up, like they did to Drew Mcintrye.

 

[CyberPunk]

Del Rio was not joining RAW....I wud have loved to see Del Rio in a match with someone on RAW roster(may be someone in upper midcard on RAW)......I see a feud with Christian warming up which is a very good sign...both will be benefited......

 

[Disturbed]

Albero Del Rio-Am I the only guy on WZ who does not like this guy?Everything i read about him is positive.Well I think he's terrible and shows little potential at all.His promos are so boring and i hate how WWE is pushing him as a future World Champ.When I read a while back WWE signed this star from Mexico i was expecting a solid high flying athlete.I was disappointed.So thats my thoughts this is a thread about Alberto Del Rio so what do you think about him and do you think he deserves a title run?

 

[Bobizzle]

Well, I like Del Rio because he does come from a great line of luchadors and he has a savvy attitude, which is what smackdown needs-A dominant, suave heel who doesnt take himself too seriously or try too hard to get the crowd against him.

That's CM Punk's problem. He is a pretty good heel, but the reason he isnt getting over with the company well anymore is because he just doesnt have the traits that get heels over with fans well, he tries too hard. He got over well when he feuded with Jeff Hardy, but that was because it had a good gimmick to back it up with: Straight edge vs. past addictions. But right now, the SES just isnt cutting it. Which is why Punk needs to be a face again, his gimmick is running stale fast.

But back to Del Rio. I think he should go undefeated on Smackdown, and be a dominant heel. Im not saying make him a main eventer yet, but he can get over well if given the chance. After the Rey feud, I think he should rival with either Christian or Hardy, then maybe move his way up from there. Assuming Kofi or another face wins the intercontinental title from Dolph, Im sure Del Rio will win the title at some point

 

[kurt_angle_no1fan]

Interesting that this ADR went 1 on 1 with Cro-Cop in Pride!!! His record doesnt seem to bad for a MMA Fighter.

Anyway, back to Wrestling. I love this guy! His cocky arrogance (winking and grin) remind me of Cristiano Ronaldo on the Football (Soccer) field!!! He can talk. he's got a great gimmick, he looks good in the ring = future Champ.

 

[Shay]

its been said on this very site that wwe are planning to push del rio massively as a heel and then turn him face to become the no1 latin/mexican star replacing reymysterio so thats a guarantee he'll be sticking around and on a different note how cool is his finisher?? i would like to see it done on bigger guys like kane or big show

 

[LongLiveTheStreak]

Albero Del Rio-Am I the only guy on WZ who does not like this guy?Everything i read about him is positive.Well I think he's terrible and shows little potential at all.His promos are so boring and i hate how WWE is pushing him as a future World Champ.When I read a while back WWE signed this star from Mexico i was expecting a solid high flying athlete.I was disappointed.So thats my thoughts this is a thread about Alberto Del Rio so what do you think about him and do you think he deserves a title run?

Youre not alone my friend! I dont like Alberto either. I dont think he is very good in the ring and I could see him actually breaking someones arm with his hold. Not the hold itself, but the way he applies it looks pretty dangerous. I wouldnt be suprised if he really does hurt someone doing that.

I'm not impressed by his promos or gimmick. I dont like the way he never takes the smile off his face, like he inst taking anything seriously. And I really dont get the point of Alberto's Raw appearance on the 900th episode.

 

[NWannabe]

LLTS; Your qualms with Rio seem to come across as.."This heel is being a jerk." What with the sneak attacks, the constant demeaning smile and his own announcer. Yeah, you may hate him but he is certainly doing his job well.

 

[OverThere]

Albero Del Rio-Am I the only guy on WZ who does not like this guy?Everything i read about him is positive.Well I think he's terrible and shows little potential at all.His promos are so boring and i hate how WWE is pushing him as a future World Champ.When I read a while back WWE signed this star from Mexico i was expecting a solid high flying athlete.I was disappointed.So thats my thoughts this is a thread about Alberto Del Rio so what do you think about him and do you think he deserves a title run?

So the only reason you don't like him is because you were expecting another Rey Mysterio, and can't appreciate what you got in the slightest?

Plus, he is actually pretty entertaining, and in my opinion, he's doing pretty well, promo and wrestling wise.

 

[#hamler]

This dude is fucking amazing. He's gold. I didn't really know what to expect from his boring ass commercials that appeared on Smackdwon like a few months ago. But when he got here, with that cocky smile on his face, I loved it. Christian said it best, he reminds me of JBL. His ring gear needs changing and maybe take away that stupid announcer that introduces him. I love his Arm Bar finisher. It fits in well with his Mix Martial Arts background. Even though he reminds me a little of Eric Escobar, I love this guy. I would love to see this guy as a top heel, which Smackdown is in desperate need for.