It appears what could have been an ugly public relations war for the WWE has been settled. Former WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio tweeted that he and the WWE have come to a settlement, avoiding would could have been a public relations nightmare for the WWE.
[adinserter block=”1″]Del Rio tweeted on late Sunday evening. It is in Spanish but it essentially says that he and the WWE have come to terms on a release, specifically when it comes to booking Del Rio. Del Rio wished the WWE future endeavors which you have to think is a bit of a pun over the WWE’s public policy when it comes to reporting on departures.
Mike Johnson over at PWInsider.com reports that part of the deal includes a provision that prevents the WWE and Del Rio from disparaging each other in public. Del Rio was expected to continue unleashing allegations of racist against the WWE should the WWE continue to hold Del Rio to his contract. The company has gotten fairly lucky in that national media in this country has not picked up on the story. It was inevitable that a story was going to get picked up and it could have been a major blow to a company that appears more concerned about public perception than quality booking these days.
Del Rio was fired from the WWE a couple of months ago after slapping a social media employee in the face. Del Rio has told the story in numerous international interviews and most of us have heard it before. The gist of it is that this employee left trash at catering and when asked to clean it up told someone that it was Del Rio’s job to clean it up. Del Rio got wind of this, demanded an apology, and when the employee refused Del Rio nailed him with a hard slap. Del Rio was fired days later and the employee kept his job until recently.
The kicker to the story is that the WWE wanted to hold Del Rio to a clause in his contract which prevented him from working in the United States for a year. TNA Wrestling reportedly made Del Rio an offer for whatever it is worth and it is highly likely that Del Rio could clean up on the U.S. independent scene. It would appear that this new agreement would allow Del Rio to seek opportunities where he pleases starting today whether they be in America or television elsewhere.
The irony here is that the tweet comes a day after Alberto filmed a Shoot Interview for RF Video. It will be interesting to see if Del Rio took this video as a last attempt to get his story out there and take shots at the WWE or if he avoided anything disparaging. The timing is certainly interesting to say the least.
[adinserter block=”2″]Unfortunately the pro wrestling industry in the United States isn’t what it used to be and there aren’t any real enticing opportunities for Del Rio. TNA is a nice thought but the company has no television deal in place for 2015. Dixie Carter has also missed her deadline for making an announcement which certainly doesn’t appear to be good news for TNA. Lucha Underground is making its way into America but they have a long way to go before they become viable. Del Rio was scheduled to be a part of the group but terms of his deal prior to this settlement would have prevented him from doing so in the U.S. until August 2015. It should be noted that if Rey Mysterio can get out of his deal as he desires, Lucha Underground could make a heck of a splash with both Del Rio and Mysterio on their TV and touring in the U.S.
It is a bittersweet ending to one of the most fascinating stories of the year. There is a part of me that feels that the WWE got off a little too easy here considering the facts behind Del Rio’s firing. Nonetheless, cooler heads finally prevailed and an amicable parting will benefit everyone moving forward.
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