Alberto Del Rio Released by WWE: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
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Alberto Del Rio may have wrestled his last match in WWE after the company officially announced his release Friday morning.
Del Rio, who was still serving a 30-day suspension following a violation of the company's wellness policy, also commented on the "mutually agreed upon" decision:
His departure shouldn't come as a major surprise following his underwhelming run.
Del Rio made his surprise return at Hell in a Cell in October 2015:
John Cena's United States Championship open challenge series had become one of the best parts of WWE programming prior to Del Rio's arrival. Having him end Cena's U.S. title reigns seemingly signified the company had big plans for him in the immediate future.
Instead, Del Rio's second stint in WWE has been largely forgettable. His "MexAmerica" partnership with Zeb Colter went nowhere and did little to help him build momentum. The League of Nations showed early promise but quickly fizzled.
After the League of Nations' breakup, Del Rio was stuck in midcard purgatory. He was a big enough star to consistently wrestle on Raw and SmackDown before the brand split, but his matches served little purpose in terms of any long-term storytelling.
His last appearance on WWE programming was a defeat to Cena on the Aug. 16 edition of SmackDown Live:
Del Rio is a talented performer. For a variety of reasons, he and WWE simply aren't a good fit. Some wrestlers excel in the company, while others are better off elsewhere. John Morrison, Cody Rhodes and Derrick Bateman are among the more notable names to have flourished after their departures.
Del Rio was enjoying a successful spell with Lucha Underground prior to going back to WWE, and that may be his best bet as he takes his next step in his career.
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