Another one bites the dust. Adios to Alberto del Rio who (as of this writing) has allegedly disgracefully been ejected from WWE. The rumor, first beginning on WWE.com, stated Alberto del Rio got into an altercation with an employee, which may have gotten physical. As a result, he has been let go due to “unprofessional conduct.”
This, is a damn shame. We all know the Mexican Aristocrat was ready to hang up the boots when his contract ran up in a few months, but is this really the way to go? I mean, sure, CM Punk just walked out of the company not too long ago, and this is not the first time a disgruntled wrestler opted for the wrong way out of the business. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did it, Shawn Michaels did it, but in this instance, I am really peeved off, but not in the way one might think. I am angry because I always talked about Del Rio having integrity and respect for the business, always putting on a great show no matter what. There have been rumors he has been unhappy with his character as of late, due to a lack of main event push and mid-card stagnation. Someone who does not follow the dirtsheets would never have known, since he puts on his very best performance in each and every match.
Del Rio is a guy, who upon first arrival, I compared to being a cross between Rick “The Model” Martel and Mr. Perfect. When Del Rio won the first-ever 40-man Royal Rumble, I leapt out of my chair. Even has a notorious villain, he was always beloved by the fans for his outstanding work ethic. I supported Del Rio, whether face or heel, mid-card or top-of-the-card. He personified an aspect of classic wrestling which I feel had been lacking during the time of his arrival. I felt his in-ring work and his on-the-mic attitude contributed to WWE making an effort in having wrestling feel important again. His mere presence would gain attraction and attention.
Then I see WWE sending out messages via Twitter. The rumor is Del Rio got into a confrontation with one of WWE’s social media managers, who allegedly made a racist comment, so Rio smacked him for it. Now the social media guy is sending out twitter replies. Seems petty, low, and outright childish if this is the truth. Almost seems as though this could be part of the show, but if it isn’t and this unknown social media person is now taking shots post-firing, this guy is a child. Although, if the guy did make a racist comment, why is he not being dealt with?
Whatever revelations we learn, if this is indeed reality and not a work, I remain, not happy.
I miss Wade Barrett. Come back soon, please.
You know else is not happy? Dixie Carter. She took a serious top-rope table plant thanks to Bully Ray and Devon Dudley this past Thursday on Impact. Sure it was taped, so we all saw it coming, but still fun to watch. I have to give credit, by having their main event match result of Samoa Joe winning the X-Division championship has a pretty strong symbol. For a time, Samoa Joe, regardless what title he held, was always one of the company’s top go-to-guys for a big match.
Impact Wrestling has a lot of talent. A lot. My concern for them is about the same concerns I often express for WWE. Having an overcrowded roster, and only so many spots to fill. Think about it, Eric Young was their champion about the same length of time Daniel Bryan was WWE Champion. Suddenly, Young is back to mid-card, while the big heavyweights such as Bobby Lashley and Bobby Roode are back in the main event, coincidentally when John Cena and Brock Lesnar are the focus of the title picture. Then again, no one ever thought Bobby Roode would be a major star either. Point is, like WWE, they have a huge roster with a lot of great talent, but again, how many can truly show off with such a limited amount of television time. They do not have the exposure WWE has, with three or four shows a week.
This might be the first time I have voiced the same concern about both companies. One concern I do not have to voice is whether either company will go under anytime soon. While I have said in the past TNA/Impact Wrestling has always been teetering on the edge of the cliff, they have yet to fall over into the abyss. There was a time, long ago, people thought WCW had Vince’s number, but it never happened. Was WWE losing in ratings, sure they were, but they came back and survived. WWE will survive the lawsuits and investigations, settlements will be made. Money will be lost, money will be reclaimed, but business will go on. Impact Wrestling will go on as well. Are they in any position to fuel a Monday Night War? Not a chance in hell. If they stay where they are and press along, gradually adding better programming and removing the nonsense, they may stand a chance of long-term survival after all.
