According to The Wrestling Observer, former WWE star Alberto Del Rio recently did an interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine, during which he spoke candidly about racism in WWE and the backstage incident which lead to his release.
Del Rio alleges racist comments were made all the time when he was in WWE, and they were pointed mostly at Latinos and African-Americans. Del Rio noted he never said anything about it because the comments were generally made by higher ups in the company. He added that if someone low on the WWE totem poll, like Cody Barbierri, made a racist comment, then he would say something.
Regarding the backstage incident with Barbierri, Del Rio said at first he was told he would be suspended for slapping Barbierri, but after WWE realized there was a lawsuit pending stemming from an incident with Big Show years ago, it was decided Del Rio would be released in case Barbierri sued.
Del Rio was given the impression that he would be back in a few months but he told WWE if he wasn’t hired back by the time he hung up the phone, he wasn’t coming back and noted that he had already made up his mind about leaving when his contract expired.
Del Rio did not name who made the phone call to him but said it was someone higher-up who always made racial jokes. Del Rio said because this person does it, others think it’s okay to do.
Del Rio claimed the former Sin Cara is making $5,000 per match in Mexico and is doing two to three matches per week. He also claimed the new hot talents in WWE are making $500 per match. Del Rio claimed one WWE Superstar, who was not named but also has a brother in the company, told him that he worked a Superstars match, a long RAW match, a promo on RAW and then a dark match at the end of the show and got just $500 for it. He also mentioned wrestlers getting paid $2,000 for a four-show tour of Mexico. He said the young WWE talents are not unhappy about things but not completely happy either, but have no other choice.
Del Rio also said WWE only wants you to do their style in the ring and they keep you in a box to where you can’t think outside of the box. He doesn’t blame WWE for that because it works for them but now he’s going to mix American, European, Japanese and Mexican styles.
Del Rio mentioned that his father Dos Caras will have a big retirement event in 2015 with Del Rio, his brother Guillermo Rodriguez, Mil Mascaras and stars from Japan. He added that Rey Mysterio wants to attend.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
