I write a wrestling column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review every Monday and Friday.
The topic today was on the breaking news of WWE firing Alberto Del Rio on Thursday night. The following is an excerpt to my reaction:
In a time of budget cuts, Alberto Del Rio just made it easy for WWE to make another one.
Del Rio was fired from the company after an official statement was posted Thursday night on WWE.com. It said he was released due to unprofessional conduct involving an altercation with an employee.
From who I’ve spoken with, as well as other reports surfacing, Del Rio was involved in an incident with a non-wrestling employee Tuesday at television.
No official word has come from WWE, but I’m not surprised by the company’s actions. If it were an altercation with another wrestler, it would be a different story. There have been many locker room battles over the years between guys. It’s not encouraged, but it doesn’t warrant immediate termination or sometimes even punishment.
Wrestlers are a fraternity. Human Resources doesn’t police the locker room. Harassment, pranks and even fighting is settled among themselves. It’s their own unspoken rules. When a wrestler steps out of the fraternity and gets involved with another employee — then it’s open season for HR.
The other point I continue to hear is how unhappy Del Rio was.
This was the last year on his contract with WWE, and he was in the middle of his lowest profile position on the card in his tenure with the company. Once fighting in world title matches at WrestleMania, he had been relegated as a filler opponent. He was still working top guys, but with no real direction in his own creative plans.
I don’t think Del Rio did anything intentional to get fired. I do think that whatever built-up frustration he’s had made him react quicker than perhaps he otherwise would have.
CLICK HERE for what about Del Rio would have bothered WWE and his future.
