Jesus Rodriguez (formerly known as Ricardo Rodriguez) was one of the more popular wrestling managers in WWE. He was the manager of former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Alberto El Patron (formerly known as Alberto Del Rio).
Since parting ways with WWE, Rodriguez has competed around the world and helped set up international wrestling territories in India and Egypt.
While speaking to WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard, Rodriguez shared his experience working in those countries that didn’t have a homegrown wrestling scene beforehand.
“Obviously, [companies like WWE] are global, they are international, so the popularity is always there. The ability to train properly and a place that has that kind of a knowledge is rare. Because, I think sometimes we forget how big the world really is and massive. In India there was — and India is a big country. Huge massive country. So there was nothing there. Sure there’s been wrestling there. But there were people that were coming in from the outside to do an event and then they leave. But there was nothing that was there that was homegrown.”
Rodriguez was asked if there was a comparison to starting schools internationally compared to in the United States. He said that with everything available to wrestlers domestically, they might take it for granted. Some countries, like Egypt, didn’t have anything set up, and they’d have to go However, it was a rewarding experience for him overall.
“So I got to spend six months in Jalandhar, India. It was The Great Khali’s [wrestling school, CWE], and there was nothing else. There was nothing [else] there in the country. And I got to build that. By the time I left, what came after was rewarding and very amazing. Like I said, there’s an independent scene now because of all that time.
“And it’s not to say, I didn’t do this by myself. None of this is ever done by oneself. It’s a group of people. The folks that went after me, Darryl Sharma who’s the head ref over at NXT. Fasad, who is international as well. For me, other people that went after I went to keep it going, keep it building. But yeah, it is very secluded and there was no other options. And that’s the thing. And I think sometimes we take things for granted here in the US, for what’s available and what’s there. Cuz, they didn’t have options over there. That was it. Same thing at Egypt. There was no options. It was either that or they go to Europe and then they train over there. So is it scary? Oh yeah.”
Rodriguez said he’d love to work with The Great Khali again in some capacity. Khali moved back to India several years ago, but Rodriguez could see them linking back up one day.
“I would love to have Khali come down to MLW one day. That would be — or even MLW go to India. Let’s take this international, man.”
Watch our full interview with Jesus Rodriguez below:
