Former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio says his legacy was "stolen" (Exclusive)

Alberto Del Rio was one of WWE's most prominent stars in the early-to-mid 2010s. The 47-year-old recently opened up about a legal situation outside the ring that he believes affected his legacy in the wrestling business.

In 2020, Del Rio was arrested after being accused of assaulting and kidnapping his ex-fiancée. Charges were dropped when it emerged she made the story up as revenge after he cheated on her.

Del Rio resumed his in-ring career in 2021 after over a year away from wrestling. Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, the Mexican said he did not want his reputation to be ruined by a false accusation:

"My legacy was stolen from me," Del Rio stated. "It was taken away from me. It's not something that I lost. It was stolen from somebody, and even though I was doing other stuff, doing some acting, doing some reality shows in Latin America, and it was fun, there was always that fire inside of me telling me, 'Wrestling is your passion, wrestling is your love, and that's what made you be the man you are today. You have to go and reclaim your legacy because it's there waiting for you.'" [14:36 – 15:18]

Watch the video above to hear Del Rio's thoughts on his former WWE rival John Cena retiring in 2025.

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Another reason why Alberto Del Rio returned

In 2021, Alberto Del Rio began wrestling on the independent scene before working for bigger companies including AAA and WWC. He currently holds the AAA Mega Championship and will face Ray Gonzalez for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship on September 21.

Del Rio added that the standard of modern-day wrestling played a part in his decision to step back into the ring:

"I was looking into the wrestling scene, the indie wrestling scene, or even the major companies, and I was at the same time looking at myself in the mirror and I was like, 'I look better than most of these guys,' and none of them can fight the way I do. Well, maybe five, eight, 10 of the performers can go at it the way I do, can fight the way I do, but not the rest, so I said to myself, 'We're gonna give it another year, giving it all and even more, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, I'll just go and do something different.'" [15:19 – 16:04]

Del Rio also addressed whether he could return to WWE after eight years away from the company.

What is your favorite Alberto Del Rio moment? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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WWC presents Black September this Saturday at the Trujillo Alto Coliseum in Puerto Rico. For the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship, Puerto Rico's Greatest of All Time, Mr. Rayting, Ray Gonzalez, defends against AAA's Mega Champion, Alberto Del Rio.

On September 29, fans can also watch WWC's 51st Anniversary show on PPV on Triller TV.

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