Amidst the extraordinary news of WrestleMania being relocated to the WWE Performance Center, rumours are surfacing regarding Alberto Del Rio making another return to the mainstream scene after a 4 year hiatus. Del Rio has had a bit of a love/hate relationship with WWE, last appearing in 2016 to feud with the likes of Roman Reigns and The New Day as part of The League of Nations. Several dramas surrounded the former WWE Champion, inside and outside of the ring, eventually leading to his departure from the company and his return to the independent scene.
Del Rio has remained somewhat of a minor player in recent years, with his status suffering since the majority of wrestling fans turned on him. If the son of Dos Caras does make a comeback, will he receive the same treatment that he’s received in previous runs? Or is this going to be more of a brief cameo, with a potential transition into a backstage role?
Either way, the WWE Universe aren’t exactly buzzing to see Alberto make an in-ring return, if it does indeed come to fruition this time round. But if he does, who exactly could Del Rio be matched up against to start re-building his career and relationship with the fans.
Credit where it’s due, Alberto could hang. He might not be a match of the year factory, but there’s definitely potential for some fun matches with some current members of the WWE main roster. Let’s run down 5 potential return feuds for Del Rio in 2020.
Make sure you drop your own suggestions in the comments down below.
1. Andrade
Andrade seems to be in a constant process of being groomed to become the next big Latino star in WWE. Having had victories over the likes of Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre and Finn Balor, the current United States champion is running on a high in his career and could certainly ride that through to the main event scene.
If anything, a returning Alberto Del Rio could benefit from standing across the ring from ‘El Idolo’, as the two could definitely steal the show with their hard-hitting Lucha-libre style.
Alberto could stake a claim to being WWE’s favourite Latino son, the man that was supposed to be the next Eddie Guerrero. A bitter Del Rio is unleashed on the younger model, turning Andrade into the babyface star that could remodel WWE for the Latin audience. A battle to become WWE’s biggest Mexican export could create a buzz that Del Rio sorely needs.
Without a doubt, Andrade should walk away with the win.
2. Ricochet
Alberto Del Rio has proven in the past that he can work really well with high-flyers. His matches with Rey Mysterio were among his greatest in the company, meaning that’s exactly the sort of chemistry WWE want to exploit upon his potential return. Looking at the current range of acrobats on the main roster, quite possibly the best of the bunch is ‘The One and Only’, Ricochet.
Ricochet could bring out the very best of Alberto Del Rio, positioning him as someone that can be relied upon to put together a fun match when necessary. Not only that, but Ricochet could do with a big win to put him back on the right track on the main roster.
If WWE are looking to get Alberto Del Rio over in a big way, then they need to put him in the ring with someone that can generate some interest from the audience. Ricochet is one man that the fans want to see excel, a big match with a superstar that, quite frankly, nobody wants to see win could make for a really fun dynamic as well as a fantastic match.
3. Aleister Black
Aleister Black is starting to climb up the ranks on Monday Night Raw, with his most recent pay-per-view win over AJ Styles positioning him well for the rest of the year. A returning Alberto Del Rio could be another big stepping stone for the Dutchman; providing Black another huge name with championship history to give him the rub. Not only this, but Del Rio could match Aleister strike for strike, with a similar MMA-inspired style that could mesh together nicely in a really fun bout.
Deep down inside, I just really want to see Aleister Black kick the living daylights out of Alberto Del Rio. Fans will be all over seeing Black deliver a long-awaited comeuppance to the ‘Pride of Mexico’. Perhaps if Aleister has no big plans awaiting him after the dust settles following WrestleMania, then a returning Alberto Del Rio could do nothing but favours for Black’s trajectory going forward.
4. John Morrison
This match has happened a dozen times outside of WWE, and they were actually some pretty fun encounters. During their respective runs in Lucha Underground and IMPACT Wrestling, they were matched up against one another and delivered some pretty intense singles battles.
Their affinity for the lucha style allowed them to bring in elements of high-flying, parkour and strong style, making for some diverse affairs with a strong story supporting it. These two have developed quite the in-ring chemistry, something that WWE could make the most of while they both share the same employer.
If WWE were able to secure the rights to their matches in LU, then they could start drawing on some of the loose ends left behind during their time in The Temple. Not that it would suit the ‘professional realism’ of WWE, but it’d be a lot of fun.
5. Dolph Ziggler
One of the biggest moments of the ‘Reality Era’ was the night after WrestleMania 29, where a red-hot Dolph Ziggler finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on a heavily-beaten Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio, who had just defeated Jack Swagger for a second night running, dropped the title to Ziggler in front of an overjoyed WWE Universe. This night was supposed to springboard Ziggler into the next chapter of his WWE career, although things fell apart quickly for ‘The Show Off’.
Ziggler suffered an unfortunate injury, which soon led to Del Rio reclaiming the World Heavyweight title from Dolph at Payback. Ziggler soon dropped back down into the mid-card and failed to recapture that same momentum that he had the night he defeated Del Rio.
Fans have forever looked back fondly on that night, and the brief feud that Ziggler had with Alberto following his cash-in. It will forever remain a ‘what if’ scenario, if he never sustained the injury that derailed his main-event run. Bringing him and Alberto Del Rio together once more 11 years later might not be the biggest box-office attraction, but it’s definitely something with a lot of foundation that could easily develop into WWE’s hottest mid-card feud.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site.
