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WWE Releases Ricardo Rodriguez

Possibly a sign of what's to come with all of the rumored budget cuts (NXT talent getting axed) although he did get replaced by Sin Cara as Kalisto's teammate in NXT and has been floundering since breaking away from Alberto Del Rio

http://www.wwe.com/inside/ricardo-rodriguez-released-26531379

Comments

  1. Question: Why did they ever split him from Del Rio, since he's the only reason he was ever interesting in the first place?

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  2. To bring us that shitty feud between Del Rio and RVD

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  3. I thought he was on the Spanish announce team too.

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  4. He tweeted that he asked for his released because he missed wrestling. .how knows if thats true but if there are unhappy people in the company that want out..now is a good time to try and ask since they are cutting so much

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  5. MikeyMike, WitnessJuly 30, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    Way more valuable to the company than Del Rio!

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  6. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryJuly 30, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    Seriously, what is with breaking someone up from something that was working for them, just to do nothing with them after?

    See also: tag teams

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  7. Jesus, that was a dark horse for Worst Feud of the Year. NOBODY came out of that thing looking good. Not Del Rio, who lost the only thing making him entertaining. Not RVD, who lost the last bit of relevance he had remaining. And definitely not Ricardo, who wound up off TV entirely.

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  8. Are you saying that Prime Time Players breakup didn't end with both those guys setting the world on fire?

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  9. I forgot about that and on Twitter he posted about how he missed wrestling so maybe it was mutual so he could go back to actually wrestling?

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  10. I really really really really hope they release Khali next.

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  11. From his tweet, it sounded like he asked for his release.

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  12. Yeah i just saw that

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  13. TM CooltrainerBretJuly 30, 2014 at 4:11 PM

    Funny thing how Del Rio's stock went down after losing him, even though Ricardo was such a great lackey that he was a face masquerading as a heel. So why not axe Del Rio? Oh yeah, the stupid catering to LAtino reason that couldn't have been fufilled by actually TRYING to get a top-flight, adaptable Mexican star they could mould into a product instead of THEIR product.

    But again, they deserve every bad thing they get. The ghosts of everything have come back to possess them, and now they suffer in terms of NEtwork subs and TV rights fees.

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  14. I know he's an abysmal wrestler but he should be released just for his health and well-being. He looks to be in a lot of pain when in a match.

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  15. Ricardo got him his heat.

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  16. LA = Los Angeles
    NE = New England

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  17. TM CooltrainerBretJuly 30, 2014 at 4:37 PM

    They molded him into their product though instead of letting him cut loose. In freaking Pride he broke a guys arm with a belly to belly suplex for chrissakes! The opening build had the right idea of him being an arm collector, but then they had the usual WWE angst and made him look like a chump against Cena and Punk, and THATS what he never recovered from.



    Also, he might've been a wrong choice to start with cause they debuted him on the main roster at.....34?

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  18. Which was my thought...but WHY

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  19. TM CooltrainerBretJuly 30, 2014 at 4:38 PM

    Yeah its one of my occasional typing quirks, don't mind it.

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  20. I think you're being way over dramatic to say the least

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  21. He did, but the cowboy hat era just wasn't the same in general.

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  22. Adam "Colorado" CurryJuly 30, 2014 at 4:42 PM

    Hasn't Del Rio pretty much come out and said that he's leaving once his contract is up?

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  23. Last line would be funnier if you didn't include #7.

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  24. Flair-Funk, Sting-Muta, Brainbusters over Demos would be my take, then.

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  25. It's a complete joke they still protect this guy. Del Rio should be going around the horn jobbing to everyone and anyone.

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  26. I can just hear him screaming "NOOOO!" in his Alberto del Rio announcing voice.

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  27. So sorry to see him GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

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  28. I really, really think that loss against Edge hurt him more than people like to think sometimes. After continually talking about his "destiny" and how he was going to be world champion AND after winning the biggest Royal Rumble in history he jobs to Edge at WrestleMania. Then, when he faces Christian for the vacant title he loses that as well. It just took some shine off of him and I really just don't think the character recovered after that.

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  29. I think they just keep him around as a charity case at this point really.

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  30. That's what I hate. It's like creative/Vince just break things up these days for the hell of it. In the past, when a team broke up only one of the partners ended up being better off, but nowadays no one really benefits.

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  31. It sucks that they couldn't write for him as a face because he brought some good stuff in ring as a face. Hell, he had some quality matches with Big Show during his face run.


    They did the Double Turn with Ziggler and I wish they would have followed up because it was fantastic.

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  32. That was Edge's last match, good thing Del Rio didn't win. Del Rio would've made a solid IC champ, nothing more.

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  33. By that point Edge was stale as hell. He was never a good face to begin with and really, after the WWE went in a "PG" direction his "Rated R" Superstar gimmick was dead. It made no sense not to put Del Rio over there. If they weren't going to put him over, then they should've just given the damn Rumble win to Santino. At least that would've been memorable.

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  34. I didn't even mind his face turn, he has a lot of experience as a face and his moveset expanded a little bit making him easier to cheer for also.

    The problem was that they took away his character (Mexican aristocrat) and the things that made him cool (cars, cocky promos) and didn't replace it with anything, just had him waving the (American) flag.

    Both he and Ricardo were naturals as faces but the writers didn't give them an actual face character, just "smiling good guys". Even as someone who isn't a huge fan of Del Rio, I don't think the past year or so of floundering is his fault in any way shape or form.

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  35. Creative thinks all faces have to be corporate kiss asses and smiling panderers. It's the big reason the fans turn on the faces these days.

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  36. Adam "Colorado" CurryJuly 30, 2014 at 5:03 PM

    True dat.

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  37. I think I know the real reason he got fired: He didn't sell enough Network subscriptions during the recent fundraising drive. When you don't sell your Network subscription quotas under this new Authority regime, your ass is grass!

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  38. Power_of_Hogans_HOF_RingJuly 30, 2014 at 5:10 PM

    Kinda bummed about that one. Always liked him. So much for Del Rio getting over again.

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  39. Mega Powers as a team and the whole angle is my favorite of all time, but looking back at it now, I'd have been just as jealous as Savage. So I don't blame him for his behavior in regards to Elizabeth.

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  40. Imagining Ricardo going door to door selling candy

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  41. even without it, it's still one of the best angles ever.

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  42. I think they keep Khali because he's a big celebrity in India and they're trying to reach that market.

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  43. In a match? The guy looks like he's in pain when he WALKS.

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  44. How are they protecting Del Rio? He's in the do-nothing midcard.

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  45. I agree. I know he's getting like $1 million downside but it just can't be worth it. He can easily be an embassador to the company for India from India.

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  46. The split him as a storyline reason to write him off for a 30 day drug suspension.

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  47. In a weird way, I loved Ricardo as El Local. Something perfectly goofy about a fat luchador doing mildly injury-defying (not death-defying, that's for the little guys) shit.

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  48. For example, he just wrestled Ambrose on Main Event. Instead of just having Ambrose look strong with a clean win they do the schmoz finish with Rollins. Rollins could've attacked after the match was over. It was clear they didn't want Del Rio eating a clean pin as they still protect him for some reason.

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  49. "When looking at it in hindsight, and totally ignoring the backstage rumors and college basketball games and all [...]"


    !!!

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  50. you could even argue that it was one big journey from WrestleMania 28 and its 18 seconds match right until Bryan finally "made it" at this years WM.

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  51. Yeah, I've seen it this way myself. I think if Savage gets into the Hall of Fame that Elizabeth needs to go in with him. Otherwise it would just feel cheap.

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  52. The Savage-Liz reunion is my favorite WrestleMania moment.

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  53. as mentioned above by Knuckleberry Pinn: Michaels vs. Undertaker.

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  54. I liked Ricardo a HELL of a lot more than Del Rio. He was vastly more entertaining. Why couldn't they have sacked Del Rio, instead? Or maybe they ARE sacking him, too?


    Oh, I hope I hope I hope I hope.

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  55. they did a good job with the road to WrestleMania in 2012 though.

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  56. It's definitely worth it for him. 1 mil covers several years of insurance and surgeries. I would have to assume WWE makes way more with him in India than without him.

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  57. It's odd they wouldn't let Ricardo wrestle because he had some good matches in the Florida developmental system before it became NXT (he wrestled under a mask there). He had a lot more charisma than Del Rio.


    I believe Del Rio is not renewing his contract, so that's why he's doing jobs all over the place right now.

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  58. And that was by accident. Bryan in his WM30 spot would have never happened if the RR crowd didn't persuade things differently. That's fact.

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  59. Yup this is pretty much how I've always seen it too. Very unique in that respect.

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  60. Mega Powers Explode and Andre/Hogan have to be best angles ever but I think Hogan/Orndorff should get some love too. That was a great angle and it made a ton of money....

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