Is Alberto Del Rio Back In WWE? It's Complicated

News that Del Rio might be under contract with WWE again has sparked widespread online backlash due to his controversial past. However, this doesn't sound like a situation where WWE actively pursued a deal with Del Rio or offered him a new contract. Instead, WWE’s acquisition of Mexico’s top wrestling promotion AAA has officially resulted in the signing of several high-profile luchadores, including the former WWE Champion.

According to a recent report by Ernesto Ocamo, this is just a case of him already being under contract with AAA.

Del Rio, who is the reigning AAA Mega Champion with a reign of over 250 days, may or may not ever appear on WWE programming. Del Rio has long maintained that he'd one day be back in WWE, but at the age of 47, there was never any indication from WWE that they would have any interest. His history with the company is checkered; he was released in 2014 for unprofessional conduct after an altercation involving a racist joke made by a WWE staffer.

More recently, Del Rio made headlines for a 2020 arrest related to alleged battery and sexual assault. While those charges were later dropped, his reputation remains tarnished.

What Will WWE Do With Del Rio?

Considering WWE just underwent a string of releases, the idea that Del Rio might have been hired in the wake of those firings isn't sitting well with fans. That said, there is no guarantee that he will ever appear on main roster shows like Raw or SmackDown. Del Rio may remain primarily with AAA under WWE’s banner.

Wrestling news outlet luchablog offered clarification, saying. “To my knowledge, WWE did not ‘give’ Alberto a contract. AAA signed Alberto to a contract when they decided to build the promotion around him… WWE will assume that contract when they take over the company.”

Other AAA stars signed include Hijo de Dr. Wagner, Hijo del Vikingo, La Parka, La Hiedra, Lady Flammer, Lady Maravilla, and Niño Hamburguesa. The full scope of their WWE involvement remains unclear, with many details reportedly still being finalized behind the scenes.