WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long is having trouble reconciling the Alberto Del Rio he knew backstage with the person at the center of recent allegations.
Speaking with Mac Davis on Wrestling’s Road Trip After Hours, Long responded to a viewer question about Del Rio, who was reportedly arrested last week in connection with a domestic incident involving his wife. The charges were reportedly dropped after Del Rio paid a settlement, according to earlier reporting, and he is subject to conditions over the next six months.
Long said the reports do not match his personal experience with Del Rio during their time together in WWE.
“I talked to him every day. When I started hearing all this crazy stuff about him, I said, no, not him. That ain’t the guy. I mean, he was a sweetheart of a guy, man. He was great to talk to. He always spoke to me. Hello, Teddy.”
Davis pointed out that part of what made Del Rio so effective on television was the character he played alongside JBL, with both men presenting as wealthy, entitled villains from different backgrounds.
“You got JBL, the American, and then you’ve got Alberto Del Rio from Mexico. So you got these two guys who are very similar in character, and he carried himself so damn well, just like JBL. Those guys knew how to do their job.”
Long added a line that summed up how Del Rio carried himself on screen: “He ran it like the cartel.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling’s Road Trip After Hours with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
