Recent developments in AAA have once again sparked questions about Alberto El Patron’s (formerly Alberto Del Rio in WWE) future, but as reported by Fightful Select, sources within WWE maintain that there are no plans to bring the former champion back into the fold.
This week, El Patron lost a match to El Mesias, forcing him out of AAA. This comes just months after he was positioned as one of the promotion’s top stars. Following WWE’s acquisition of AAA, the company has reportedly made a concerted effort to distance itself from El Patron.
Over the years, El Patron has made claims of WWE’s interest in his return. He reportedly told members of the AAA roster within the last year that the company had gauged his interest for a potential Royal Rumble appearance. However, WWE sources have consistently denied this.
A WWE higher-up was direct about the situation, stating, “If we wanted Alberto at all, much less in the Royal Rumble, he’d be here.”
The same source reiterated that they have never heard of any change in the company’s stance on El Patron. WWE went out of its way to ensure that he was not featured from a promotional standpoint and that the AAA Mega Championship was moved off of him. Fightful sources were aware of the potential for backlash from fans in Mexico when Nic Nemeth (formerly Dolph Ziggler) defeated El Patron for the title, but viewed it as a “short-term problem with a long-term benefit.”
WWE sources claim there are no plans for El Patron within the company and believe he is legitimately finished with AAA for the time being. They also anticipate that he will eventually make efforts to return to both companies.
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