Backstage Story: Alberto Del Rio Nearly Quit WWE

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Alberto Del Rio’s meteoric rise to a World Title Match at WrestleMania XXVII is a story that almost didn’t happen.

According to sources within Florida Championship Wrestling, he indicated to WWE officials approximately a year ago that he was not pleased with being situated in the developmental promotion (which had reached several months by that point) and would be quitting the promotion to return to Mexico where he could earn a higher salary. When he signed a contract with WWE in June 2009, he was assured that he wouldn’t stay in developmental for long. Officials tried to pacify him by allowing him to work live events with the main roster, and in part due to discussions at the time of his uncle, Mil Mascaras, being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. His performances caught the eye of top officials and he was ultimately called up to the main roster in June.

Similarly, Colt Cabana said during a recent Art of Wrestling podcast that when he was training in WWE’s developmental system a few years ago with The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie threatened to quit WWE if they weren’t immediately brought on the road with the main roster.

Cabana stated, “They called up the office and said: ‘Hey, if we don’t go on the road we’re quitting’. And the next day, they’re on the road.”

He added that he probably would have been fired if he made the same demand.

“I don’t wanna do that,” Cabana said. “If I call up and say, ‘Put me on the road or I’m quitting’, I’m gone.”

The Bella Twins were promotional models John Laurinaitis offered developmental contracts to a year after their participation in the 2006 Diva Search. They have stated in interviews that they weren’t wrestling fans growing up, with Brie once remarking “that she was hired to do this diva thing.” Upon their contract agreement with WWE, they botched the organization’s name, referring to it as ‘Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment’ on their MySpace page.

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