WWE published a job opening today for a new “Social Media Manager.” This is the same job that Cody Barbierri held, the man who had the altercation with Alberto Del Rio that led to Del Rio’s release from the company.
According to the folks at PWInsider.com, Barbierri left WWE earlier this month. The details behind Barbierri’s WWE departure are not currently known.
Barbierri had worked for WWE since September 2012 and is now reportedly working as an independent social media consultant.
TNA apparently made a play recently for CM Punk. It was said to be done in similar fashion to how they reached out to Alberto Del Rio, which is through an intermediary who is friends with Punk.
The idea was that Punk would be the top star of the company with pay similar to what Hulk Hogan was making when he was with the promotion.
TNA was hoping that Punk could be their flagship star and if he signed with them, could help them get a strong television deal.
Punk reportedly expressed zero interest in working for TNA, or in pro wrestling in general.
BROCK LESNAR To RETURN To UFC After His WWE Deal Expires In 2015?! [READ >>]
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio will be competing at the WRESTLE-1’s big Sumo Hall show in Japan on November 1st. The show will mark Keiji Muto’s 30th anniversary as an active wrestler.
– The Rock will be appearing on Friday’s SmackDown in a backstage segment with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. The segment was recorded on Monday at RAW.
– The dark main event that took place after last night’s SmackDown tapings saw John Cena and Dean Ambrose defeat Kane and Seth Rollins. Late in the match, Ambrose got a hot tag and unloaded on Kane and Rollins. Cena and Ambrose hit their finishers for the win.
After the match, they played to the crowd to see who could get the bigger pop (like they did after RAW) and Ambrose won (again).
Once an occasional treat for the WWE Universe, the Hell in a Cell match has become a yearly event since the introduction of the eponymous pay-per-view in 2009. Since its inception, the company has yet to truly knock it out of the park with Hell in a Cell, although fans have witnessed some memorable moments.
This year, it will be either John Cena or Dean Ambrose headlining the event against Seth Rollins inside the most ominous structure in sports entertainment. As the company builds up its next pay-per-view, here is a look back at the first five Hell in a Cell events.
5. 2012
This event really didn’t have a pay-per-view feel to it. The undercard was primarily filled with forgettable matches that had little impact on future storylines. The main event was also lacking due to injury.
It was clear that the company had no idea what to do after John Cena went down to injury, leading to Ryback receiving a premature main event push. From top to bottom, this event was lacking and easily locks up the honor of being the worst Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to date.
Main Event: CM Punk vs. Ryback (Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship)
Best Match: Big Show vs. Sheamus
Worst Match: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players
– Last Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee drew approximately 11,000 fans, a few thousand short of an official sellout.
– WWE Tag-Team Los Matadores will be working the WWC 41st anniversary event in Puerto Rico on October 25th. They will be wrestling the tag-team champions, Ash and William De La Vega. The two reportedly have a clause in their WWE contracts that allows them to work certain WWC dates.
– Speaking of the WWC 41st anniversary show, former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio is also scheduled to work the event. Del Rio is slated to face Ray Gonzalez.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– Alberto Del Rio was officially announced for the upcoming 2015 London WrestleCon event.
– Lilian Garcia posted the following update on her music career on Twitter.
In studio w my producer Chris Garcia & my violist Vito laying down parts 4 one of my new songs! #NewMusicOnTheWay pic.twitter.com/3ZH4pbF0oK
— Lilian Garcia (@LilianGarcia) September 18, 2014
– Below is a new “WWE Night Of Champions: The Movie” video from the official WWE YouTube channel.
– Luke Harper of The Wyatt Family is reportedly currently working through some type of eye injury. We don’t have a lot of details in terms of the severity of the injury, however when additional information surfaces, we will be sure to update you here on the site.
– Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio will be working his first official match with the Mexican-based AAA promotion tonight.
(Partial Credit: F4WOnline.com)
– Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio will be appearing at The Wrestling Guy Store in Huntington Park, California at 1pm on September 20th.
– Former WWE Tag-Team Crime Time (JTG and Shad Gaspard) played in a celebrity football game hosted by hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg this past weekend. The event was a charity event to raise money for cancer awareness.
– John Gaburick recently reached out to former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio once again about joining TNA.
As noted yesterday, Del Rio will be will be wrestling for Mexico’s AAA promotion on September 14th for the promotion’s upcoming Ring & Rockstars 3 event.
WWE was reportedly attempting to enforce a no-compete clause that would have prevented Del Rio from wrestling elsewhere for the forseable future, but that appears to have been dismissed. At a press conference in Mexico on Tuesday, Del Rio said, “It is unconstitutional that you can not work … thanks to lawyers and support of AAA, I can fight without any problems.”
– TNA management has been telling wrestlers not to worry about the current TV negotiations and that TNA will still be on television next year.
There is some concern amongst talent about TNA not scheduling any new live events, since many of them are on a per-event deal.
(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
#BitAAAcora: #ElPatrón @VivaDelRio en #RingRockStAAArs 3
[FOTOS] => http://t.co/0uQVn3AkG6 pic.twitter.com/SFeOPVyhde
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) September 3, 2014
Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio has been cleared to compete for Mexico’s AAA promotion and will make his return on September 14th.
Del Rio appeared with AAA officials and wrestlers for a Ring & Rockstars 3 press conference on Tuesday at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya to promote a September 14th event at the venue.
Wrestling as El Patron, he will team with La Parka and Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) in a match against Texano Jr., Averno and El Hijo del Perro Arguayo.
WWE was reportedly attempting to enforce a no-compete clause that would have prevented Del Rio from wrestling elsewhere for the forseable future, but that appears to have been dismissed.
Here’s a (translated) quote from Del Rio, courtesy of SuperLuchas.net:
“It is unconstitutional that you can not work … thanks to lawyers and support of AAA, I can fight without any problems.”
– Nearly 100 hours of WCW Monday Nitro is now available in the on-demand section of the WWE Network.
– Recently released WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio finally broke his silence on Twitter today. Del Rio tweeted the following:
I'm back, and I want to thank u all for your support.
Nothing can stop me, god and my fam. Keep me going.
#WrestlingLife #freealberto
— Alberto Del Rio (@VivaDelRio) September 1, 2014
In the plane right now on my way to my #mexico to close the deal with my new #casa
@luchalibreaaa
— Alberto Del Rio (@VivaDelRio) September 1, 2014
– Mexican wrestling legend Konnan noted on Twitter recently that the El Rey Network is looking to see if they can have Alberto Del Rio (aka El Patron) appear at the AAA Lucha Underground taping in Los Angeles in September and October.
– Below is a new Facebook blog from WWE Hall Of Famer “Superstar” Billy Graham.
“Hello Facebook friends. I wanted to honor a man that grew up in Houston watching me perform and then became one of the great mega performers himself. None other than the “bad to the bone” Booker-T !!! Here is a photo of us together backstage at Raw, two nights after I was inducted into the WWE 2004 Hall of Fame, something that I am very proud of. Booker T has more charisma in one finger than half of the current WWE roster combined. A great, humble man of class and dignity. I love and respect this man that caused fans to jump out of their chairs when they saw him hit the ring !! There will never be another one like him. Thank you Booker for the excitement that you brought and bring to wrestling, and more importantly, thank you for your friendship, Superstar.”
– As noted earlier today, Alberto Del Rio (as El Patron) is advertised for the AAA events in Puerto Vallarta on September 13th and 14th. Del Rio is included in the promotional posters for the event, which takes place at the Hard Rock Casino, making it the first time he has appeared on a wrestling poster since leaving WWE.
– In a related note, Del Rio is being credited with some of the success of the big AAA “TripleMania” event due to the amount of media coverage he garnered for the show.
– Above is a video promo from Tyson Kidd for the NXT Takeover 2 special, which takes place on September 11th and airs live on the WWE Network.
DIRECT LINK: Two SEXY New UFC Octagon Girls In SKIMPY BIKINIS! [Smokin’ Hot Photos >>]
– The movie “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which stars Batista, finished number one at the box office yet again in its’ fifth weekend, earning $16.31 million for the weekend. The Rock’s movie “Hercules” is now down to 337 theaters and earned an estimated $600,000.
– Alberto Del Rio is currently being advertised to appear at the AAA events in Puerto Vallarta on September 13th and 14th.
As noted earlier today, WWE reportedly did not contact Rey Mysterio or AAA regarding his appearance on the “TripleMania” event last week in Mexico. Apparently the company did not contact Alberto Del Rio regarding his appearance on the show as well.
It’s also worth noting that Del Rio is booked for a show in Puerto Rico in less than 90 days and that he’s now accepting U.S. independent bookings despite the fact that WWE told him that he’s not allowed to do so, specifically in the U.S., for one year.
Additionally, much like the Mysterio situation, WWE did not contact AAA regarding Del Rio’s appearance at “TripleMania” either.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– Apparently Natalya had a “wardrobe malfunction” during Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. As a result, the WWE Diva and Total Divas star was trending on Twitter during the show. The reason it wasn’t seen on the show last night, however, was because WWE’s production truck likely caught it in time and due to the delay, were able to avoid showing it on the air.
– Below is a behind-the-scenes look at the WWE and Ad Council Fatherhood PSA’s which features Roman Reigns and Titus O’Neil. It’s worth noting that Alberto Del Rio was also part of the campaign, but after his WWE release, he was removed from the campaign.
– Despite officially turning heel at this past Monday’s RAW, Nikki Bella worked as a babyface at the WWE live event in Sacramento, California on Saturday night. Apparently the fans cheered her just fine during the show.
– On today’s WWC TV show, Juan Manuel Ortega, who is a heel manager in the promotion, was “on the phone” with a mystery wrestler who referred to as “Patron.” Most assume that is in reference to Alberto Del Rio, who as noted is now going by his Spanish nickname of “El Patron,” which means “The Boss.”
Big Show and WWE are currently facing a lawsuit against former WWE road producer Andrew Green, who claimed that Big Show roughed him up during the filming of a backstage segment.
WWE officials felt that having another similar incident, like the one with Alberto Del Rio and WWE Social Media producer Cody Barbierri, that it would strengthen the case against Big Show and also strengthen a potential Barbierri case. This was reportedly another factor behind the decision to release Del Rio.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
Alberto Del Rio, who is now going by the name Alberto El Patron in Mexico’s AAA promotion, recently appeared on the Televisa show “Primero Noticias.” Below is a recap of the appearance, courtesy of PWInsider.com.
On being fired, Del Rio said there was an incident, an altercation with a WWE employee, that one day he’ll give all of the details on. Right now he’s assessing the best way to do so via legal means, so that everything he says isn’t used against him, since legal matters in the U.S. are handled differently than they are in Mexico.
He said there was an incident where he was offended, where he was completely the victim. He said WWE made a statement that he displayed unprofessional conduct, and that yes it’s true, that he smacked the WWE employee because as he always says, you can take away his job but you can’t take away his dignity and his pride, nor try to offend or humiliate where he comes from, which is of course Mexico, and he doesn’t forget his roots. This problem led to the termination of his contract with WWE.
The interviewer asked if ADR was the victim of racism. Alberto says yes, that there were comments this employee made, and that he admitted he reacted in an inappropriate manner. He said that he wouldn’t advise anyone to conduct themselves in the manner that he did. He admitted that he “smacked” the WWE employee and that he is completely embarrassed by his own attitude and by his own reaction, but in that moment, he demanded an apology.
The interviewer interrupted ADR and asked what the employee said to him, Alberto says that part he’s gonna keep to himself for now. He said he’s a few days away from being able to tell the world exactly what happened. He said that a lot of people know what happened because there were many people present there in the WWE catering area. The interviewer asks who else was there, Alberto says right next to him was Jack Swagger, one of the referees was behind him, people from the crew, etc. They were all eating in Laredo, Texas at a TV taping.
ADR said he spoke to Vince McMahon after the incident occurred and everything appeared to be fine. Interviewer backs up to the incident, Alberto says someone said something to the WWE employee, and when he responded to the comment, the response was directed at Alberto.
The interviewer asks if he’s had any incidents with this employee before and Alberto says yes. He said that “a while back” there was a time the WWE employee was pretending to read something on his laptop and said, “It says on here Alberto is a ‘tal por cual’ “ (Mexican slang for a slut) and that he tried to play it off like it was a joke and shake Alberto’s hand. Alberto refused and told the employee to get away from him. He said this incident occurred 7 or 8 months prior to the slap. So when this incident occurred recently, Alberto demanded an apology, but that the WWE employee walked right up to Alberto’s face, smirked at him and said nothing. That’s when Alberto smacked him. Again, he said he is embarrassed by his reaction, but he doesn’t regret it. He said that yes, it cost him his job, but he thinks WWE is the one who loses the most in this situation.
The interviewer asks if it was another wrestler who he had this incident with, Alberto says no, that it’s their Social Media Manager. He says he never even knew this person’s name until after all of this happened. WWE released a statement saying Alberto was fired due to unprofessional conduct, but he wonders why they didn’t mention there was an isolated incident that led to his unprofessional conduct.
Alberto said after the incident happened, Vince McMahon asked to speak to him. Alberto said that Vince himself told him that he understood where Alberto was coming from and why he was upset by the comment, because first he’s insulted and then after the insult the guy smirks in his face. Vince said that he understood ADR’s reaction. Everything appeared to be fine after his talk with Vince.
ADR was suspended the next day, which he understood, but that for reasons WWE later decided, they changed their mind and was let go.
Alberto said Triple H called him Thursday morning and told him that it hurts WWE more because they’ve invested a lot of time and money into him, but that they need to let him go. Alberto told him that it was fine, and that once his release was made public AAA contacted him, Japan contacted him, some North American promotions as well.
Alberto said that he has not had any other conversations with WWE since his release, but that word got out of what happened from other people who witnessed the incident occur.
He said going forward, he’s using El Patron now since WWE owns “Alberto Del Rio” (his real name is Jose Alberto Rodriguez). They asked him if he’s going to sue WWE, he said he’s not sure. He said that the reason he went to a lawyer is because when he received his release in the mail, they mentioned he couldn’t wrestle in the United States for a year. ADR admitted he’s not fully familiar with the laws in the U.S. but he thinks it’s unconstitutional to prevent him from wrestling, since that’s how he makes a living and feeds his family.
Del Rio was asked if he wants to wrestle again in the U.S. He says no and that he was already considering not signing a new contract when his contract was up next February. He said he wasn’t sure if he was going to stay or go, so he’s not sure what would have happened, but unfortunately this incident happened which forced him out of the company. He spoke with his wife after he was let go and decided he wasn’t going to pursue legal action against WWE, but then he received his termination letter with the 1 year no compete clause and that changed everything.
As noted earlier, Alberto Del Rio, now known as Alberto El Patron, appeared as planned at the AAA TripleMania event on Sunday night in Mexico.
We reported earlier that he spoke about his non-compete issues with WWE during the show, calling the company a “racist organization.”
Above is a video of Del Rio’s involvement at TripleMania on Sunday night.
Alberto El Patron, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio, made his AAA debut at the TripleMania event in Mexico on Sunday night as planned.
He spoke during his promo on the show that despite his 90-day non-compete in Mexico and one-year non-compete in the United States, he is not being paid by WWE like he’s supposed to due to “unprofessional conduct.” He also noted that he just left a “racist organization.”
While he didn’t officially wrestle a match during the show, he did get physically involved on two separate occasions.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
– Rey Mysterio tweeted good luck to his friend Alberto Del Rio on Twitter today, referencing his AAA debut at TripleMania on Sunday.
“Deceandole maybe my great friend ADR in its presentation of its first Triplemanía !, luck my brother”
Deceandole lo mejor a mi gran amigo ADR en su presentacion de su primer TRIPLEMANIA!, Suerte mi hermano al
— Rey Mysterio (@reymysterio) August 16, 2014
– The following is the official synopsis for the new “WWE Presents: True Giants” DVD and Blu-ray, which is expected to have a December release.
“Focused on the top giants in wrestling history. This program will look and feel like 20 mini-biographies with each feature presented by just one person, giving it a more personal and in-depth look than a Countdown.
A 2 hour feature will have 20 mini-bios and full matches included as extras. Featured giants include Andre The Giant, Big Show, John Studd, Vader, King Kong Bundy, Diesel, Kamala, Gorilla Monsoon, Earthquake, and more!”
Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio held a press conference in Mexico City with AAA President Joaquin Roldan on Thursday to make a few announcements.
First and foremost, Del Rio revealed that due to WWE owning the rights to the Alberto Del Rio name, he will be using the name “El Patron” from now on. That is the nickname he was given on the Spanish language broadcasts in WWE, which stands for “The Boss,” a name that WWE did not trademark.
He mentioned that he while legally he can’t wrestle in AAA for 90 days due to his non-compete with WWE, his lawyers are working on trying to enable him to be able to wrestle at the TripleMania event on Sunday. As things stand now, it’s unlikely that he will wrestle at the show.
Cody Barbierri, WWE’s social media guy that was involved in a physical altercation with Alberto Del Rio that led to Del Rio’s release from WWE is said to be a pretty unpopular person among the wrestlers in the company.
One WWE employee noted that Barbierri is a “jerkoff who is very arrogant,” but did mention that he is intelligent and that his attitude has flown under the radar of WWE executives.
Another source within the company noted that Barbierri has been involved in a few bad situations with talent over the past year and has a reputation as a guy who talks down to wrestlers.
In addition to his talent at his job, it has been said that Barbierri has the backing of Stephanie McMahon in particular, and is viewed as a key player in WWE’s social media department.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
As reported earlier this week, former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio is scheduled to appear at Sunday’s AAA TripleMania XXII iPPV event. The following video of Del Rio has surfaced online, his first public statement since being released from WWE last week.
Here’s what he said (translated to English):
“Hello aficionados of Mexico and AAA, the boss is back. What better place to call home than AAA. Thanks to all my supporters and you guys know there is quality wherever the boss is, and there is quality in AAA. There is no better place to go. See you soon and God bless you.”