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#Post#: 33103--------------------------------------------------
Alberto Del Rio Talks WWE Return, Potential Fight With Goldberg
& So Much More
DIR By: spaintnafan
Date: September 21, 2015, 5:00 pm
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Alberto El Patron last week, did color commentary in Spanish for
the new MMA series Combate Americas, which launched on NBC
Universo last Thursday and will take place every Thursday. The
series comes a year after the reality series became the first
fight-themed program in history to win a major TV award - "Best
Variety or Reality Show" - at the 29th annual Imagen Awards last
August. Fighters from the reality series as well as new, up and
coming Latino talent and established, free agents will be
featured in the live event series.
Below is part one of the interview. Make sure to check back
tomorrow where El Patron discussed Triple H eventually taking
over from Vince McMahon, the WWE schedule, a second season of
Lucha Underground and if he would a part of it, choosing Lucha
Underground over TNA and more.
* * *
You have a background in MMA. You got in before the big boom,
what drew you to MMA?
"I think it was destiny. As many people know, I trained in
classical amateur wrestling, I started when I was 8 years old. I
competed in different places all over the world. I represented
my country in the Pan-American championships. The promoters knew
this, and one of the promoters, the owner of DEEP approached me
and offered me some money to fight. It seemed like a good idea,
and something I'd enjoy. I did it and did well, and then the
rest is history.
"That was before my time with WWE. I was wrestling as Dos Caras
Jr, wrestling pretty much in Mexico, but also did some
appearances in Japan. That's where they found me and asked me to
be a part of MMA."
Earlier in the year, there was a lot of talk about you coming
back to MMA. Scott Coker was talking about it. Were you really
interested in that or something you were just kind of seeing
what was out there?
"I was, I was. At the end of the day, you have to be rewarded.
Even though I love pro wrestling and love MMA, I'm here because
I have to pay those bills. I'm here to make money, nothing comes
free. All of the MMA organizations contacted me to come back and
fight. They weren't offering me good money, the money just
wasn't there. Fortunately for me, I do so well in pro wrestling
that I don't have to go there and fight if they don't pay me
what I was asking."
There were also rumors of you and Bill Goldberg fighting. You
had said it wasn't really that close to happening, is that
something you'd be interested in?
"I don't think so. I respect the guy as a performer. I haven't
had the pleasure of meeting him, but I won't fight Goldberg. If
someone would pay me what I'm asking, I would do it the right
way and fight somebody. I would fight a good fighter. When I
started in MMA, I was fighting the DEEP champion in Japan. I'm
sure they put me in there with him because they thought he was
going to beat my ass. They were building him, because he was
pretty popular and wanted him to beat a big name from pro
wrestling. I ended up kicking his ass in the first round. If I
go back to MMA and fight, it will be against a good name. That's
no disrespect to Bill Goldberg, I respect him as an athlete and
a performer, I do, but I would fight someone with a name in
MMA."
CM Punk looks like he'll be making his MMA debut next year.
Having done both, what was your reaction to hearing CM Punk had
signed with the UFC?
"Punk is a great athlete. He's been training to do this for a
while. Even before he left WWE, he was already doing jiu jitsu
and Thai boxing. He was just doing it to be in shape, back then
he didn't know that he was going to be in the UFC one day. Now
he's taking his time and he's getting ready. He's smart. I'm
sure the promoters would like to put him in the cage already
because they know he's going to sell PPVs. Phil is a really
smart person. He's going to be for sure. There are people saying
that he's not going to fight, and it was just a promotion to get
people to watch UFC, but it's not. He's fighting for sure. I
can't tell you the specific date, because I know he's getting
ready and he wants to do well. He wants to have a career in
MMA."
If the UFC contacted you about a potential fight with CM Punk,
is that something you would entertain?
"Yes, of course. I'll do it, but they need to offer the right
money. The offers I received from all of the organizations are
so ridiculous that I didn't even think about it. It's really
good money for the fighters, because I know what fighters do
every time they fight, but I do so well in pro wrestling, why
would I do something like that if I'm making the same money for
pro wrestling appearances?"
MMA has borrowed a lot from pro wrestling. Do you see things
from MMA that pro wrestling can borrow?
"I don't think they should take anything from MMA. We can't do
weight classes, because it's different. Some people like both,
but I don't think we need anything from MMA, it's more them
learning from us to make it more fun an enjoyable to watch."
You left the WWE on less than good terms after standing up for
yourself. Over a year later, has your relationship with them
changed at all? Are you open to a return?
"Oh, we're good. We shook hands, we talked about what happened.
They apologized, I apologized. We're good right now. I'm pretty
happy with what I'm doing now. The schedule in that company is
brutal. I was doing over 250 appearances per year, I was never
home. At the moment, I'm working everywhere they want to see me,
and I have the opportunity to spend time with my family. I get
to enjoy my kids, I'm at home 4-5 days a week, I do 1-2 shows
per week. I'm happy, I don't have plans to go back, but like
they say, 'never say never.'"
Make sure to check back tomorrow for the second and final part
of the interview, where where El Patron discussed Triple H
eventually taking over from Vince McMahon, the WWE schedule, a
second season of Lucha Underground and if he would a part of it,
choosing Lucha Underground over TNA and more.
#Post#: 33179--------------------------------------------------
Re: Alberto Del Rio Talks WWE Return, Potential Fight With
Goldberg & So Much More
DIR By: tnafanforum
Date: September 25, 2015, 6:06 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I really wish TNA would pick him up . He would help TNA out so
much !
#Post#: 33185--------------------------------------------------
Re: Alberto Del Rio Talks WWE Return, Potential Fight With
Goldberg & So Much More
DIR By: sharkboy1200
Date: September 25, 2015, 6:29 pm
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He said they made him quite a lucrative offer, but he ended up
going with LU likely due to the lucha roots, and perhaps a
slightly better offer. Seems like he was open to wrestling there
one day though.
#Post#: 33194--------------------------------------------------
Re: Alberto Del Rio Talks WWE Return, Potential Fight With
Goldberg & So Much More
DIR By: tnafan
Date: September 27, 2015, 6:48 am
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Also TNA have got a bad rep too. What will put off a lot of big
stars tbh
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