"We just kinda did our own thing" - Ex-WWE star on the creative freedom he and Alberto Del Rio received (Exclusive)
Ricardo Rodriguez has explained how WWE’s decision-makers managed himself and Alberto Del Rio behind the scenes.
Del Rio became one of the biggest names in wrestling in the early 2010s when he burst onto the main-event scene in WWE. With Rodriguez alongside him, the Mexican won the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank ladder match, and WWE Championship within a year of his debut.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, Rodriguez praised former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. for his work with Del Rio. He also discussed the initial difficulties that the four-time world champion faced due to his inability to speak English.
“For the most part, we had different writers throughout our time,” Rodriguez said. “They would talk to Alberto, they would talk to myself, whatever. They would give us an idea, especially because at the beginning Alberto was still struggling with English, so there was a lot of words that they would write for him that he didn’t know the meaning of or he didn’t know how to pronounce or write. He would ask me, ‘What’s a different word for this that’s easier?’ so it was easier for him to remember.” [5:24-5:55]
Rodriguez, who speaks English and Spanish, often helped Del Rio with promos in the early days of his WWE career.
“Obviously now he’s fine, he’s great at it, but this is also 12 years ago,” Rodriguez continued. “A lot of time that’s passed in 12 years. I would tell him, I was like, ‘Well, change this word to this and it’ll be easier to understand.’ Eventually with time it just got easier.” [5:57-6:16]
Many WWE Superstars have complained about being micromanaged when it comes to promos. Thankfully, Del Rio and Rodriguez did not encounter that problem.
“We wouldn’t get full scripts,” Rodriguez added. “We would just get little pinpoints and bullet points and we just kinda did our own thing. That was also kinda nice because that’s when they trusted me to just make it your own. You can have a good script but if you don’t have good actors, the script is gonna be garbage. You can be a great director but if your actors are horrible, it’s gonna be a c****y movie.” [6:16-6:40]
Watch the video above to hear more from Rodriguez about his interactions with former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Ricardo Rodriguez shares his opinion on Alberto Del Rio’s acting in WWE
WWE really went full in on Alberto Del Rio getting a push in WWE.
-WWE Champ (2X)
-World Heavyweight Champ (2X)
-US Champ (2X)
-MITB 2011 Winner
-Royal Rumble 2011 Winner
Thoughts on him getting that push? Personal thoughts aside. Did you think he was talented? https://t.co/5ETGmoaqPT
Possessing impressive in-ring expertise is not enough to make someone a marquee attraction in the sports entertainment world. WWE’s top stars are also highly skilled actors who often go on to appear in movies and television shows later in their careers.
Regarding Alberto Del Rio’s acting prowess, Ricardo Rodriguez was impressed by his former on-screen ally’s character work.
“I really do believe Alberto was a great actor for the script that was given to him,” Rodriguez said. “He was great at doing what he was doing. I’m not just saying that because he’s my friend, my partner on TV, but I do think he was. We had multiple writers. The only one that we had for us was Freddie… that I know of.” [6:41-7:04]
Did you enjoy Alberto Del Rio’s work in WWE? Is he worthy of a Hall of Fame induction one day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
Ricardo Rodriguez will be part of the United Pro Wrestling event at Clipper Magazine Stadium on August 20 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Former WWE Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Fandango, RVD, and Santino Marella have also been announced for the show.
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