"Thank you, you helped me" - Alberto Del Rio praises current WWE star
Alberto Del Rio does not believe his WWE character would have achieved as much success as he did without the help of Rey Mysterio.
Del Rio worked for WWE between 2009 and 2014 before he returned for another run with the company between 2015 and 2016. During that time, he won the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, and the United States Championship two times each. He also won the 2011 Royal Rumble and the 2011 Money in the Bank match.
Speaking to Pro Wrestling Defined’s Jonathan O’Dwyer, the Mexican star reflected on his main-roster debut against Rey Mysterio on the August 20, 2010 episode of WWE SmackDown.
“Thank God I had an amazing friend and an amazing performer, one of my favorite opponents in the ring with me,” Del Rio said. “I’m always going to be saying this: thank you, Rey, thank you, because you helped me. You helped me through the whole process, you helped me create Alberto Del Rio, and if it wasn’t for Rey Mysterio I don’t think Alberto Del Rio would be here today.”
Del Rio defeated Rey Mysterio in his first WWE SmackDown match. The finish saw Mysterio tap out to the Cross Armbreaker – a move that Del Rio used as his WWE finisher for years to come.
WWE kept Alberto Del Rio’s debut a secret
Alberto Del Rio performed in WWE’s Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental system between July 2009 and April 2010.
Four months after his final FCW match, Del Rio was caught by surprise when WWE Chairman Vince McMahon revealed the plans for his SmackDown debut.
“I didn’t know,” Del Rio added. “And then two hours, three hours after they took me to Vince’s office and it was like, ‘Okay, tonight is going to be your debut. You’re going to do the main event against Rey Mysterio.’ I was like, ‘Oh, cool, fantastic, I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for this my entire life.’”
Del Rio said he noticed a luxurious car backstage on the day of his debut. He was unaware until his conversation with Vince McMahon that the vehicle was going to be used as part of his entrance. It then became a crucial part of his character throughout his run as a heel with the company.
Please credit Pro Wrestling Defined and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.