Alberto Del Rio

From AAA and CMLL in Mexico, Wrestle-1 in Japan, and Ring of Honor, Impact and WWE in the US, there isn’t a stage in high-level professional wrestling that José Alberto Rodríguez, AKA Alberto Del Rio, hasn’t graced. With ten championship titles in WWE alone, Del Rio has become something of an institution in modern professional wrestling.

The son of legendary 1970s and 80s luchador Dos Caras, Del Rio drew early inspiration from his family’s rich wrestling heritage, successfully representing his native Mexico at a young age, even taking third place at the ‘97 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. Throughout the 2000s, Del Rio cut his teeth in the fiercely competitive Mexican scene for AAA and CMLL, diligently honing his craft in preparation for bigger stages. Taken into the WWE fold as part of Florida Championship Wrestling in 2009, a time which would prove formative for Del Rio’s career, he was given his momentous television debut in 2010, a match against the now legendary Rey Mysterio, assuming the persona of a brash, arrogant aristocrat. With subsequent bouts against stalwarts like Matt Hardy and Big Show under his belt, Del Rio began his title winning streak in 2011, becoming the first ever Mexican-born heavyweight champion in WWE history.

Still regularly applauded for impactful performances on the independent circuit, Del Rio remains a prominent force in the industry, taking to the ring wherever he can to push the boundaries of the sport he was born to compete in.