Over the weekend, it was reported that WWE had signed several AAA stars to contracts, with Alberto El Patron’s name appearing on the list. Now, additional details have emerged regarding the relationship between WWE and the former WWE World Champion.
According to Luchablog, WWE has not directly offered a contract to El Patron, the controversial former World Champion. Instead, El Patron remains under contract with AAA, which has built its promotion around him over the past year. When WWE completes its acquisition of AAA, the Sports Entertainment juggernaut will assume responsibility for this existing contract.
Luchablog further noted that no decisions about El Patron’s future appear to have been made beyond this contractual transition. They emphasized that the deal between WWE and AAA is only weeks old, adding that there’s “a lot still being figured out.”
Lucha Blog editor Enesto Ocampo added some additional information:
Alberto El Patron competed for years in WWE as Alberto Del Rio, but multiple controversies led many to believe he would never return to the company. In 2014, El Patron was released following a backstage altercation with a WWE employee. After being rehired in 2015, El Patron was released again in 2016 following Wellness Policy violations.
Whether fans will see Alberto Del Rio on WWE television again remains to be seen. For now, Alberto El Patron will continue as a fixture in AAA programming, as he has not yet become a fully-fledged member of WWE’s roster.