#MONEY PRO WRESTLING MEXICO PRO#

The year was 2003 and Cro Cop was at the height of his powers, unbeaten in nine MMA fights and fresh off back-to-back knockouts of Heath Herring and Igor Vovchanchyn.

#MONEY PRO WRESTLING MEXICO PRO#

After five pro fights in Japan he got a call from the PRIDE organization to compete on their first Bushido card.

And I became pro.”īeginning his pro wrestling career at home in Mexico, the San Luis Potosi native also began making inroads in mixed martial arts. I said: okay, there’s no way we’re going to qualify, I’m outta here. And when they said: we only have money to go to two qualifiers. Or had the money and didn’t want to use it on the wrestling team and that’s what stopped me from going to the Olympics. It’s just that year is when we needed to go to 10 different tournaments in order to qualify and Mexico didn’t have the money. “I was winning everything, all the Greco-Roman tournaments. “Back in 2000, I was the best wrestler on the Mexican team,” Del Rio said while in Las Vegas last month to commentate for the MMA promotion, Combate Americas, which was founded by one of the key figures in the creation of the UFC back in the early 90s, Campbell McLaren. Or maybe not, considering that his father, legendary luchador Dos Caras, is an icon in pro wrestling and one that may have had his son join the family business regardless of what happened with the Sydney Games Del Rio was a favorite to compete in.

And if it’s a description of who he is that you’re seeking, “fighter” would be an apt description for him mainly because combat sports have been a part of him for much of his 38 years.Īnd if not for decisions made at the top leading into the 2000 Olympics, Del Rio’s path in life may have been quite different than it is today.

Currently, he graces pro wrestling rings as Alberto El Patron, and while he may be best remembered for his long stint in the WWE as Alberto Del Rio, mixed martial arts fans will likely recall him as Dos Caras Jr.īut whatever moniker he’s going by in everyday life, Alberto will suffice. Jose Alberto Rodriguez has gone by many names in his professional life.

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