Rodríguez was fired by WWE on or around 7th August last year, and wasted no time in resigning with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, the Mexican promotion hed cut his teeth in. AAA announced that the prodigal son would be appearing at their biggest show of the year, Triplemania, on 17th August. The trouble was that he had a 90-day no-compete clause in his contract with WWE, and couldnt appear on AAA programming or live events until the beginning of November. It was reported that AAA funded the legal rigmarole that it took to get Rodríguez out of the no-compete clause so that he could come to work for them as Alberto El Patrón in time for the big show. The dispute resolved, Alberto El Patrón then won the AAA Mega Championship (their equivalent of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship) on 7th December, and this year worked the first season of the AAA-affiliated television show Lucha Underground. When Alberto Del Rio came back to WWE last month, Alberto El Patrón had been the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Mega Champion for nearly a year. The word is that AAA hadnt had him under contract and were paying him per appearance, which is fairly normal south of the border. They probably thought theyd be fine, because in order to appear on Lucha Undergrounds second season, hed need to remain with AAA rather than jump ship to their rival promotion CMLL. In turn, that took New Japan off the table, as they have an exclusivity agreement in Mexico with CMLL. In the USA, Ring Of Honor couldnt afford to keep him exclusive, TNA were in enough trouble... and hed never go back to WWE again. Right? All of which meant that once the WWE came calling, Rodríguez was able to tell them that he wasnt legally committed to AAA which was technically true. WWE have since refused him permission to work a last show in Mexico to drop the title, meaning that last week the promotion stripped him of the championship in absentia, and will probably hold a tournament to crown a new top dog. AAA are taking the high road: they claim to wish Rodríguez all the best, no doubt through clenched teeth. Its not exactly the first time the mans displayed a lack of professionalism like this, but it doesnt do them any good to slate him in public. WWE, however, could be passing up a fantastic opportunity here. After all, for years theyve been trying to expand their appeal to the lucrative Hispanic base, and it wouldnt be the first time theyd taken part in a talent-trading initiative: they worked with the USWA in 1992 and with ECW in 1997, and in recent months theyve relaxed their draconian THERE IS NO WRESTLING PROMOTION SAVE WWE broadcasting edict to the extent that they now acknowledge the indie pedigrees of their NXT performers. If WWE are serious about this nonsensical MexAmerica angle Del Rios involved in, itd make perfect sense for him to continue as AAA Mega Champion and WWE US Champion, and to agree with AAA that, for the time being, theyll allow Del Rio south to work AAA tapings. Hed bring WWE talent with him to AAA and AAA talent with him to WWE, actually helping to validate WWEs storytelling, as now theres a point to the angle - it writes itself. Asistencia Asesoría y Administración arent in any sense competition for WWE: in terms of other pro wrestling promotions, WWE have no competition and havent for some years. If, as Im hoping, they junk the MexAmerica angle sooner rather than later, theres still great value for WWE in maintaining close ties with AAA. For example, they could...
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
