10 Reasons Alberto Del Rio's WWE Return Is Failing

3. Uninspired Ring Work

As mentioned previously, Del Rio is a solid in-ring worker. His background as a wrestler of Olympic level is impressive and his MMA career has given him an enviable array of strikes and submission holds that he can use during his matches. He is a consistent worker who can put on a match of decent quality with just about anyone on the roster. Unfortunately, there's something a little lacking in terms of his charisma and psychology between the ropes. Del Rio's matches since his return have been distinctly mediocre. His contest with Cena, who has at least half a dozen bona fide match of the year candidates under his belt this year, was way too short and largely bereft of drama. He also produced two of the least exciting matches in the WWE Championship tournament, with a pedestrian victory over Stardust and a sloppy mess of a match with Kalisto. He isn't helped by the fact that his awkward corner foot stomp appears to have replaced the devastating cross armbreaker as his main finishing move. The armbar was over and produced an immediate pop every time he locked it in, so the choice to get rid of it is something of a baffling decision. It's tough to know whether the issues with Del Rio's matches are a result of deficiencies in Del Rio's in-ring style or a side effect of the strange booking of his character. It is almost certainly true, however, that a more engaging way of working between the ropes could help him to get over more.