10 Underrated Stars That WWE Should Never Have Released

8. Ricardo Rodriguez

Best known as Alberto Del Rio's ring announcer in his original run with WWE, Jesús 'Ricardo' Rodríguez had four years of experience on the US independent circuit under a luchador gimmick (Chimaera) before he was drafted to WWE in 2010.

Rodríguez would work as Del Rio's heel sidekick on the main roster while he actually wrestled under the Chimaera name in Florida Championship Wrestling. He'd later change to a different masked persona, El Local, teaming with Tyson Kidd under another hood as Los Locales, luchadors with jobber gimmicks. He'd then briefly team with Kalisto before being released in 2014.

Rodríguez has returned to the independent circuit, having missed wrestling terribly while touring as a non-wrestling manager. However, when Del Rio returned to Mexico under the name El Patron Alberto, he invited his old friend to join him. Since Del Rio returned to WWE, Rodríguez found work as a trainer for the Great Khali's school in India.

A hugely underrated performer (his facials are brilliant, he can talk and his finish used to be a corkscrew moonsault, for heaven's sake), Rodríguez was wasted in the role of Del Rio's whipping boy. His time in India seems to be incredibly rewarding for him, however. There are more important things in life than WWE, it seems.