Alberto Del Rio's new WWE deal has a downside guarantee of $1,450,000, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports. Keep in mind, that's for a reduced schedule. What that means, is Alberto Del Rio now has one of the very best deals in the pro wrestling industry. It breaks away from the usual one million dollar downside that main event stars get for full time. Del Rio is managing to make more money, for significantly less work, although other main event stars may make more in royalties for merchandise, ticket sales, and associated bonuses. The reason WWE paid so much, is because they badly wanted a top Hispanic star. Triple H handled the negotiations, initially turning down Del Rio's financial demands. However, a compromise was reached, meaning WWE finally got their man. The plans for him to debut against John Cena had been in place for weeks. Del Rio is obviously a really good negotiator, as the level of pay and reduced schedule do come as a bit of a surprise. Maybe there's also a question of Triple H being a little desperate. Going forward, expect Del Rio to be booked strongly. When WWE are paying him that sort of money, they'll want to maximise the return on their investment. Main events will likely be in Del Rio's future.
