Every Original WWE NXT Black & Gold Roster Member - Where Are They Now?

23. Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio
WWE

What was he doing at the time?

Alberto Del Rio was on jobbing duties back in 2012, but that doesn't paint the entire picture of what he was at Full Sail University to do. Falling to Sheamus in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship dark match that also served as the main event of the evening, Del Rio was effectively one of the star names designed to put the few hundred butts in seats before the NXT stars became more familiar. As wild as some of this reads with the benefit of a decade-plus of hindsight, he was at this point a former WWE and World Champion, Royal Rumble and Money In The Bank winner and at any moment was liable to be inserted right back into one of the company's top spots.

What is he doing now?

Nothing like the above, and it's highlight unlikely that any of that will change. As of 2026, he's still wrestling regularly in Mexico, having only recently parted ways with AAA following its purchase by WWE. Amongst the fanbase, he's become a figure defined far more by his legal troubles than anything he does between the ropes. At various points, he's faced ugly domestic violence charges including-but-not-limited to battery, assault and kidnapping.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live.