Swagger vs. Del Rio – The Rise Of The Real American?

Alberto Del Rio’s return was so shocking from the question: “How come he’s back?” to the way he actually made his entrance at Hell in a Cell, that John Cena was not only lost for words, but he also found himself losing the US Championship. In all fairness, the entire WWE Universe was stirred by Mexico’s Greatest Export’s unexpected comeback. The moral issues, surrounding his return after last year’s racist scandal, were completely overshadowed by the outrageous partnership between Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter.

I can talk long about the issues with Del Rio’s MexAmerican gimmick. It’s politically incorrect on so many levels that it’s almost surprising the WWE went with it during elections time. A partnership between Mexico and America should be a nice, liberal idea, which should have compensated for the original run of the overly nationalistic Real Americans.  However, the WWE Creative decided to run it as an annoying, intrusive, heel gimmick, which practically screams: “This is what happens if Americans and Mexicans unite. It’s crazy and you should fear it!” This completely confused the crowd, so much so that for a few shows the fans were still cheering Del Rio. The notion of this, being a heel gimmick, seemed insane. Alberto clearly acting in a cold, merciless manner wasn’t enough for the WWE Universe to fully grasp the concept of this ridiculous storyline. The new US champ had to go the extra mile and launch a completely unnecessary post-match attack on Neville to actually get the crowd booing.

Del Rio’s inclination towards showing off trough torture of helpless opponents didn’t get only the crowd’s disapproval. It also attracted Jack Swagger’s attention. When Zeb Colter rolled out on his mobility scooter, holding the MexAmerican flag by Del Rio’s side, the obvious question at everyone’s mind was: “What happened to Jack Swagger?” Being the original Real American, Swagger was bound to appear somewhere along the line. If anyone on the roster has the right to question Zeb and Del Rio’s odd partnership, that is Swagger. When he first attempted to approach Colter backstage, Swagger looked sincerely concerned. That segment had an air of nostalgia to it. It pictured two best friends, finding each other years apart with more than time, standing between them. An entire 180 turn of ideology and a dominant Alberto Del Rio with a championship belt around his waist separated Zeb and Swagger. Despite the Real Americans, being largely forgotten by now, it still felt like Jack Swagger had been betrayed by the man, who pushed him into the ideology he followed. This clears out the way for Swagger to be proud, to be a patriot and yet, remain face, as he had been lied to and fed hatred by a man, who then betrayed his ideals.

The rivalry between Del Rio and Swagger has a lot of potential. It is emotionally charged and that is always a sure sign that success is just around the corner. The contrast between their demeanors on its own is enough to make a feud appealing. Del Rio is haughty. He believes that he’s better than everybody – the one royalty of his fantasy country, and it makes him merciless. Del Rio is convinced he has the full right to dish out punishment to prove his superiority and he does it in a cold, matter-of-fact manner.  Being incredibly good in the ring, helps Del Rio sell this chilling persona. Swagger is also proud. He has the guts to stand up to this newfound “king” and challenge him. The difference is that Swagger has justice on his side. He comes in as a savior, a hero, a defender of the innocent. His presence is dignified. What could be easier to love for the WWE Universe than a betrayed patriot, who stands alone to defend the ideals of his country from those who have stabbed him in the back and now wreak havoc?

This new side of Swagger’s persona is not only magnificent in a poetic way, but it is also well deserved. It’s bewildering that The Real American Jack Swagger has held the US championship only once in an uneventful reign that lasted less than two months. I believe that in the end of this rivalry, after over a year in oblivion, Swagger, who once was a World Heavyweight Champion, deserves to get another shot at glory. As a face, he will provide the US title with the respect it deserves; the respect that Cena brought back to it. The US title should be the one belt that that the nation sees as their precious. It should represent pride and love for the country. This is what the championship will be in Swagger’s hands.

It’s not likely that Del Rio will remain in a partnership with Zeb Colter for a long time. They just don’t match and their ideas make sense to nobody. Del Rio is a rather capable heel on his own. At one point in this feud, most likely at the end of it, Zeb, having realized his mistake, could betray Del Rio for Swagger. Then we might get an actual face Real American gimmick, for once.

Whatever route the Swagger vs. Del Rio rivalry takes, it will be an emotional ride and it will reconnect the US Championship with the Real American values, sending Jack Swagger up the card in the process.

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised