A young, fresh debutant takes on the old veteran…not only for bragging rights, but also to prove that’s there’s one big dog in the building, and it’s none other, than the latest Mexican Sensation, Alberto Del Rio… Will Rey Mysterio be the one to topple Alberto and send him back, or will Alberto Del Rio defeat the veteran, and prove to the world that there’s a new Aristocrat in town?
In wrestling, there have been multiple stories of how a new star debuts, and looks to topple the previous veteran. Yet, none of those stories have been as interesting and crowd involving as this one. Let me narrate a story; a story of how Alberto Del Rio cemented his legacy in the WWE, by challenging the Masked Superhero of the WWE, Rey Mysterio, to prove that Alberto Del Rio was the new Hispanic face in town.
Families and countries were involved in this feud, yet at last, there was one man standing tall, and one man moving on. Let us take a quick rewind as to how this rivalry took place, and why it is dubbed as one of Wrestling’s Greatest Rivalries ever.
Alberto Del Rio vs Rey Mysterio (The Battle of the Luchadors)
Names of Wrestlers Involved |
Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio |
Championship Involved |
None |
Date of Start of Feud |
August 20, 2010 |
Duration of Feud |
Two years |
Careers Direction After the Feud |
Del Rio – Up, Mysterio – Down |
Tale of the Tape
Alberto Del Rio |
Rey Mysterio |
6 ft 5 inch |
5 ft 6 inch |
239 lbs |
175 lbs |
Cross Arm-breaker, Enziguiri |
619 |
Three time World Champion |
Three time World Champion |
Feud
The Mystical Performance
After weeks of vignettes and snapshots of Alberto Del Rio, his cars, house and intelligence, Alberto Del Rio finally made his debut on Smackdown, on August 20th, 2010, by interrupting Rey Mysterio. A match between the two wrestlers was set, and everyone expected Alberto Del Rio to lose.
Later, in the main event of the evening, Alberto Del Rio was introduced by Ricardo Rodriguez, his personal ring announcer, as he drove to the ring in a magnificent car, and proceeded to defeat Rey Mysterio cleanly, with his Cross Arm Breaker submission. The fans were shocked. The commentators were shocked. The internet wrestling community was shocked.
Alberto Del Rio, on his first day in the WWE, had defeated one of the greatest wrestlers in the company, with the simplest of ease!
From that first day, Alberto felt and seemed like a star. Alberto looked like someone who just belonged in the WWE. A career in the WWE wasn’t seeming like a privilege to Del Rio, yet felt like his birthright. Was it his destiny to be a WWE star? We will never know, but what we know is this: Alberto Del Rio had one of the best debuts any superstar could have.
The next week, Del Rio interfered in a match with Rey Mysterio facing Kane, and continued to lock in the Cross Arm-breaker, causing Rey Mysterio to be injured. Rey Mysterio was out for a long time. His injury also made it clear to any superstar backstage, that Alberto’s finisher was legit, and anyone in Del Rio’s path of destruction could be hurt. WWE had executed Del Rio’s character and debut perfectly, and every fan was smiling in glee, or booing Del Rio desperately. Either way, Del Rio was generating a reaction, and all was well and done. After Mysterio’s injury, Del Rio faced Matt Hardy and Christian, and other small faces, but he was biding time, as he was waiting for his Lucha counterpart to return, so Del Rio could injure him, and just end his career.
Del Rio drooled over the prospect of him being the one man to end Mysterio’s career. Mysterio was already a future Hall of Famer, and ending the career of a Hall of Famer is an excellent accolade for any superstar to posses. Was Del Rio going to be the man who ends Rey Mysterio’s career?
Payback Returns
October 8 was the day Alberto Del Rio waited for. Sharpening his paws, Alberto wanted Rey Mysterio to return, so he could inflict more punishment on Mr 619. Rey Mysterio returned on Oct 8th, and in the main event, defeated Alberto Del Rio, and his return was a victorious one. Yet, what did it mean for Alberto Del Rio?
Alberto Del Rio suffered his first loss in the WWE, by the hands of his arch enemy. Rey Mysterio handed Alberto Del Rio his first loss ever, causing Del Rio to go back and reassess his motive. Was he doubting himself? Absolutely. Did he lose hope in himself? The answer was yet to be found out.
At Bragging Rights, Del Rio did his job for the Smackdown brand, by defeating Chris Masters, but when it came to Rey Mysterio’s match, he intentionally attacked Rey Mysterio, knowing that they both were in the same team; Team Smackdown. CM Punk eliminated Del Rio afterwards, yet Smackdown earned the victory due to Edge and Rey Mysterio.
Del Rio was a focal part of the team, but this ended up continuing the feud between Mysterio and Del Rio. Things were far from over. Instead, things had just started taking shape, and they started despising each other.
Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio wanted to end each others’ career now. Rey Mysterio didn’t want Alberto Del Rio to make a name for himself, while Del Rio wanted to end things for Mysterio.
Who was more determined, and who was strong enough to win this enormous battle?
At Survivor Series, the feud heated up, as these two led their respective teams against each other, to earn bragging rights. Del Rio’s team lost in the end, yet Alberto Del Rio was never eliminated, instead was knocked out by the Big Show. Rey Mysterio’s team earned the victory, and Alberto Del Rio recovered, but by that moment, everything was over.
Yet, Alberto Del Rio put his hatred of Rey Mysterio on the back-burner, as he started focusing on the King of the Ring tournament. He qualified for the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Big Show by count out, and earned himself a place int he semi finals by defeating Daniel Bryan by the Cross Arm-breaker. His next opponent was the Prince of Parkour, John Morrison.
After having a solid match with back and forth offense, Del Rio was setting up for the win, but someone distracted Del Rio, causing him to lose, and making John Morrison proceed to the finals. Who was that someone, you may ask?
It was Rey Mysterio.
Rey Mysterio distracted Del Rio, causing Del Rio to lose, and all his chances of becoming King of the Ring to sink. Alberto Del Rio wondered if his idea of taking down Mysterio was a good one, yet Del Rio kept Mysterio on the back-burner, and promised to focus on other important factors, like mentoring his rookie, Conor O Brien on NXT (Season 4). After Conor’s elimination, Brodus became Del Rio’s new rookie, as he switched pros, due to his resentment for his earlier pro, Ted DiBiase.
After NXT, Del Rio received a title shot, as he faced Kane, Rey Mysterio, and Edge for the championship. The match was won by Edge, with Rey Mysterio stopping Del Rio from winning, causing Del Rio to be furious with Rey Mysterio and his antics.
Alberto Del Rio had enough. No more of the silly games and trash talk; Del Rio wanted to focus on bigger and better things, and Rey Mysterio was a thorn in his way. Del Rio decided to end things with Mysterio, and set his sights on better prospects, which would help his career.
Finally, Del Rio decided to end the feud with Rey Mysterio for once and all, and challenged him to a Two out of Three Falls Match. On January 7th, Del Rio faced Mysterio, and won, with the help of Ricardo Rodriguez, his loyal ring announcer, to end this feud. Del Rio got the first fall, Mysterio got the second; but then, due to Ricardo’s distraction, Del Rio stole the third fall to end this feud. Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio’s feud was over.
from LordsOfPain.net:
Fall Number One
Alberto with kicks to Rey at the start of the match and he sends Rey into the turnbuckles. Alberto chokes Rey in the corner. Alberto with an Irish whip but he runs into a boot from Rey. Alberto with a kick but Rey with a kick of his own followed by a head scissors and 619 attempt. Alberto is able to duck the 619 and then he puts Rey in the cross arm breaker. Rey tries to fight out of the hold but then he sacrifices this fall by tapping out to possibly help him in the other two falls.
Fall Number One to Alberto Del Rio [Del Rio 1 Fall, Mysterio 0 Falls]
Fall Number Two
We join the second fall in progress and Del Rio with an arm bar but Rey with forearms. Del Rio with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker for a near fall. Del Rio with a kick to the head and he follows it with an Irish whip. Rey with a boot to the head when Del Rio charges. Alberto tries for another tilt-a-whirl back breaker but Rey lands on his feet. Del Rio with a kick and he throws Rey under the ropes to the floor. Del Rio takes too much time to gloat over his success so far in the match and that allows Rey to get back on the apron without any trouble.
Rey with a shoulder and forearms from the apron followed by a springboard head scissors that takes Del Rio to the mat. Rey holds his left arm because of the damage already done to it by Del Rio. Rey with a knee to Del Rio but Alberto with an Irish whip. Rey with an elbow. Del Rio tries for the cross arm breaker again, but he doesn’t have it locked in and that allows Rey to get a near fall with a rollup. Rey with a drop toe hold and Alberto goes into the ropes. Del Rio gets back to his feet but Rey with a head scissors into a La Magistral for the three count.
Fall Number Two to Rey Mysterio [Del Rio 1 Fall, Mysterio 1 Fall]
Fall Number Three
The third fall is joined in progress and Del Rio with a key lock. Rey with a series of kicks to escape the hold. Rey with a kick to the chest. Del Rio with a hard Irish whip and he gets a near fall. Del Rio puts Rey on the turnbuckles and appears to try to unmask Rey. Rey knocks Del Rio to the mat and he connects with a battering ram for a near fall. Rey with a springboard cross body for another near fall. Rey with kicks to the ribs and then Rey tries for a springboard move but he does not connect, allowing Alberto to hit an arm breaker and get a near fall.
Del Rio shows some frustration over not being able to finish Rey. Del Rio gets Rey on his shoulders but Rey gets to his feet and he hits a DDT and both men are down. Rey gets a near fall on Del Rio. Rey goes to the apron and takes his time climbing the turnbuckles for a moonsault but Alberto recovers and he crotches Rey and Rey is hanging from the turnbuckles in the tree of woe. Alberto with a drop kick to the chest and Rey falls to the mat. Del Rio goes to the apron and he picks up Rey and tries to superplex Rey to the floor but Rey blocks it.
Del Rio decides on Plan B and he drops Rey’s arm on the top rope. Del Rio sends Rey into the turnbuckles while on the apron. Rey kicks Del Rio in the knee and Alberto is in the turnbuckles, but on the apron. Rey with a 619 to Del Rio that sends him to the floor. Ricardo Rodriguez checks on Del Rio while Rey goes up top and Rey hits a cross body onto both men. Rey brings Del Rio back into the ring but Rey does not return to the ring immediately and he tries to get back into the ring in front of Rodriguez. Rodriguez grabs Rey’s legs to prevent him from returning to the ring and the referee makes the ten count.
Fall Number Three to Alberto Del Rio (Alberto Del Rio wins)
Or was it?
After the ‘ending’, Rey Mysterio went on to do nothing major, while Alberto Del Rio defeated thirty-nine other men, and won the Royal Rumble. He challenged Edge, but lost. After Edge’s retirement, he challenged Christian for the title, but lost. He was drafted to RAW (with Rey Mysterio), where he quickly lost steam, but he wasn’t extinguished yet. He engaged in a small feud with Big Show, but that was just the stepping stone to something great. Where was Rey Mysterio involved in all this, you ask?
The next altercation between Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio took place WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, where Alberto Del Rio secured the briefcase, earning a sure-shot number one contender-ship for the WWE title. After Rey and Del Rio climbed the ladder, Del Rio removed Mysterio’s mask, causing Mysterio to fall, and thus not being able to retrieve the briefcase. Del Rio had made an enemy in Rey Mysterio again.
Did Alberto Del Rio re-ignite the feud? Was the great story lasting all autumn being repeated again soon?
Fast forward to Summer Slam, and Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on CM Punk, after Nash laid Punk out. Del Rio had become our WWE Champion! Ricardo exclaimed in joy, as his mentor and master had become the king of the WWE.
Del Rio had won his first WWE Championship!
Del Rio and Rey Mysterio proceeded to have many other interactions, yet this was nearly the end of their feud. Del Rio had become a star, and went on to feud with CM Punk and other superstars, while Rey Mysterio was putting over other stars, and was at the end of his career. The purpose of the feud had been served, and Del Rio had become a star.
This feud was one of the best of the decade, or maybe even the WWE, as it made a new star and cemented the said star’s legacy in the WWE, and it also provided us with spectacular matches in the ring. Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio had an unforgettable feud, which could be termed as a classic.
Wrestling’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.
-Jim Henson (edited)
Present Scenario
This feud was a perfect scenario for Alberto Del Rio’s debut and Rey Mysterio’s demise from the WWE. This was the groundwork for a brilliant career in the WWE for Del Rio, while this also dug the way of a retirement for Rey Mysterio.
As of now, Alberto Del Rio has turned face, and is now the current World Champion; something which he has accomplished after trying for two years. Del Rio seems to be on the top of his game currently, winning championships and matches, and having a successful run on the top. Del Rio finds himself main eventing WrestleMania now, with his opponent, the Real American, Jack Swagger.
Del Rio is in a heated feud at the moment, which is being covered by every major network and sports website. Swagger and Del Rio are going to have an amazing match at WrestleMania, and the future seems bright for the Mexican Aristocrat, since he is shaping up to be the next Hispanic face of the WWE, after the retirement of Rey Mysterio.
Rey Mysterio seems to be out with an injury, and has no clear future in the WWE as of now. The future is disappointing for the masked warrior, since he might be retiring soon, and quitting the WWE, wrestling-wise. It’s a shame, since Mysterio is a phenomenal athlete, yet injuries have brought him down always. If Rey Mysterio retires, however, then he is a sure shot for the WWE Hall of Fame. The fans will always remember Rey Mysterio, and we thank him for all his efforts to entertain us.
Thank you for reading this article. Don’t forget to follow the writer on Twitter @NextBigThingSiD, and voice your opinion on this feud below, with thoughts, criticisms, suggestions, and more. Also, share and like this article. Thank you.