The definition of insanity
Look, we need to have a serious conversation about the independent wrestling scene and its bizarre, masochistic addiction to Alberto Del Rio. It is 2026. WrestleMania 41 just packed out Vegas, WWE is drawing massive crowds, AEW is gearing up for Double or Nothing, and yet, somehow, somewhere, a promoter is still trying to figure out if booking Jose Alberto Rodriguez Chucuan is a good idea. Spoiler alert—it is not.
The news dropped recently, as covered by Wrestling Inc, regarding yet another legal issue for the former champion. The report was brief but damning:
A promotion in Mexico has clarified its status with Alberto Del Rio/El Patron following his domestic violence arrest earlier this month.
Read that sentence again. A promotion had to explicitly tell people they are not associating with this guy right now. You know your reputation is in the gutter when wrestling companies have to treat you like radioactive waste just to avoid public relations blowback.
It is honestly baffling. The internet wrestling community has been done with this guy for the better part of a decade. Go look at any forum right now. The reaction is not shock. It is not even anger anymore. It is pure, unadulterated exhaustion. Fans are tired of waking up, opening their phones, and seeing his name attached to another grim headline.
A fractured fanbase
The community reaction is basically split into two uneven groups. First, you have the overwhelming majority of fans. Their sentiment is a loud, collective demand to stop giving this man a platform. They point out the obvious. What possible benefit do you get from putting El Patron on your flyer in 2026? He isn't moving an extra 1,000 tickets. He isn't popping a massive rating on local television.
Fans argue that booking him only gets you a handful of nostalgia pops from people who vaguely remember him holding the big gold belt. After that initial pop, you just get the inevitable headache when the real world comes crashing in. The risk factor is through the roof, and the financial upside is virtually non-existent.
Then you have the skeptics, the devil's advocates, and the promoter apologists. This tiny minority tries to rationalize the madness. They argue that local promoters in Mexico are simply desperate for recognizable stars. Their logic suggests that in a fractured media environment, a former WWE champion brings a level of mainstream credibility that a local indie darling simply cannot provide.
This camp claims that independent promotions are operating on razor-thin margins. They argue these companies will take any recognizable name they can get, moral baggage be damned, just to secure a local sponsor or sell a few extra VIP meet-and-greet tickets. It is a cynical view of the business, but they argue it is the harsh reality of indie wrestling.
The high ground is obvious
Let me tell you right now, that second argument is absolute garbage. It completely ignores the reality of who Alberto is in the modern era. We are not talking about a guy who missed a few flights or said something dumb in a shoot interview. We are talking about a guy who has a Wikipedia section dedicated to legal controversies that is longer than his championship history.
This recent domestic violence arrest earlier this month is just the latest miserable chapter in a book no one wanted to read in the first place. My analysis? The fans demanding a permanent boycott have the undeniable high ground here. The promoters are not making a savvy business move; they are acting out of lazy desperation.
Think about his track record. Remember when he returned to WWE in 2015? He beat John Cena clean for the United States Championship. They handed him the world on a silver platter. He was paired with Zeb Colter in that weird MexAmerica storyline that bombed spectacularly. Then he formed the League of Nations, got suspended, and was gone a year later.
Remember his run in Impact Wrestling? He showed up, won their world title, and then was stripped of it after being suspended amid domestic violence allegations. It is a recurring nightmare. Every single time a major company hands him the ball, he immediately punts it into the stands and gets escorted out by security.
A failure of leadership
The fact that a Mexican promotion had to put out a statement clarifying his status means they were likely considering using him. Or worse, fans assumed he would be there because promoters have zero shame. It is a terrible look for the entire lucha libre scene. It makes the whole industry look amateurish and willing to overlook serious legal allegations for a quick buck.
Let's talk about the actual talent available right now in Mexico. Lucha libre is in an incredible place. You have generational talents flying around arenas in Arena Mexico and tearing up the indies. You have guys who are hungry, young, athletic, and most importantly, not going to get arrested the week of your biggest show.
Why bypass all of that potential to book an aging veteran who looks completely disengaged in the ring? When was the last time Alberto had a genuinely great match? I am waiting. You probably have to go back to a SmackDown episode in 2013 against Christian to find a bout worth rewatching. The in-ring product simply does not justify the out-of-ring baggage.
Professional wrestling relies heavily on trust. The promoter trusts the talent to show up and perform. The fans trust the promoter to deliver the advertised card safely and professionally. Del Rio breaks that trust constantly. Booking him is a massive failure of leadership on the part of these independent promoters.
They see the WWE logo on his resume and get dollar signs in their eyes. They completely ignore the giant red flags waving furiously in their faces. It is lazy booking. Instead of building a new star or investing in reliable veterans, they roll the dice on a guy who has proven, time and time again, that he cannot stay out of his own way.
Media complicity and moving on
You want a critical observation? The wrestling media is partly to blame here too. We give oxygen to his inevitable comeback tours. Every year or so, he does a media blitz. He talks about how he has found religion, how he is a changed man, and how he is ready for one last run in a major company.
Podcasts and dirt sheets eat it up. We run the headlines. We create the illusion that there is still a viable market for Alberto El Patron. We are unintentionally enabling the promoters who eventually decide to book him. It is a vicious cycle of grifting, and it always ends with a police report and a hastily written apology graphic on Twitter.
The fans know better now. The reaction to this latest report is a collective, exhausted eye roll. Nobody is defending him in the replies anymore. The enthusiasts who used to cheer for the Cross Armbreaker have moved on. The sport has evolved rapidly, leaving him completely in the dust.
Just look at the current wrestling calendar. We are just weeks away from WWE Backlash in May. AEW is building momentum toward Double or Nothing. The industry is incredibly hot right now. The business is booming across the board. There is absolutely zero reason to drag the ghosts of 2014 back into the spotlight.
If you are a promoter in 2026 and you are still considering booking him, you deserve the public relations disaster that follows. You are not a savvy businessman exploiting a market inefficiency. You are just a mark for a recognizable name. You are prioritizing a cheap pop over the safety and reputation of your company.
The Mexican promotion that issued this recent clarification dodged a massive bullet. But the fact that they even had to clarify it speaks volumes about the state of the business. It shows that his shadow still lingers over the scene. It is a grim reminder of how hard it is to actually get ostracized in professional wrestling if you were once on television.
Eventually, the well has to run dry. Eventually, there will be no more bridges left to burn. I just hope the fans keep voicing their displeasure. Keep demanding better from your local independent promotions. If a promoter tries to sell you a ticket based on his name, keep your wallet closed and stay home.
Professional wrestling is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be a highly entertaining escape from reality. When guys like this dominate the news cycle for all the wrong reasons, it just feels depressing and gross. We deserve better storylines, both inside and outside the ring. Let the legal system handle his mess. The era of Alberto Del Rio should have been over a very long time ago. Let's make sure it stays that way forever.
