Alberto Del Rio Says WWE Higher-Ups Were Making Racist Jokes, Talks WWE Release, Low WWE Pay

- Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio did an interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine that comes out this week and talked about his departure from the company.

Del Rio said there were constant racist jokes in WWE while he was there and he never liked them but never said anything because usually the jokes were made by important people. Del Rio said the jokes were made about Latin and African-Americans. Del Rio said if a "nobody" such as Cody Barbierri made a joke then he would say something but if someone important made a racist joke, he wouldn't say anything to them.

Regarding the incident with Barbierri, Del Rio said at first he was told he was going to be suspended but when officials realized there was a lawsuit against them from when Big Show allegedly slapped a backstage worker doing a vignette, they were afraid Barbierri would sue. Del Rio said he was told, "We need to let you go until things cool down." Del Rio was given the impression that he would be back in a few months but he told them that if he wasn't hired back by the time he hung up the phone, he wasn't coming back and noted that he had already made up his mind about leaving when his contract expired.

Del Rio did not name who made the phone call to him but said it was someone higher-up who always made racial jokes. Del Rio said because this person does it, others think it's okay to do.

Del Rio claimed the former Sin Cara is making $5,000 per match in Mexico and is doing two to three matches per week. He also claimed the new hot talents in WWE are making $500 per match. Del Rio claimed one WWE Superstar, who was not named but also has a brother in the company, told him that he worked a Superstars match, a long RAW match, a promo on RAW and then a dark match at the end of the show and got just $500 for it. He also mentioned wrestlers getting paid $2,000 for a four-show tour of Mexico. He said the young WWE talents are not unhappy about things but not completely happy either, but have no other choice.

Del Rio also said WWE only wants you to do their style in the ring and they keep you in a box to where you can't think outside of the box. He doesn't blame WWE for that because it works for them but now he's going to mix American, European, Japanese and Mexican styles.

Del Rio mentioned that his father Dos Caras will have a big retirement event in 2015 with Del Rio, his brother Guillermo Rodriguez, Mil Mascaras and stars from Japan. He added that Rey Mysterio wants to attend.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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