WWE’s blockbuster announcement during WrestleMania 41 weekend—confirming their acquisition of lucha libre giant AAA—immediately sparked fan speculation, but now an unverified rumor is stirring the pot even more.

On April 23, a claim began circulating online from multiple social media accounts that claim AAA had released Alberto Del Rio as part of the fallout from WWE’s acquisition. However, Ringside News has not confirmed the legitimacy of this report or even where it originated.

We have reached out to Del Rio’s camp for clarification, but as of now, there is no evidence to support that he has been released from AAA. Based on all available information, we believe it is very unlikely that AAA has cut ties with Del Rio at this point.

This latest rumor comes amid renewed speculation about Del Rio’s future. Despite WWE’s previous stance of completely shutting the door on any return, recent chatter suggested that “it’s no longer contentious” and that discussions have taken place about potential appearances—possibly even at the upcoming Worlds Collide event in June.

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Del Rio’s name was back in the back in the headlines for another reason last month—one that’s far from flattering.

The former WWE Champion was suspended for 180 days by the Tijuana Wrestling Commission after an out-of-control altercation with fans at a recent AAA event at the Auditorio. According to Rob Viper, Del Rio lost his temper post-match and tried to jump the guardrail to confront someone in the crowd. When that failed, he found another entry point, climbed over, and threw a chair at someone off-camera.

It didn’t end there. A fan retaliated by throwing a chair that hit Del Rio in the head, setting off a full-blown brawl. Reports claim that during the chaos, an elderly woman was struck by a flying chair and had to be taken to the hospital.

Viper added, “The Tijuana commission suspended Alberto Del Rio for 180 days (~6 months) for his role in an incident on Friday at the Auditorio… One story going around is an old lady got hit by a flying chair at some point & ended up in hospital.”

Still, the exact nature of WWE’s control over AAA operations remains unclear, and nothing regarding Del Rio’s involvement has been officially confirmed.

Update as of 11 AM: Ringside News can now confirm that the “report” about AAA releasing Alberto Del Rio originated from a parody account on Twitter posing as a wrestling news source. The tweet falsely credited Fightful for the information, leading many fans to believe it was legitimate. However, Fightful never reported this, and the claim is entirely fabricated.

Do you think there’s still a place for Alberto Del Rio in WWE’s new AAA plans? Or is it time to move on from that chapter? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

Steve Carrier is the founder of Ringside News and has been reporting on pro wrestling since 1997. His stories have been featured on TMZ, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and more.

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