Recently released WWE star Alberto Del Rio appeared on Televisa’s Primero Noticias morning news show, and revealed more details behind the backstage incident with WWE Social Media Manager Cody Barbierri which lead to Del Rio’s WWE release.
You can watch the interview in the video below, and the following are highlights as Del Rio is speaking Spanish:
-Del Rio confirms he did slap WWE Social Media manager Cody Barbierri, and said WWE can “take my job but not my pride and dignity.”
-Del Rio said there were many witnesses to the incident, since it took place at catering, and he named Jack Swagger specifically as a witness. He added he’s not at liberty to say much more about it, but he did say the following:
“This person (Barbierri), I slapped him, I feel embarrassed of my actions. After his comment I stood up and demanded an apology for what he said, but he smiled and said nothing and I slapped him.”
-Del Rio revealed a similar incident took place with Cody Barbierri 8 months ago, he said “[Barbierri] was pretending to read something on his computer, and supposedly said Del Rio is a such and such. I said “what did you say?”, and he said “oh no, it’s something from Twitter.” He then tried to high five me, I told him not to touch me and I went to the ring.”
-Del Rio says he spoke to Vince about the incident, and Vince told him that he understood Del Rio’s anger, but his actions were inappropriate. He told him all was well, however, and to go back to work. The next day he got a phone call from Triple H informing him he had been released.
-Del Rio says he’s considering taking legal action against WWE, and says an attorney told him its unconstitutional for WWE to prevent him from working:
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
