Backstage News on WWE Releasing Ricardo Rodriguez

The day prior to WWE’s report of its second quarter earnings, it released former commentator and ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. With WWE then set to begin a massive staff reduction process, some thought Rodriguez was part of budget and talent cuts in preparation for Thursday, July 31. However, Rodriguez noted on Twitter that he simply wanted to be a wrestler again. In WWE, he rarely got the chance to showcase his skills in the ring.

A report by F4WOnline notes that this was indeed part of the reason Rodriguez and WWE came to terms on a release. After being turned on by Alberto Del Rio, Rodriguez was upset that he was not utilized as a wrestler in any way. Additionally, Rodriguez was reportedly suffering from an injury, which was a factor in how things played out.

Rodriguez’s contract with WWE was set to renew the night after “SummerSlam.” With his decreased role in the company and cuts needed, it made WWE’s decision to come to terms with him on a release easier. In the past couple of months, Rodriguez has simply been working pay-per-view events, serving as a commentator for the Spanish announce team.

Editor’s Note

Based on what came out the day of his release, most of this is not too surprising. I liked Rodriguez and thought he should have been utilized more in the recent months.