Alberto Del Rio chatted with WSVN-TV’s Chris Van Vlie at Coastal Championship Wrestling in Coral Springs, FL. Val Vlie was able to catch up with him about his terms with WWE and Vince McMahon, CM Punk, getting his US Citizenship, and more. Check out the full interview above, but highlights are below.
On retiring next year…
“I’m in the middle of going from being a wrestler to being an entertainer. I still love wrestling, I still have a lot of passion for wrestling but I think it’s time for me to start moving on to other stuff. We know never, if I have to be one of those guys wrestling with my tiny little trunks at the age of 60 if I have to. I’m not criticizing anybody because you never know where life is going to get you. Everything looks good for me, I have invested my money wisely, I have saved my money. So everything looks good, I have a lot of projects like the stuff with Combate Americas and my good friend Campbell McLaren is doing fantastic. We became number two, we blasted Bellator in numbers, ratings and everything else, we’re just right behind UFC and of course UFC is that monster that nobody is going to defeat. I’m starting a telenovela, doing some episodes next week in Mexico. So there’s a lot of things for me out there. My plan is to do this year then do next year as a farewell tour and perform in the places that marked me in my career.”
On his status with WWE, Vince McMahon, and Triple H….
“I’ve always been on good terms with Vince McMahon. The other stuff is public knowledge, my stuff with other people. I always take responsibility for my actions and I know I got it wrong, I made a mistake and I misjudged someone in that company last year. And being the man I am and of course I called him and I apologized for that and we’re good. They’re just going in a different direction than I’m going. I don’t want to be tied up to any company. I don’t want to sign any contracts.”
His thoughts on CM Punk’s last fight in UFC…
“He did well. I just hate to listen to people, to hear people saying crap about someone like Phil. Someone who’s got the balls to go and try something different, to train in a different sport and jump in that f*cking cage. Most of those people criticizing him, they have never been in a real fight in their life and most of THOSE guys, unfortunately, come from OUR business, the pro wrestling business. And everybody knows this, and they hate it because I keep saying it, but you mother f*ckers, 90% of the mother f*ckers in this business have never been in a real fight in their life, and those are the ones criticizing someone like Phil.”