Alberto Del Rio's Babyface Run Is Working

It may have seemed unlikely at the start of his WWE career, but Alberto Del Rio is now thriving as a babyface.

The transition from sneering aristocrat to resilient, moralistic warrior was awkward at first, but Del Rio is more and more a believable hero and is popular with a large portion of the crowd. He helps WWE balance out the ratio of face and heel with so many young, promising stars currently residing on the dark side.

The key to his success as a face hasn't been him getting rid of his luxury cars or donning the colors of the Mexican flag. It has been the shift in his relationship with Ricardo Rodriguez that has made the change work.

Del Rio's personal ring announcer was clearly more than just an employee. He was a place for Del Rio to channel his frustration, a lackey and a cowering gopher. Their relationship bordered on that of slave and owner.

It was during his feud with Big Show that Del Rio began to take on the role of Rodriguez's protector, and it's a role he has continued.

By putting himself in harm's way to protect Rodriguez, Del Rio exhibits a heroic quality. This makes it easier for root for him and is more powerful than Del Rio just beating up WWE's bad guys to win fans over.

In this match between Rodriguez and Zeb Colter, Del Rio jumps in immediately when Jack Swagger attacks his ring announcer:

It's clear from moments like this that Rodriguez and Del Rio's relationship has morphed from a business arrangement to something more personal, more fraternal. The more Del Rio has treated Rodriguez as a friend and an equal, the easier it has been to relate to him.

Not a big chunk of WWE fans have servants, but many of them surely have friends whose pain is theirs as well. Rodriguez and Del Rio's friendship became the bridge that helped the master of the cross armbreaker go from villain to hero.

The suffering that Rodriguez's beatings have caused Del Rio make him a far more sympathetic and relatable character.

Watch him here as Big Show holds Rodriguez hostage backstage. It's a dramatic moment, one that has most people side with the victim and Del Rio, wincing at the sight of his friend in trouble:

This is WWE creating pathos for Rodriguez and Del Rio, having us forget about all of Del Rio's dastardly deeds in the past. As an aristocrat, he was very much a character. This version of Del Rio is far more human and is easier to connect with.

Now, Del Rio receives chants of "Si! Si! Si!" during his matches and rumbling cheers for clamping his signature submission hold on baddies like Dolph Ziggler.

This turn has been an example of WWE hitting all the right moves. Even in the face of fan criticism, the company stuck with its plan, and it continues to get better.

Del Rio was a throwback heel, a sinister, over-the-top character. Turning him into a fan favorite seemed like a risky idea at the time, but his work on the other team has been impressive thus far.