WWE Was Right to End the Alberto Del Rio Babyface Experiment

The WWE made the right call ending the Alberto Del Rio babyface experiment.

Del Rio turned face at December’s TLC event, protecting his announcer Ricardo Rodriguez against 3MB. It culminated in a world title run that ended the Raw after WrestleMania, where Dolph Ziggler defeated him.

That moment signaled the end of the Del Rio babyface project. Fans cheered Ziggler that night, and as far as Del Rio, he never regained the momentum he once had.

The problem throughout his turn was the lukewarm reaction he received. The best reaction he procured was when he won the world title from the Big Show on SmackDown.

Other than that, Del Rio hasn’t gotten that true babyface reaction. In comparison, even Ricardo Rodriguez got a bigger reaction.

It’s not Del Rio’s fault, not entirely. He did everything he could to try to get the crowd at his side. The WWE Universe never truly bought it.

At WrestleMania 29, the crowd flooded Del Rio’s title defense against Jack Swagger with “We Want Ziggler” chants. What an insult to Del Rio’s babyface run.

It was a dead end since it started. Now, he’s back as a heel, which should suit him better.

The double switch happened at Payback, where the fans in Chicago where once again cheering for Ziggler. Del Rio began a vicious attack with kicks to Ziggler’s head and eventually took the title.

Fans weren’t happy that night, which was exactly the reaction the WWE wanted. Del Rio solidified his turn by venting his frustration at the fans on the June 17 edition of Raw. He demanded respect from the fans, which eventually led to a match with newly christened babyface CM Punk and an ambush by Ziggler.

Del Rio is a classic example of a wrestler who’s better as a heel. It’s more believable than his face turn. He has that natural arrogance, displaying how he’s better than everyone around him. His presence in the WWE is not as a hero but as a bad guy.

The WWE was right in ending the babyface experiment of Alberto Del Rio. Some things just shouldn’t be changed. Del Rio as a heel is definitely one of them.