Alberto El Patron Talks Lucha Underground, Rey Mysterio, WWE and More

As Alberto Del Rio, he took the wrestling industry by storm in the United States with the WWE. Now, as Alberto El Patron, he is revolutionizing the business across the world as one of the top stars in El Rey Network’s Lucha Underground.

Lucha Underground is one of the newest wrestling promotions on the scene, but it has already developed a diehard following. Adding Alberto El Patron to the roster was a marquee move, and the calculated risk has already added major credibility to the promotion.

El Patron sat down with the boys of Ring Rust Radio (quotes courtesy of the News of Delaware County’s Joe Arcidiacono) to talk about his transition to Lucha Underground, the possibility of Rey Mysterio making the jump to the company and what makes his new employer different from the traditional WWE style.

Since making its debut on the El Rey Network, Lucha Underground has energized professional wrestling. By offering a mixture of different styles and unique storylines, the federation is offering fans in the United States something they have never seen before.

While WWE's NXT gets credit for being the most exciting hour of wrestling each week, Lucha Underground holds its own on Wednesday nights. As good as NXT has been, Lucha Underground is making better usage of its talent.

Lucha Underground was already making major waves before it brought in El Patron, but the company's decision to add him to the roster was a strategic move that has already paid major dividends.

When asked about what makes Lucha Underground so special in today’s wrestling landscape, El Patron spoke about the mix of different types of wrestling in the promotion:

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Lucha Underground is different than basic Mexican lucha libre. They are combining all the great styles out there into one. They are taking the best out of the Japanese, American, and lucha libre style and making them into one. It’s one unique style that all the fans are enjoying. I have been doing the wrestling shows all over the world. People are stopping me and telling me how much they enjoy the product and how different it is. The fans said they have been waiting for something like this that they can watch and enjoy every week.

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As if adding El Patron to the roster wasn't enough depth to make the company a viable contender in the American market, Rey Mysterio's addition to AAA (h/t F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com) is a great sign for the future of Lucha Underground.

The working relationship between AAA and Lucha Underground is a clear indicator that it is just a matter of time before Mysterio makes his debut in The Temple.

Mysterio is a well-known superstar who will appeal to a wide fanbase internationally, and that is the notoriety that Lucha Underground needs right now. El Patron commented on what bringing in a star of Mysterio's caliber would do for the company’s mainstream appeal:

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It would be fantastic! I don’t know if he is going to join or not because he already joined AAA in Mexico. We know that AAA and Lucha Underground are partners. That pretty much tells me we will see Rey Mysterio at some point in the future and it will be fantastic. We already have a great product and having Rey Mysterio joining the company would make it 1,000 times better. We already have the Latinos watching Lucha Underground. Now we will have superstars like Rey Mysterio and Alberto El Patron that will make the American fans turnaround and watch the program because they know us from other companies.

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The sky is the limit for Lucha Underground. The addition of big names is a great way to bring in wrestling fans, but the key to the company's success is continuing to build entertaining storylines and characters with depth.

In today's wrestling, companies like WWE and TNA do not tell convincing stories or build characters who fans want to support. What has separated Lucha Underground thus far is the willingness to give every wrestler a storyline.

Just like old-school ECW, wrestling fans care about everyone on the roster in Lucha Underground.

After spending so many years with the WWE, El Patron understands what it takes to compete in the American television market. When asked about standing toe-to-toe with the top companies in the United States, he believes Lucha Underground has a chance to fill a major void:

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Oh yes of course. Lucha Underground is a fantastic product. They have the right people talent and backing up the product. I am 100% sure that this company is going to be one of the top three wrestling companies around the world at the end of this year.

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The wrestling business is all about innovation, and the industry has lacked the innovation needed to create another boom period for years. With WWE cornering the market, a company like Lucha Underground has the chance to become a cult sensation before eventually making a splash in the mainstream.

El Patron has seen what it takes to stay at the top of the mountain with the biggest wrestling company in the world, and that valuable experience will help be a guiding force for Lucha Underground now and moving into the future.

The hope is that the federation continues to blossom. As long as the decision-makers behind the scenes stick to what has made the company successful thus far, Lucha Underground will be one of the top wrestling promotions in North America.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).