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His was a name many folks were surprised wasn't a part of the "Black Thursday" cuts. We figured that because of his use as a Spanish-language announcer, he had probably survived this round.
Well, it's too early to tell if there's another round, or if it just took a little bit longer to decide/negotiate, but Ricardo Rodriguez and WWE have both confirmed that Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer is no longer with the company.
From Rodriguez's Twitter:
I have come to terms with WWE on my release. I want to thank them for a great 4 years. But I miss wrestling
— Ricardo Rodriguez (@RRWWE) July 30, 2014
From wwe.com:
WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Ricardo Rodriguez as of today, July 30, 2014. WWE wishes Ricardo Rodriguez the best in all of his future endeavors.
The wording of Ricardo's tweet indicates that he requested the release to get back to working inside the ring instead of beside it. He wrestled in Developmental for WWE, including several appearances on NXT, as masked character El Local.
Even if he did ask to be let go, it's doubtful that WWE fought him on it. With rumors floating around about a number of different cost-cutting moves either already implemented or set to go into effect immediately following tomorrow's investor conference call, they were probably okay with taking the value of Rodriguez's contract off the books.
Stay tuned for more on WWE's financial status, and news on where Rodriguez lands next.
Thanks for the memories, Ricardo. I will honestly think of you every Christmas.
