Alberto Del Rio
A Mexican aristocrat of the ring who used his legitimate martial arts pedigree to become a hated, yet decorated, world champion in WWE.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Mexican professional wrestler·Birthday: May 25·Generation X
Biography
Born into lucha libre royalty as the son of the luchador Dos Caras, José Alberto Rodríguez was a genuine athlete before he ever stepped into a WWE ring. He was an amateur wrestler and a mixed martial artist with a real submission skillset, which he weaponized in his pro wrestling persona, Alberto Del Rio. Debuting in WWE in 2010, he arrived in a fleet of luxury cars, presenting himself as a wealthy, arrogant aristocrat from Mexico who looked down on the American audience. The gimmick was magnetic heat, propelling him to win the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, and the Money in the Bank contract—all within his first two years. His runs in WWE, Impact Wrestling, and other promotions were marked by championship gold and backstage controversy in equal measure, cementing his status as a polarizing but undeniable force in sports entertainment.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Alberto was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alberto Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Alberto's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the WWE Championship twice, first by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on CM Punk.
- Captured the World Heavyweight Championship twice during his tenure with WWE.
- Won the 2011 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Santino Marella.
- Held the AAA Mega Championship, a top title in Mexican lucha libre.
Did You Know?
He represented Mexico in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1997 Pan American Games.
Before WWE, he fought in MMA for the Pride Fighting Championships and Deep promotions in Japan.
His uncle is the famous luchador Mil Máscaras.
He was the first person to win both the Royal Rumble and the Money in the Bank ladder match in the same year (2011).
“I am the Mexican Aristocrat, and I don't need your cheers; I need your silence.”
