During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, former WWE Superstar Lince Dorado commented on his release from the company, what’s next for him, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On partnering with Masked Republic: “It makes perfect sense to partner with them. I can do a lot for them with the American audience, creating original lucha libre content.”
On working with Masked Republic in 2007 on the Viva La Lucha pilot: “That was my first big break. They’re a lucha libre company that understands lucha libre, but it’s much more than that. They understand culture; they understand marketing. They trust there is something in me, and I trust that there’s something in them that will elevate both of us. We have the potential to take over the entire lucha libre market.”
On asking for his WWE release: “Before I asked for my release, I remember telling the [WWE] office, ‘If this is the best you have for us, it isn’t enough. We spent weeks, months and years presenting something that wasn’t stereotypical, that wasn’t generic. I had six years there total, and by the third year, I saw my glass ceiling—and I was so determined to break it.
“They understood I was a luchador, but they didn’t understand the story or the motive or the creative thought that went into being a luchador. All they saw was, ‘This is just a guy in a mask that does incredible things.’ One of the things we told Vince McMahon was that wrestling, for us, was the easy part. We wanted to be superstars. And I didn’t want to be WWE’s Spanish star. I wanted to be represented as a WWE star who happened to have Latino culture and background. But they saw me only as a high-flyer. I knew I could be so much more, and that’s what I am working to become.”
On his decision to leave the company: “There were no layers to my character in WWE, so there is so much for me to show. I had great rapport with Vince, John Laurinaitis and Michael Hayes—the problem was a disconnect between what they thought about lucha libre and what we all know about lucha libre. I hate quitting, but I left with two years left on my contract. I left behind more money than I’ll ever see the rest of my life, but I’ve been poor. I’ve been broke, I’ve been homeless, I’ve been in the street, I’ve been in the ghetto—and I survived. I’ll survive without WWE, too. I want more, and I need more.”
On being excited to show more of what he can do: “Some people don’t know that I can speak English. It’s not widely known that I have an aggressive wrestling style. I can be a heel, too. There is so much potential moving forward.”
On his appreciation of his fans: “I owe a lot to my fans. My fans tell me when I’m doing it right. When I struggled leaving teaching, my fans reinforced that it was the right decision because of the opportunity to wrestle in WWE. I’m excited to reconnect with all my fans and make new ones on this new journey. My goal was to get to WWE. Now it’s time for a new goal, and that’s, finally, to be me.”
