Former WWE, AAA and Impact Wrestling champion Alberto el Patron (fka Del Rio) was at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT last week, PWInsider.com has confirmed. We are told Patron was in Stamford last Wednesday, filming interview material for an upcoming WWE project related to Rey Mysterio. That would be the day he flew to Europe to make an appearance for Five Star Wrestling.
While Patron was in Stamford, he also met with Vince McMahon, numerous sources have confirmed.
The meeting with McMahon is very interesting, because, as I noted in my Elite audio update yesterday, there have been rumblings of late within WWE that McMahon was very much for Patron returning to the company, as he's always been extremely high on Patron as a performer and a character. Patron left the company in September 2016 after requesting a release, at the time unhappy with where he had been slated within the company.
Patron has been with Impact Wrestling since March 2017 and his current deal with the company is slated to expire next month. As reported yesterday on PWInsider.com, Impact management made it a priority over the weekend in Canada to meet with talents who's deals were coming close to expiring in order to negotiate new deals, including Patron, who by all accounts would be the biggest "name" talent in the company and likely the highest paid. Impact sources yesterday noted that those conversations with all talents were positive and expressed hopes all, including Patron, would be inking new deals.
Patron is scheduled to headline the 4/22 Impact Wrestling Redemption PPV, challenging champion Austin Aries.
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