Former WWE Tag Champ Returns To Wresting Alongside MxM Collection At AEW WrestleDream

By Miles Schneiderman
Rico with Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo WWE

A former WWE tag team champion who has been largely gone from wrestling for the past two decades made his return on AEW WrestleDream's Zero Hour kickoff show, as Rico appeared backstage alongside MxM Collective prior to their match with The Acclaimed. Best remembered as the stylist/manager of the somewhat controversial tag team Billy and Chuck (current AEW star Billy Gunn and former WWE star Chuck Palumbo), Rico — sporting his signature muttonchops — was revealed when MxM Collection asked him how they look, to which he replied with the line that once opened Billy and Chuck's theme song: "You look so good to me."

Rico later accompanied MxM Collection to the ring, where Gunn reminded the audience that Rico had once tried to "trick" him into marrying another man, adding "no offense" in the direction of his openly gay stablemate Anthony Bowens. Rico would interfere from ringside throughout the match in an effort to help Mansoor and Mason Madden, but would eventually be confronted by Gunn, who delivered his signature Famouser, allowing The Acclaimed to pick up the victory.

Also known as Rico Constantino, Rico worked for WWE from 1998 to 2004, starting in Ohio Valley Wrestling. After debuting on "WWE SmackDown" in 2002 as Billy and Chuck's homosexual stylist, he would later be involved in their infamous "gay wedding" segment, which saw WWE falsely tell GLAAD and numerous media outlets that Palumbo and Gunn were legitimately marrying one another. In fact, the two men got as far as the ceremony itself before calling it off and clarifying that they were both straight despite their noticeably gay-coded gimmick. Rico would ultimately hold both the WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Tag Team Championship before his release in 2004. According to Cagematch, he hasn't wrestled since 2005.

Following the match, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful would report that AEW had previous attempted to sign Palumbo, as well.

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