Alberto El Patron On If Wrestling Should Expand In India, Wanting To Retire Soon, Impact Wrestling
I exclusively spoke to GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron for Wrestling Inc. last week, who was in Mumbai for last week's Impact Wrestling tapings. Below is the full interview:
For a long time, you were constantly linked with Impact Wrestling, and you finally made your debut earlier this year. Can you tell us what the fan reaction meant to you, with you being one of the top acquisitions for Impact Wrestling in the recent past?
"Oh, all the fans' welcoming made me very happy. All my videos in the first week with Impact Wrestling went viral. We had more than 4 million viewers – people were just happy. People were talking about it for days, for weeks, because nobody expected to see me at Impact, especially because of all the rumors that said that I was going back to WWE. So for me to be there, make an impact and face Bobby Lashley, becoming the champion on the very first night, it was phenomenal."
You've been to India before. Can you narrate your experience in India [and if it is worth it for promotions to expand in India]?
"I'm a third generation wrestler. A guy who has seen it all, accomplished it all everywhere. A guy who has worked for the most important companies around the world, and was the champion in each and every one of them.
"I'm telling you this – India is the perfect market for pro wrestling, because there is a lot of passion and love for the sport. This is my second time in India, and I can feel and see how passionate the Indian fans are for pro wrestling. I come from a third world country, from Mexico, where there isn't too much money – we don't have too much money. But we never regret something we manage – we go and spend the money we have in order to be entertained.
"So I can compare India with my country, Mexico. We might not have a lot of money like countries – like Germany, or United States or Spain, but we work hard every single day, to get the things that we like, and to spend money on the things that we like. So, India is a big market – for Impact Wrestling, they want to see us here, and we want to be here. As long as the Indian fans continue to support Impact Wrestling, we will continue to come down here."
His experience with the fans, and about his engagement with the Indian audience:
"It was the same. Yesterday, and even today, I'm completely tired. My body is finally telling me to go home and take rest. I actually thought I was getting sick yesterday. I came here and said, 'No, I don't know what it is, I've never felt this way before.' This exhausted, this tired. And I thought I wasn't going to be able to perform because I was just too tired.
"I was in my locker room thinking, and double thinking. I was about to tell the promoters, 'Hey, I don't feel too good. I don't think I can perform.' But when I went down to the ring, and when I heard the crowd chanting my name, chanting, 'Si! Si! Si!' I was able to feel the energy, and suddenly everything changed. Then I just forgot about being tired, feeling sick. It wasn't about personal stuff. I just went out and performed. I put in a good performance, something the fans want to see. I'm still tired today. I wasn't able to sleep last night. But I'm going to go to the studio today, and I'm going to give them a hell of a match."
We previously talked about how long you see yourself as a professional wrestler. You said you'd be in the business for maybe 3 years. Is that still the case for you?
"Yes, definitely. Definitely. I'm not going to be doing this for too long.I'm tired, I'm just tired. I'm going to stop doing so many shows outside of the United States. I'm going to come back to India anytime they need me with Impact Wrestling. But I'm not going to do so many shows in Europe. I just cancelled my – one of the shows in Chile. I think I'm just going to take two weeks off because I want to go home and rest.
"After India, I have to go home. I think I have to be home for two days and I'm going to do some work. I was supposed to go to Chile but I cancelled it, because I want to take my kids to – I have a house in Orlando. So I'm planning on taking my kids to Orlando for the whole month. I need to rest. My brain needs to rest. And I think this is the perfect time, after this Indian tour.
"It looks like everything is going fantastically in India, and I just want it to be a surprise. I want to go home completely happy, be happy at the end of the tour, at the end of the shows. To go knowing this tour was a complete success."
What does the future have in store for you?
"Well, I'm going to retire from pro wrestling soon. And if everything goes well, I will stay at Impact (Wrestling) working as an agent, a producer. Everybody loves my work, everybody loves my choreography. Everyone talks about the way I structure the matches and how when someone is in the ring with me, I will elevate that someone. So if that is something I can help with once I retire from my wrestling days, I will be completely happy doing it.
"So, once my in – ring days are over, I will be doing some agent/producer work for the company, and I'm going to continue working with Combate Americas and taking the company to new places, and help that company to grow. I have a lot of plans, a lot of projects outside wrestling, and most importantly, I am going to go home and enjoy with my family."