Alberto Del RioWrestle Mania

Alberto Del Rio

Can Alberto Del Rio become the first Mexican-born heavyweight champ in WWE history?

The six-foot-five, 260-pound grappler certainly has the pedigree: he is the son of respected Mexican luchador Dos Caras and the nephew of legendary masked wrestler Mil Máscaras. Before making the leap to WWE, Del Rio (real name: Alberto Rodriguez) wrestled as Dos Caras, Jr. for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, the 78-year-old wrestling organization that has featured stars like El Santo, Blue Demon and Místico.

Del Rio, who has also had mixed success in MMA, made an impressive debut on WWE Smackdown versus Rey Mysterio last summer. Unlike Mysterio, however, Del Rio ditched his signature mask, a move that angered some lucha libre purists. Dos Caras, Jr. gave way to Alberto Del Rio, a cocky Mexican aristorcrat who enters the ring after an intro from his personal Spanish-speaking announcer. Despite the controversy, Del Rio has adapted quickly to his new home, combining the acrobatic maneuvers that he developed in Mexico with the charisma that eludes many Mexican luchadores who try their hand at American wrestling.