Rico Constantino, best known for his time in WWE, has looked back on his career and his surprise cameo in AEW.
On top of his time as the flamboyant Adrian Street-inspired persona as The Stylist, Constantino was the manager for duos such as Billy and Chuck and 3 Minute Warning. Released from his WWE contract in 2005, Constantino was not seen in any major wrestling promotions in the United States for the best part of 2 decades. Fast forward to 2024, Constantino served as the manager for MxM Collection during their match on the AEW WrestleDream Zero Hour pre-show.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, it was brought up that Rico, 64, still looks in great shape and looks like he can still go. Responding, Constantino noted that he could, but his pitch for AEW was shot down:
“I could, and I wanted to. But I was a manager, and things didn’t happen. I told you off-camera what I thought of, and it was shot down.”
When asked if he was open to one more match, the former WWE star stated that he was, and could get into ring shape quickly if required:
“I would. As soon as I get into ring shape, I would, and it won’t take me long. I’d love to in one of the bigger promotions and stuff like that. I’d love to do a tag match. Not ready to do singles yet. I would love a tag match.”
Why Was Rico Constantino Fired From WWE?
Constantino’s pro wrestling career started later than most, as he began training at 38 years old. Admitting his age was a factor throughout his career, many doubted Constantino from his early days right through to his time in WWE, as it was believed he was too old. Despite this, Constantino got over with the fans, and quickly became one of the most popular acts on SmackDown.
When asked about his WWE career ending, the former Tag Team Champion said that he asked Vince McMahon for a raise, but was turned down:
“Yeah, and I went and asked Vince for a raise because I had already fulfilled my three-year rookie contract. I’ve held the tag titles twice, once with Rikishi, once with Haas. I was going to almost every show and on TV. I said I want $1,000 a week.”
When Constantino brought up that his salary at that point was $75,000 a year, Van Vliet pointed out that $1,000 a week was less. Clarifying, the former WWE star added that he wanted an extra $1,000 a week on top of the basic salary:
“No, I wanted a $52,000 raise on top of the $75k. I thought I was worth it, and Charlie and I and Jackie were about to come out on the SmackDown magazine front cover, and he told me I wasn’t popular.”
Rico then confirmed that the request and his age was a factor in his release:
“Yeah. Vince didn’t like me because of my age in the beginning, he was forced to put me there. And if anybody out there looks at my background, I’m an Action Man. I’m a straight to law enforcement. I’ve been to two police academies, graduated number one in both of them, I’ve got life-saving awards. I was voted one of the officers of the year by Crime Stoppers for catching a person who was escaping her parole, who led me to a person who was wanted for murder, and I caught a homicide suspect and shipped them back to LA. So I’m that type of guy. EMT, paramedic, people running this way, I’m running to trouble. I want to help people. So here Vince gives me this style in some feminine character, they may be hoping I fail. Well, I turned it around.”
Featured image: WWE
