WWE News: Alberto Del Rio Admits League Of Nations Is A Failure, Group Is Dissolving
The League of Nations was simply never meant to be. The group was formed back in November as part of a faction-infusion within WWE, and in the beginning, the League of Nations appeared to be firmly entrenched at the top of the card. At the time, Sheamus was WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Alberto Del Rio was the United States Champion. Rusev and King Barrett were mid-to-upper-card heels designed to provide extra muscle and attract boos from the crowd.
As it turns out, Sheamus was just a transitional champion booked to help Roman Reigns become the face of the company and the world champion. Two weeks ago, the Inquisitr reported that the end was near for the League of Nations, and there’s further proof of that now. What formed as a four-man stable has since been reduced to three. Barrett was removed from the group via a beat-down the night after WrestleMania, with Sheamus claiming he was the weakest link and had to go. King Barrett has not been heard from since, but his intentions to leave the company in June were made clear earlier this year.
After Barrett was disposed of, The Wyatt Family attacked the remaining members of the League of Nations in what was to be the first step in setting up a fresh feud between factions and, more importantly, the initial phase in turning Bray Wyatt babyface. But that program dissolved before it even got started, when Bray went down with a calf injury during the WWE’s European tour. Luckily, the injury is not as severe as some thought, but it’s damaging enough to cancel any plans for a six-man match between The Wyatts and The League at Payback.
Without the original founding members and no discernible feud for the upcoming pay-per-view, the writing on the wall seems more apparent than ever for the League of Nations moving forward. And now, one of their own appears to be throwing dirt on the group’s grave. Alberto Del Rio recently conducted an interview with Solowrestling.com to comment on the status of his stable and the original plans with The Wyatts. The interview was done in Spanish but roughly translates to the following (via Translate.com).
“Actually we won’t give anything else with the Wyatt family because there are many injuries within the company, we as a group have never worked very well, so we decided it would be better to separate us… it seems to me that Bray Wyatt is hurt, was injured on the tour, and all this is going to be nothing.”
Not surprisingly, Del Rio admits that the Wyatt injury appears to be the last straw for the League of Nations. But what’s most interesting about what he said is how the group “never worked very well.” It’s certainly true that the League appeared disjointed on many occasions and Barrett’s impending departure was a huge cloud hanging over their entire run. The faction was together less than six months, which hardly seems like enough time for them to gel as a cohesive unit.
So what becomes of the individuals who still make up the League of Nations moving forward? Del Rio’s return to the WWE has been less than spectacular, but his best work has clearly come as a heel. Same goes for Sheamus, who was the de facto leader of the group. Rusev was a major attraction in his first year but has been lost in the shuffle since joining the League. He remains the only member not to have worked as a babyface, so he should be closely monitored once the breakup is complete.
[Image via WWE]
