Cinta De Oro Left WWE After Paul Heyman Told Him 'Sin Cara Is Dead'

Cinta de Oro has revealed he asked for his release from WWE in 2019 after being told by Paul Heyman that 'Sin Cara is dead'.

De Oro performed in WWE under the Sin Cara name between 2011-2019, becoming the second individual to don the mask in the promotion. During his time in the company, De Oro claimed the NXT Tag Team Championships with Kalisto.

After being drafted to Raw in 2019, De Oro would request his release from WWE in the November, citing a feeling of underappreciation. WWE would let him depart a month later.

Speaking on his departure from WWE, De Oro has now said his pitches to add layers to his character were rejected by WWE, with then-RAW Executive Producer Paul Heyman offering a damning indictment of the Sin Cara character.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, he said: "I had been talking to a lot of people a couple of years behind. I didn’t take my decision one day after the other, it was a process throughout the last few years where I was already thinking about it.

"Is it the right decision? Do I stay here, do I leave? Am I going to get the opportunities I really want here if I stay?

"I spoke with a lot of people. The last thing that really hurt me was when I spoke with Paul Heyman and he said ‘Sin Cara is dead’ – he told me straight up like that.

"It really hurt me because I was like ‘Man, that’s what you really think of me and what I do?’ We talked a little more and I said maybe we could do something with the character. Maybe a Spiderman deal where I lead a normal life as this person and then when I put on the mask I’m this performer. ‘No, no, no, that doesn’t work.’

"What about if I have my mask open here [points to his mouth] so they can hear me talk and I can do more facials? ‘No, then you’re not Sin Cara anymore because they can see your mouth.’ It was just a lot of excuses."