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Rey Mysterio made his long-anticipated WWE return on SmackDown 1000 when he took on Shinsuke Nakamura in a dream match to qualify for the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel.
Mysterio proved that he hadn't lost a beat when he mesmerized the audience watching with his slick, old-school lucha libre. He's a master of innovative offence and he displayed that in full power on SmackDown 1000.
He had a nice match with Nakamura and it ended in a clean finish when he hit the 619 and a springboard splash on to the United States Champion. It was a triumphant return and a great moment of nostalgia to see the former world champion back in action.
It's a great move on WWE's part to have him on the SmackDown Live roster rather than RAW. The main event scene on RAW is quite packed and there's little doubt that he would be underutilised over there.
SmackDown Live is the land of opportunity, as Shane McMahon loves to say. It's true because it presents an opportunity for Rey Mysterio to go up against plenty of dream opponents on the blue brand. Let's take a look at the five best opponents for Mysterio on SmackDown.
#5 Andrade 'Cien' Almas
Andrade 'Cien' Almas is the future of SmackDown Live and WWE. There's no denying it. For a long time, WWE tried to find the next big Latino star to succeed Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero but was unsuccessful, especially with Alberto Del Rio.
They finally found a talented young Latino upstart in Andrade 'Cien' Almas. The match with Rey Mysterio is inevitable and it's going to serve Almas great good in the future. As Mysterio did with Del Rio, it will be a passing of the torch moment to see Almas beat the master of the 619.
Book it, WWE!
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura
The match was fresh off the bat, so why would Nakamura be a potential opponent for Mysterio? Simply put, Mysterio has a win over the United States Champion. This puts him in a prime spot to contend for the US title.
Nakamura hasn't been doing much with the title or rather, hasn't gotten the opportunity to defend it frequently as he should. The best possible scenario for the US title picture is for a legend like Mysterio to be involved in it.
Even if he were to win the title, fans likely wouldn't complain as it would be a huge refresh button. With that being said, if anything was clear from their match on SmackDown, despite it being great, they can do better.
WWE was clever in knowing that they should hold back so that there's more interest in a potential feud. Either way, for now, Mysterio will have his sights set on the World Cup.
And it seems like the US title shot is already on its way, as Rey Mysterio has gotten a confirmed United States Championship match against Nakamura at Starrcade on 24th November!
#3 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is coming off an unsuccessful feud with AJ Styles, where he wasn't able to capture the WWE Championship. Even then, he looked good in defeat as he gave everything he had, only to lose to a relentless WWE Champion.
It would be fun to watch Joe target Rey Mysterio, as it puts the legend right back in the underdog role. Mysterio is no stranger to facing opponents larger than him. There's no doubt that Joe would do everything in his power to bully Mysterio.
The dynamic between the two would be phenomenal as Joe is one of the most deceptively agile athletes in the WWE. It would be a high flying contest for sure, but it wouldn't just be Mysterio doing the high flying.
Mysterio, as we mentioned is a master of innovative offence so to see him counter Joe's power moves would be incredible!
#2 Daniel Bryan
This is a match-up to drool over. When Daniel Bryan announced his in-ring return in 2018, there was a whole list of dream match-ups made with current superstars, but Rey Mysterio naturally was omitted from that list.
That was obviously because he wasn't signed to WWE at the time. It was only somewhere in the middle of 2018 that the rumours of Mysterio signing with WWE full-time started making rounds.
But now he's here and so is Bryan. Imagine the monster of a match-up that the two could have. The most technically gifted wrestler in the world vs the greatest luchador in WWE history.
It would be high-flying and action-packed from start to finish. It's the type of match that's so big that it needs to be hyped beforehand on PPV and given extensive time. With the correct time given, they could not only steal the show but blow the roof off the arena!
#1 AJ Styles
Is there any better match-up for Rey Mysterio in WWE right now than AJ Styles? It's been said before and we'll say it again: AJ Styles can wrestle 30 minutes with a broomstick and still make it look entertaining.
Rey Mysterio vs AJ Styles is the dream match that you never knew you wanted to see! Like Bryan, it's a match for fans to drool over and if Mysterio is to stay on SmackDown for the next couple of years, it's a showdown that's inevitable.
The two styles would gel perfectly and the psychology of the match would be off the charts. Two high-flyers at their very best. More than anything, one of the best parts of their potential match would be the innovative counters used by both performers.
It's the type of match that will have the crowd on their feet and leave them wanting for more.
Who do you want to see Rey Mysterio feud on SmackDown Live? Voice your comments below!
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