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Mike Johnson of PW Insider issued a breaking report that shook the wrestling world to its core. WWE has signed one of independent wrestling's most highly sought after stars and one-sixth of All In's main event: Rey Mysterio.
According to Johnson, Mysterio's new deal is a two-year deal which gives the masked luchador plenty of time to find matches with some of WWE's greatest talent, including those he has a history with and those he does not.
Mysterio has long teased a return to the WWE, not because he needs the money or because he needs the fame; but because wrestling's premiere talent is employed by the company, who can showcase the matches to millions.
Mysterio recently told Bill Apter of The Apter Chat,
"I’ll tell you what though, if the time is right and there’s an agreement on both ends, meaning WWE and myself, and there’s an offer on the table, I wouldn’t say no, if it is correct – if it was the right one."
This is the right offer for the future WWE Hall of Famer and it allows for him to face-off against some of the wrestling world's biggest and brightest stars in front of more people than anywhere else in the world. We take a look at the top 5 opponents Rey Mysterio could face when he makes his long eagerly anticipated return to the WWE wrestling ring.
#5. Baron Corbin
RAW GM Baron Corbin is no stranger to feuds with smaller men. The 6'8" 300 pound former NFL player dwarfs just about everyone he comes in contact with. The former Mr. Money in the Bank and Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner was proud to put another notch in his proverbial belt at this year's Greatest Royal Rumble.
To the chagrin of the WWE Universe, The Constable took great satisfaction in ruining Rey Mysterio's one-off return in eliminating him from the 50-man Royal Rumble.
That fact is undoubtedly etched in stone for the returning Mysterio, who won't forget the way Corbin disrespectfully gloated after throwing Mysterio over the top rope and onto the unforgiving Saudi Arabian floor. Corbin is just the person to draw Mysterio's ire. Disrespectful and boastful, Corbin has come way short of earning his dues. He's just the type that Mysterio loves to cut down to size.
#4. Kalisto
Kalisto respects Rey Mysterio to such an extent that he has wrestled as a tribute to the legendary latino Superstar throughout his decade-plus professional wrestling career. Kalisto grew up idolizing Mysterio and it shows both in his ring work and costume, a masked homage to Mysterio. In fact, to look at Kalisto is to look at a younger Mysterio both in stature and style, as well as costume.
After Kalisto won the coveted WWE Cruiserweight Championship, Kalisto ala his hero Mysterio, dedicated his championship victory to Eddie Guerrero. He went a step further in dedicating it to Mysterio as well:
Kalisto's tribute didn't fall on deaf ears. Rey Mysterio responded with the following tweet:
Mysterio won't be in WWE forever. A two-year deal will give him an opportunity to be selective; however, at some point, the 43-year-old Mysterio will indeed desire to pass the proverbial torch.
There may be no better Superstar to pass the torch to than Kalisto, who embodies the respect, gratitude, and love of wrestling that Mysterio himself has displayed throughout his own wrestling career. If that indeed happens, the fans will benefit from a classic bout between two Superstars that are mirror images of one another.
#3. Braun Strowman
Every David needs his Goliath. In the biblical tale, Goliath was so confident he would beat the younger smaller David that he hurled insults with ease, enraging the future king. Goliath's confidence and bravado ultimately proved to be his undoing, as the crafty David outsmarted the behemoth with a simple stone and slingshot.
While Braun Strowman has run roughshod through his WWE competition, he has struggled with smaller men in the Rey Mysterio prototype. Kalisto, a man who has emulated Mysterio's look and style, was actually defeated by Kalisto in an unthinkable upset on RAW last April.
While Kalisto isn't a talent to overlook by any means, he is no Rey Mysterio. Mysterio has defeated giants before (The Big Show) and has overcome insurmountable odds as well (WrestleMania 22 vs Kurt Angle and Randy Orton). He relishes in the role of underdog and strives to overcome the odds. That's what makes the matchup between Mysterio and the nearly seven foot tall 400 pound Braun Strowman so intriguing and so imminent.
#2. John Cena
The legendary sixteen-time world champion John Cena is the man behind one of Rey Mysterio's greatest career disappointments. After CM Punk defeated then WWE Champion John Cena at Money In The Bank 2011, he disappeared into his hometown Chicago crowd and took the WWE Championship with him.
This led to mayhem in the WWE, who were now forced to keep shop open sans an actual WWE Champion. The company ultimately put together a WWE Championship tournament and Mysterio won three matches over two different episodes of RAW to win the coveted WWE Championship. Rey Mysterio matched his legendary WrestleMania 22 feat and sat atop the WWE once again, at least for a little while.
Cena; however, wouldn't allow Mysterio to bask in his moment of glory. After the Money In The Bank debacle, John Cena "cashed in" his rematch clause and went on to defeat Mysterio, whose return to glory lasted a mere 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Mysterio never received justice against John Cena, who would soon forget Mysterio and go on to feud with a returning CM Punk. During last year's WrestleMania 34 season, Rey Mysterio's name kept popping up as a rumored John Cena opponent. Many were surprised by the rumor; but, those paying attention to the July 25, 2011 edition of RAW and its aftermath certainly wouldn't be.
If Mysterio is anything it's prideful and that isn't a slight. Mysterio has every reason to be. He carries the mantle of Mexican wrestling history as one of the greatest luchadors of all time. When John Cena took away Mysterio's WWE Championship, he did so with little regard to Mysterio's background or the dedication he put into his craft.
Cena is famous for being a babyface; but, would a true hero really take advantage of a fatigued opponent, a friend none the less? None of this is lost on Mysterio, who would relish the opportunity to take his frustrations out on Cena in the wrestling ring.
#1. Andrade "Cien" Almas
In a match handed down from the wrestling gods, Rey Mysterio vs Andrade "Cien" Almas is written in the stars. Almas, like Mysterio, was born into the luchador tradition. The son of Jose Andrade Salas, lucha libre is in Almas' blood.
Mysterio was also born into the lucha tradition and made his lucha debut in 1989 at the age of fourteen. That was the same year Almas was born.
Almas is the evolved luchador, the crossover between the traditional Mexican style of wrestling and a WWE Superstar. He is a marketable force and although he began his career wearing a mask, he swiftly removed it in favor of the lucrative riches of superstardom.
That fact isn't likely to sit well with the old school Mysterio. A luchador's mask is to be guarded like it's his own life and to discard it, is a sign of disrespect to the entire tradition. That is why luchadors traditionally only lose their mask when being defeated in a wrestling ring.
Furthermore, the Cien character has no respect for Mysterio. He has shown no respect for anyone else and nothing; but, contempt for each of his WWE opponents.
Almas doesn't idolize anyone except for himself, a fact that isn't lost on Mysterio, who is nothing if not respectful. In a clash of old school vs new school, Almas vs Mysterio is destiny in the making and sure to be one of the future's most eagerly anticipated WWE bouts.
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