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There has been a lot of speculation over the future of Rey Mysterio. The WWE legend returned in 2018 and proved that he hasn't missed a beat. If anything, his agility, pace, and technical prowess have only grown and many believe that the multi-time World Champion looked better in his return than ever before.
Creatively, it perhaps wasn't his best run. He has, however, had some great moments, but the purpose of his run was primarily to help put over other Superstars. Despite this, he's held Championships and faced several high-profile Superstars, including Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and AJ Styles, among others.
There have been several memorable moments that Rey Mysterio has provided since his return, helping many fans relive a part of their childhood where the legendary luchador was always a hero.
He returned as a hero and he looks to be going out like one too, as his retirement ceremony is officially announced for next week on RAW. Here are a few reasons why Rey Mysterio is retiring from WWE next week.
#5 Wants to retire before it takes too much of a physical toll
We've seen many Superstars being forced to end their careers due to major injuries and doctors not clearing them. As we've seen with Daniel Bryan and Edge, there's an itch to end one's career on their own terms.
When Mysterio had a good run last year, the story in WWE programming was how he was the "old veteran" who was "losing a step", when in reality, that wasn't the case at all. Mysterio was as fast and crisp as ever, putting on exciting performances every night.
With that said, he's smart enough to know that the longer he sticks around, the larger the physical damage will be - especially in his high-flying style. Perhaps this is Mysterio being wise and ending his career on his terms before WWE is forced to end it for him.
#4 The best way to avoid contract dispute and potentially jeopardizing Dominick's future
This was a rumor that emerged recently and we can't help but feel that it might have a big role to play in the entire matter. Rey Mysterio is reportedly approaching the end of his WWE contract and hasn't re-signed yet.
While negotiations with AEW would be a big possibility, the legend Rey Mysterio understands that it could cause one major problem - the future of his son Dominick's career in WWE. Dominick has been making progress and appeared quite a bit in 2019 in Mysterio's programs with Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar.
He even got physically involved for the first time at Survivor Series 2019. While Dominick's debut in WWE seems imminent, being Rey Mysterio's son doesn't necessarily mean guaranteed success. Mysterio knows that should he sign with AEW, it'll possibly affect Dominick's career in WWE in a ripple effect.
This could be his way of getting out of WWE without potentially causing any harm to his son's career.
#3 To fully pave the way for Dominick
Rey Mysterio was about to retire in 2019 as well, but it was his son Dominick who stopped him, telling him that when he debuts in WWE, he wants his first match to be him teaming up with his father.
While it's still a possibility, there's also a slim chance of it happening anytime soon given the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a moment like Dominick's debut is something that needs to happen in front of a live crowd to truly capture the moment.
With that said, there's a high chance that Mysterio's retirement could put an end to that - and it might be for a good reason. The WWE legend is aware that his son is going to have to work harder than every other Superstar because he has an extra chip on his shoulder.
We've seen the case of Charlotte Flair and how she started by being in her father Ric Flair's shadow all the time, with unnecessary comparisons. With hard work and time, she's moved out of that shadow and is now creating her own legacy.
Mysterio may want that for his son and he understands that to do so, he needs to step away.
#2 Perfect time to walk away after putting over many Superstars
Rey Mysterio played the role of the returning veteran whose purpose was to help elevate other Superstars. Despite this, it wasn't like the run of The Dudley Boyz from 2015-16 where they lost virtually every match possible.
Rey Mysterio didn't just lose. He won a lot as well, including the United States Championship from a top star in AJ Styles. Perhaps the Superstar he crossed paths with the most was Andrade, a man who many believe will be the next big star in the Latino market after Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero.
Given how many beatdowns he's suffered and how many Superstars he's elevated, can one blame the legend for wanting to call it quits on his career? He certainly doesn't owe anybody anything and has earned the right to call it a day whenever he chooses.
Perhaps the creative direction wasn't that satisfying for him as a whole and he decided that it would be the perfect time to hang up his boots. If it is true, then we have nothing but respect for him.
#1 It's not an actual retirement
As we were writing this, we learned that the "host" of Rey Mysterio's retirement ceremony will be none other than the man to seemingly retire him - Seth Rollins. While Rollins and Mysterio have crossed paths before earlier this year, we can't help but feel that this is all going to lead to a major high-stakes PPV match-up.
While the segment may start with a Mysterio retirement announcement, there's a very high possibility of it ending with a fake retirement and Mysterio's return. Ultimately, the goal of this seems to be a Rollins vs Mysterio match-up, even if Aleister Black has a prominent role.
Aleister Black vs Seth Rollins seems to be a good direction as well, but it might have to wait for another couple of months. This also means that Black could end up being a side character along with Humberto Carrillo.
Either way, we're quite convinced that the retirement is a work and that Mysterio will lay the smackdown on Seth Rollins.
