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Most of us, myself included have grown up watching the ultimate underdog, Rey Mysterio. He is the legend with a small stature and the biggest heart known to man, who's just as athletic in 2019 as he was in 1997.
And I'm sure Seth Rollins has also grown up watching Rey Mysterio perform and blow our minds with his incredible feats of athleticism. So for him to be facing Mysterio on the Season Premiere of RAW is a pretty big deal indeed.
So, here are 5 reasons why he was chosen from the field of 5 ahead of Superstars such as AJ Styles, Ricochet, Robert Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura. Personally I'm thrilled that Rey Mysterio won and this article's only being written based on how he's been booked thus far, which is not very well.
Here's my assessment of the whole situation and I invite you to do the same in the comments below.
#5 A fresh match for Seth Rollins, a dream match for fans
It's always a thrill to see Superstars of different generations mix it up in the ring to compete in a dream match. It is a testament to Rey Mysterio's ability as a Superstar that someone like him has lasted so many generations and that he can go at pretty much the same speed and intensity that he used to back in his prime.
As for Seth Rollins, as good as the main event with Braun Strowman was, who wouldn't want to see him take on a bunch of new opponents? And not just any new opponent, but one of the greatest of all time. Rollins has been the face of RAW for such a long time that he's pretty much run through the roster, but Mysterio is a fresh opponent for the Beast Slayer.
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#4 Mysterio's not really done anything significant since his return
One would have assumed that from the moment that Rey Mysterio returned to WWE, he'd get a push and be a part of the WWE Championship picture on either RAW or SmackDown right away. But somehow that's not been the case and while he's been in prominent storylines, he's just not had the kind of momentum you'd expect from a legend of his stature. Maybe this is a way to elevate him to the heights he deserves.
You know that when David faces Goliath, the crowd usually roots for David. For a change, it won't be Rollins who's the smaller man like he's against Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar, but he'll be the giant attempting to put the underdog away, who's gunning for his prized Universal Championship. So, chances are that the WWE Universe will firmly be on Rey Mysterio's side.
It's great to see Mysterio back where he belongs...right at the very top of the food chain again.
#3 A loss does not affect Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has done it all in the sports entertainment business and losing to Seth Rollins will not really hurt him. I mean he's in what I'm guessing is the main event of the night and losing to the Universal Champion is no matter of shame, to be fair.
Mysterio has accomplished enough in his career to enter the WWE Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up the mask. In fact, he teased he would do the same in a recent episode of RAW and it was even believable owing to his longevity in the sports entertainment business, over the years.
Had AJ Styles or Nakamura been in the match with Rollins, fans would have said that WWE was burying a current Champion. The same would have been true of Roode even though he's a Tag Team Champion at present.
But yes, Mysterio is likely losing on next week's show.
#2 Yet another legend for The Fiend to attack, but one who can fight back
In case you haven't been paying attention, The Fiend has been attacking all the legends who think of stopping by at RAW. Mick Foley was the first, and he pretty much gave Wyatt his current finisher- 'The Mandible Claw' to use in The Fiend avatar. Then there was Kurt Angle, and Jerry 'The King' Lawler, and finally, The Big Red Machine, Kane.
Rey Mysterio paved the way for the Luchadors of today and one could call him a legend in his own right. Which makes him a legend like all of the Fiend's victim's with the notable exception that he can actually fight back against Bray Wyatt.
Maybe this leads to Fiend vs. Rey Mysterio match at Survivor Series or even a Triple Threat contest featuring the current Universal Champion, Seth Rollins. The possibilities are limitless.
#1 A great chance to advance the Dominick storyline
As Cole mentioned on commentary, Rey Mysterio dedicated the match this week to his son Dominick. There's some kind of storyline brewing at the moment and I'm almost certain that this will lead to Dominick Mysterio entering the ring sooner rather than later.
Next week, I'm sure that there will be some kind of moment with The Fiend or maybe Braun Strowman, where Rey Mysterio, the ultimate babyface is getting pummeled in the ring, allowing his son to potentially interfere. This could have always happened in the undercard, but for the segment to get the eyeballs it deserves, it needed to happen at the top of the card.
I'm almost 100% certain that Rey Mysterio will not become the Universal Champion. But at the same time, none can deny that next week's match should be good.
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