30-year-old star to replace Rey Mysterio in The LWO following his injury? Exploring potential direction
The latest episode of WWE SmackDown featured Rey Mysterio getting injured during his match with fellow LWO stablemate Santos Escobar. Now that the LWO might need a new leader, a person currently in NXT could replace the Hall of Famer in the faction.
For those unaware, Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar battled each other on SmackDown to crown the new #1 contender for Austin Theory's United States Championship. The Legendary Luchador seemingly suffered a legitimate injury and wasn't able to continue the match, resulting in Santos Escobar being announced as the winner.
If Rey is, unfortunately, out for a considerable amount of time, the LWO needs a replacement. Angel Gaza could be an excellent choice. On the latest episode of NXT, Garza broke up with his partner Humberto Carillo and could rejoin the main roster. If that is to happen, The LWO is the perfect place for him as he's also a Mexican wrestler, much like Santos Escobar.
Rey Mysterio injury is NOT a part of a storyline as Santos was supposed to go over clean last night on #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/GdAA5y6OpH
While Angel Garza replacing Mysterio is certainly a possibility, it is just speculation. As of now, there is no confirmation. The future will reveal the truth soon.
Rey Mysterio has had an amazing WWE run with The LWO
After getting betrayed by his son Dominik Mysterio, Rey Mysterio tried to avoid conflict with his son and had a match with Santos Escobar. He soon joined Escobar, Legado del Fantasma, and Zelina Vega to form a modern-day version of the Latino World Order.
“It’s time to bring some gold into the LWO.”
- Rey Mysterio. (The Bump) pic.twitter.com/GU9fAcE8Da
The newly formed faction assisted Rey in his feud with Dominik Mysterio and The Judgment Day leading up to WrestleMania 39. The LWO also helped the former World Champion teach his son a lesson on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
The rivalry with The Judgment Day continued past WrestleMania, and the faction's support helped Zelina Vega become the #1 contender for Rhea Ripley's then-SmackDown Women's Championship, and she delivered a stellar match at Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico.
Rey and Santos both qualified for the United States Championship Invitational tournament and faced each other in the finals. As the match didn't end well, fans may see another confrontation between Mysterio and Escobar once the former returns to television.