From the WWE Rumor Mill: Rey Mysterio's possible WWE return and reason why he didn't sign with Impact Wrestling
What’s the story?
As reported on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the WWE’s doors are still very much open for Rey Mysterio to return to the promotion.
Additionally, the reason behind Mysterio not signing with Impact Wrestling has also been revealed.
In case you didn’t know…
Rey Mysterio performed for the WWE from 2002-15, apart from also having competed in WCW.
Mysterio competed on the independent professional wrestling circuit since 2015, primarily performing for Lucha Underground, a promotion with whom Mysterio made a lucrative sum of money.
The heart of the matter
As we’d previously reported, Rey Mysterio’s appearance at the WWE Royal Rumble was scheduled to be a one-off deal. However, owing to his excellent performance and the highly positive crowd reaction to his comeback, WWE have reportedly offered him a new deal that would have him perform on a full-time basis for the promotion.
Presently, Mysterio has commitments all over the world, but is yet to sign a full-time deal with any individual promotion. Mysterio was also considered to main event Impact Wrestling’s April 22nd Redemption PPV with Alberto El Patron, however, the spot was later accorded to Austin Aries. Hence, the Luchador refrained from signing with Impact Wrestling.
Furthermore, Mysterio was earning about $1 million working with Lucha Underground in 2016. But, even with LU’s tapings falling apart, he still couldn’t work with the WWE until mid-January 2018, as the LU contract disallowed him from appearing on TV for any promotion that Lucha Underground wasn’t working with.
Besides, when Mysterio parted ways with the WWE back in 2015, he had several offers on his plate from LU, AAA (Asistencia Asesoria y Adminsitracion) as well as other gigs such as working in new-generation Santo movies and devoting his time and effort toward becoming a Mexican movie star. However, these ventures didn’t pan out as planned.
What’s next?
Experts believe that Rey Mysterio, at the age of 43, cannot possibly work a full-time wrestling schedule.
However, Mysterio has worked more dates than expected over the last year, and has remained quite healthy throughout. The former WWE Champion has alluded that he’d love to return to WWE and work a part-time schedule.
Author’s take
Rey Mysterio has paid his dues in the business and most definitely earned the right to choose whether he works a full-time schedule or a part-time one.
Mysterio is making a smart decision by refraining from wrestling full-time, as the wear and tear on his body could lead to injuries, particularly given the fact that he’s now 43 and has been wrestling since 1989.