How Vince McMahon allegedly reacted after Rey Mysterio got booed for the first time in WWE
Rey Mysterio winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 was a very emotional moment for the legendary luchador. Eddie Guerrero passed away a few months before WrestleMania, and Mysterio's victory was dedicated to the late great superstar.
Rey Mysterio faced Randy Orton and reigning champion Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat contest at the pay-per-view, and oddly enough, the usually unpredictable fans in Chicago booed Mysterio throughout the match. Angle was the star who got the pops, and it wasn't something the WWE officials expected heading into the show.
The Olympic gold medalist spoke about the match during the latest episode of his podcast, 'The Kurt Angle Show' on AdFreeShows.com.
Kurt Angle recalled that he was on a great run at the time and was also on the cusp of turning babyface. Angle explained that his 'Wrestling Machine' character managed to get over with the fans, and he received a lot of support during his title reign.
Angle understood why the fans were behind him, but he was also legitimately surprised by Rey Mysterio getting booed. Angle even noted that WrestleMania 22 was the first time he'd seen Mysterio get booed at a WWE show.
"Yes, I was turning babyface, and I was having a nice run as champion, and my whole wrestling character, 'The Wrestling Machine' started, and you know, we were running full circle with that so, the fans really took to that wrestling character, The Wrestling Machine. I remember, you know, the fans were cheering for Kurt Angle. The fans are going to cheer for who they want to cheer for. There is nothing you can do about that. I'm just surprised that they were actually booing Rey. That was a little harsh. I'm not sure why but they just preferred Kurt Angle to win that night."
That was the right decision: Kurt Angle on Rey Mysterio beating him at WrestleMania 22
Kurt Angle agreed that Rey Mysterio getting booed had a lot to do with the pay-per-view being held in Chicago. Angle added that the unfavorable fan reaction towards Mysterio might have even changed Vince McMahon's mind about the masked superstar's forthcoming championship reign.
It should be noted that fans did cheer for Mysterio after the match as the emotionally overwhelmed superstar broke down in the ring. The win was for Eddie Guerrero, and Kurt Angle believed there was nothing that could have stopped Rey Mysterio from getting booked to go over.
"I think it had a lot to do with it because, you know, like I said before, Rey Mysterio has never been booed out of the building. And this was the first time for him. And I think that Vince McMahon saw that as a, 'Oh, okay, maybe Rey isn't quite as over as I thought he was.' And I think that might have affected Rey's title run. But the whole match was based on Eddie Guerrero and his remembrance. So Rey winning the title, nobody was going to stop that, and that was the right decision. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio deserved it."
Rey Mysterio held the world championship for 112 days before dropping it to King Booker at The Great American Bash on July 23, 2006.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to Sportskeeda.