Rey Mysterio catches up with the next "big star" of WWE after SmackDown goes off the air

WWE star Rey Mysterio recently heralded Dragon Lee as one of the next big stars coming up the ranks in the company.

Dragon Lee and Wes Lee were among the many NXT stars in the audience during this week's SmackDown tapings. The two stars witnessed Rey overcome three other opponents in a fatal four-way match to advance to the finals of the United States Championship Invitational.

After SmackDown went off the air, Dragon Lee caught up with the legendary Luchador backstage. Lee claimed that Rey was an inspiration to him and many other stars.

Mysterio thanked Lee and said it was an honor for him to represent his fans and his country. He even claimed that the NXT star was destined for great things in WWE.

"You have big things ahead of you. You're gonna become a big star here." [From 0:54 - 0:58]

You can watch the full video here:

Rey Mysterio will battle his protégé for a shot at the United States Championship

This week on SmackDown, Rey Mysterio battled the likes of Sheamus, Cameron Grimes, and LA Knight for a spot in the finals of the United States Championship Invitational.

Despite Austin Theory attacking him halfway into the match, the masked veteran proved he was the ultimate underdog. He hit a double 619 to Sheamus and Grimes; This led to all the stars hitting their finishers. Rey grabbed the opportunity and executed a vicious Hurricanrana on Cameron for the three count.

Respect. 🤝
#SmackDown #WWE
@EscobarWWE | @reymysterio pic.twitter.com/SQAzfQl392" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/SQAzfQl392

Mysterio then celebrated in the ring with fellow LWO member Santos Escobar. The two stars will now face each other next week in the tournament finals to decide which one will ultimately face Theory for the United States Championship.

Who do you think will ultimately challenge Theory for the US title? Let us know in the comments section below.