Rey Mysterio talks about Cain Velasquez's WWE exit; what he thinks will happen to ex-UFC star
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez debuted in WWE last year when he was brought in to feud with Brock Lesnar by Rey Mysterio. Mysterio was then in a feud with The Beast and came to SmackDown's 20th-anniversary show with Velasquez in tow.
Rey Mysterio, in a recent interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, spoke about what happened to Velasquez and what he thinks will happen to the former UFC star in the future:
“I really don’t — I can’t dig into the exact situation with Cain [Velasquez]. I do know for a fact that he’s very dedicated. He’s very passionate about Lucha Libre and about wrestling. I know this was one of his biggest dreams to be part of WWE. I honestly don’t think that he’s gone for good. I think he’s gonna make an appearance and a comeback, and it’s very hard to put a mask on someone that has created their own history within the UFC, like Cain. I think the best thing for him was to wrestle without a mask." (H/T Post Wrestling)
Rey Mysterio said that Velasquez is a legend in UFC, and that "he’s not forgotten" despite him being on the sidelines currently. The former WWE Champion said that Velasquez returning "would be huge”.
Cain Velasquez in WWE
Cain Velasquez made a surprise debut in WWE last year at SmackDown's 20th anniversary show, which was also the debut of SmackDown on FOX. Velasquez attacked Brock Lesnar, his old rival from UFC, at the show, following Lesnar defeating Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship.
A feud between Velasquez and Lesnar began following that encounter, with the two facing off at Crown Jewel later in the month. The Beast defeated the newcomer in a quick-fire match which ended in two minutes. Velasquez didn't wrestle after that match in WWE, as he suffered an injury and was then released by WWE in April 2020.
WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson recently opined as to why the match between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez ended so quickly. Anderson also stated that Velasquez will eventually return to WWE in the future.