The latest WWE rumors focus on the potential for a former WWE star and champion to possibly head to WWE’s competitor Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. If true, it could crush the hopes of fans from the WWE Universe that the former World Champion would be among the longtime stars to return to the ring for WWE.
According to PWMania, the superstar in the latest rumors is Rey Mysterio, the little man known for his “619” and high-flying ring skills. As the site reports that Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer recently said there’s a possibility that Impact Wrestling is trying to bring Mysterio on board. Mysterio was a longtime member of WWE and a former winner of the Royal Rumble as well as many championships while part of the company.
PWMania indicates that Mysterio had a contract with Lucha Underground, his current pro wrestling company. That would allow Mysterio to appear with TNA (or WWE) six months after the latest season of Lucha airs. There’s also the possibility he could re-sign with Lucha. The earliest fans might see Mysterio pop up for TNA would be in October, though.
The potential signing would be a big deal for TNA, as the company has been lagging and losing top stars to WWE. Among them have been Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Austin Aries, and Bobby Roode. However, former TNA stars such as AJ Styles mentioned that part of the problem with the company was how they continued to try to bring in the former WWE stars to boost interest in TNA.
Previous WWE rumors suggested that Mysterio might show up at the 2017 Royal Rumble match as a surprise entry. However, that pay-per-view has come and gone with no sign of the masked competitor back on either Raw or SmackDown Live. His presence might help boost the Raw roster or even lend some more star power to the Cruiserweight division which some fans feel has been a disappointment.
If Mysterio does make the move to WWE’s competitor it would dispel previous rumors about Rey coming back to WWE. As of this report, there are still betting odds with Mysterio listed as a possibility to return at WrestleMania 33 for an in-ring appearance. At Paddy Power, Mysterio has eight to one odds on the list, but then again there are superstars like CM Punk (20 to one) and AJ Lee (six to one) who also appear on the list.
Mysterio was a member of World Championship Wrestling from 1996 through 2001 and then entered WWE a year later. He stayed with the company through 2015, making for an impressive run. It also molded Mysterio into a fan favorite over the years based on his quick offense and Lucha wrestling style. During his time in WCW and WWE, Mysterio captured the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, and the WWE Championship once.
In addition, he was a multiple-time Cruiserweight, Intercontinental, and tag team champion with the WWE and is considered one of the “Triple Crown” title winners over the years. That accomplishment came during his time with WWE for having won a major title, a tag team title, and the Intercontinental title at different points in his career.
Some fans believe Mysterio to also be a part of the illustrious Grand Slam club. That achievement is unlocked by professional wrestlers who achieve four particular championships during their career. In the case of Mysterio, he’s won the World Heavyweight title, tag team titles, Intercontinental, and Cruiserweight titles.
As mentioned, a Mysterio return to WWE would be huge, but it could also add to what many fans feel is the biggest problem in the company right now: lack of developing newer talents in favor of bringing in the older superstars. With recent returns from Bill Goldberg and Triple H getting into the ring, it shows that WWE may be too reliant on longtime talents.
Pro wrestling fans, would TNA bringing Rey Mysterio into their company be enough to help gain more interest in the product, or is it too much of a sinking ship? Also, would a Rey Mysterio return to WWE be a good thing, and if so, which roster would he be better with: WWE Raw or SmackDown?
