The WWE has taken more than a few shots over the last couple of weeks, but Rey Mysterio stirred up controversy no one was expecting.
During a show in Puerto Rico last Saturday, everything that could go wrong did. At least, according to fans that were there who shared their thoughts on Reddit and other platforms as Rey Mysterio stirred up controversy.
The show was… oh boy
A quick rundown of the events are as follows:
- 5 out of the 9 promised matches happened.
- 8 superstars that were advertised all week to be there weren’t.
- Rey Mysterio got the kids to chant “d— sucker” (in Spanish) to King Corbin.
- There was a 20 minute break during the 2 hour show.
- All pages relating to the event and promoter have been deleted, ie: pretend it didn’t happen
Some of those can be explained away as simple errors of judgement by the promoter or booker. They may have felt some of the advertised superstars weren’t needed (Like the Undertaker at Smackdown’s 20 year celebration and premiere on Fox. Yeah, still not letting that one go, guys.) Maybe something happened that the superstars were too sick to wrestle. It could be anything and could be explained away, but Rey Mysterio’s controversial comments aren’t quite so easy to do so.
There are some accounts here.
To be fair, Rey Mysterio is from Chula Vista, California, and his heritage is Mexican. What the means, and I’ve learned this from several friends over the years, that the term he told the kids to call King Corbin has different meanings in the various Spanish dialects in the Central and South American region. It just so happens that in Puerto Rico, the phrase means what was mentioned in point number three above.
This isn’t excusing what he did, but it could be a reason for him to think he was saying something else. Though, that could be grasping at straws.
Could Rey Mysterio be looking for a way out of the WWE?
While it’s not unheard of for a wrestler to face undo stress both mentally and physically, there is a different layer to this. In 2015, Rey Mysterio had been wrestling on the Indie circuit, leading him to multiple companies like Lucha Underground, AAA, and New Japan. It was one of these stops where he faced something no one should or wants to.
Wrestling with The Crash promotion Rey Mysterio teamed with Extreme Tiger in a tag match against Aguayo and Manik on March 20, 2015. During the match, Rey Mysterio hit Aguayo with a dropkick, knocking him onto the middle rope to set up for the 619. Manik then fell next to Aguayo and, thinking he was unconscious, gently shook Aguayo to revive him. Mysterio didn’t hit the 619 on either of them.
While the match continued, Konan, who was at ringside, also tried to wake Aguayo, as did Rey Mysterio.
After the match ended with Rey Mysterio pinning Manik, Help arrived and Aguayo was rushed to a hospital. The doctors tried to revive him, but he was officially pronounced dead at 1:00 AM on March 21.
This is nothing but tragic, and the toll on Rey Mysterio and the others is immeasurable.
It also makes sense if it remains in the back of his mind that this move, or that one could be the one that triggers another tragedy. As much as he and other professional wrestlers do incredible things and appear super human, there is a toll.
This could be part of the reason the WWE had a recent storyline about Rey Mysterio retiring. To be fair, he’s been wrestling since the late ‘80s, so maybe it is time. The problem with this is his son, Dominic, is expected to make his in-ring debut in 2020. Storyline-wise, they had him talk Rey Mysterio out of retiring so he could debut with him.
This is where that tragedy from 2015 could come into play.
Over the last few weeks, Rey Mysterio has looked off, like he doesn’t want to be there. It’s more of a body language thing, but the way he talked smack at Brock Lesnar this past week after Cain Velasquez knocked Brock Lesnar out of the ring was leaning heel, but could be his true frustration coming through.
Imagine, seeing what he’s seen and having close friends pass away throughout his career. Now, imagine all of that going through his mind when he has to watch Brock Lesnar manhandle his son. What’s got to be going through his mind?
It’s easy to say he’s bored or has a disagreement with management or anything else that could be used to explain the chip on his shoulder, but what if it’s something more, something more primal like a father’s love for his son?
Especially, when his son is being tossed around as an excuse for Vince McMahon to bring in Cain Velasquez to face Brock Lesnar. Given the pair’s history (Cain Velasquez was the one that ended Brock Lesnar’s unbeaten streak and won the heavyweight championship from him in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2010), there’s no way Vince McMahon would turn down this cash grab opportunity.
The thing is, Rey Mysterio has always carried himself with an air of respect and honor, so it’s doubtful he stirred up controversy on purpose. Also, if Rey Mysterio is trying to get himself fired, he wouldn’t be there to watch over his son when he enters the ring for the first time. That makes it more likely it’s just frustration or miscommunication on his part.
When it comes to professional wrestling, nothing is as it appears.
