Rey Mysterio is reportedly on his way back to the WWE. And even though the former WWE Champion is 43, he’s going to be sticking around for a while.
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The Wrestling Standard reported on Thursday that the lucha libre star has signed a two-year contract with the company that will start on Aug. 1. The report indicates he won’t be wrestling at SummerSlam, but rather be a surprise roster addition afterwards for either Raw or SmackDown Live during their shows in Brooklyn.
The deal should come as no surprise, given Mysterio’s sporadic involvement with the company in recent months, his improved physique and his involvement in the upcoming WWE 2K19 video game as a special pre-order character.
Mysterio originally signed with the WWE in 2002 following the end of the World Championship Wrestling promotion. Consistently booked as an underdog, he quickly became a fan favorite as a crusierweight and tag team wrestler. His first world championship run came at WrestleMania 22 when he defeated Randy Orton and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match and went on to become a world champ two more times. His other wrestling accomplishments include a Royal Rumble victory in 2006, four WWE Tag Team Championship reigns, three runs as WWE Cruiserweight Champion and a pair of reigns as Intercontinental Champion.
His final days in the company were spent teaming with fellow luchador Sin Cara and working as a midcarder while he dealt with a number of injuries. He officially left the company in February 2015, moving on to work for AAA down in Mexico and the Lucha Underground independent promotion.
He stepped back into a WWE ring for the first time in nearly three years during January’s Royal Rumble event, then followed it up months later by appearing in the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Even though he was popping up in other promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling, Mysterio teased his official return to the company in March in an interview with Mirror.
“I want to say that there is a big possibility that I will be back,” Mysterio said. “(We’re) figuring out what the situation is, you know from both ends. But there is definitely a positive feedback on behalf of the fans, on behalf of the WWE staff and behalf of myself man. I think we’re possibly going to sit down and negotiate something where we can both work together and have a good time and enjoy.”
