WWE: Rey Mysterio Is In Need Of A Fresh Rivalry ASAP

Since Rey Mysterio re-debuted, he has only had feuds with opponents like Randy Orton who have already faced off against the lucha libre legend. Mysterio needs a fresh opponent, like Mustafa Ali, in order to reignite his return to WWE.

When it was announced that Rey Mysterio would return to WWE, I could hardly contain myself.

Mysterio was one of my longtime favorites, along with the favorite of scores of other wrestling fans like me, so I couldn’t wait to see him square off against some of the incredible new talents that WWE had brought in since he left.

Dream matches with WWE stars who could match his speed and love of death-defying spots immediately looked like they could finally be a reality. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Mysterio to face-off with the likes of Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, or one of the amazing cruiserweights from 205 Live.

When Mysterio did return at SmackDown 1000, one of those dream matches came true as he squared off against Shinsuke Nakamura. It was a great match, yet still felt like the kind that left a lot of room for growth in order to ensure some extraordinary later bouts between the two.

Unfortunately, those future fights never came.

Instead, Rey Mysterio was pulled into short-term feuds with The Miz and Randy Orton. While both of those superstars bring a lot to the table in of themselves, they weren’t exactly the dream opponents that I, and I would bet many others, envisioned for Mysterio’s return.

In fact, they wound up feeling like stale match-ups. They tread the same ground wrestling fans have seen in Mysterio’s most basic rivalries for years.

Randy Orton wanted to take Mysterio’s mask and demystify him in the eyes of WWE fans, the oldest rivalry in the book when it came to feuds for Mysterio. The Miz was angry about the support Mysterio received from fans when he returned, an obvious story that betrayed the talent of both Mysterio and Miz in its simplicity.

On top of that, these were both opponents WWE fans had seen paired against Mysterio in the past. They weren’t fresh opponents like Shinsuke Nakamura, they were the same old dance partners SmackDown has liked to give to every upper-midcard star in WWE for the past decade.

I suppose its somewhat understandable that WWE would want to ease Mysterio back into the fold though, reintroduce him to audiences and perhaps even show him to new fans who weren’t around for Mysterio’s heyday in WWE.

Now, its time for all that to end.

Rey Mysterio has been thoroughly reintroduced. Everyone who wasn’t familiar with the legendary luchador now most certainly is. All necessary pleasantries should have been exchanged when it comes to a returning superstar.

It’s time to get Rey Mysterio into one of those dream rivalries.

SmackDown is teeming with the kind of superstars who would thrive in a match-up with Mysterio. Established competitors like A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe would be fresh, exceptional superstars for Mysterio to feud with in the SmackDown main event scene.

An extended rivalry with Styles, especially now that we might be in store for the best work the Phenomenal One can bring, could easily become one of the best feuds of 2019.

Styles always lives up to his lofty moniker whenever he gets into the ring. From springboard 450 splashes to the Phenomenal Forearm itself, he has the right mix of high-flying and high impact offense to craft a standout match with Mysterio.