Rey Mysterio was one of a number of big stars who moved from SmackDown Live to WWE Raw during Superstar Shakeup 2019, and here are five potential feuds for the future Hall of Famer.
Since returning last year, Rey Mysterio has been as electrifying as ever inside the ring, and his series of matches with Andrade on SmackDown Live received widespread acclaim. We’ve yet to see the final, blow-off match between the two superstars, but since both men have moved from SmackDown to WWE Raw during this year’s Superstar Shakeup, it’s safe to say that the two may cross paths at some point.
Mysterio heads to the brand with the Universal Championship and Intercontinental Championship, and it was Andrade who made his presence felt in the IC Title scene by pinning Finn Balor on his debut. Balor would also be a great rival for Mysterio, who seems to have no shortage of marquee opponents on Monday nights.
Though Mysterio clearly seems to be penciled in for a feud against Lars Sullivan, there are even more exciting matches on the horizon for the Master of the 6-1-9. From Seth Rollins to Finn Balor, let’s take a look at five potential feuds we’d want to see for Mysterio on Monday Night Raw.
Andrade
Ever since Samoa Joe interrupted the final fall between Rey Mysterio and Andrade in a two out of three falls match on SmackDown Live, the WWE Universe has been desperate to see the final encounter between two of the most innovative, brilliant, athletic, and technically gifted superstars in WWE. That was supposed to take place at Fastlane on the pre-show or on the go-home show before WrestleMania 35, but WWE had to go in a different direction before ‘Mania due to Mysterio’s ankle injury.
That leaves the door open for that final match on WWE Raw, and with three full hours of programming on Monday nights, there’s a greater chance these two superstars will get all the time they need to weave a final masterpiece.
Of course, Mysterio and Andrade could very well have more than one more match together, especially if they end up feuding over the Intercontinental Championship. Though Balor should be ticketed for a long reign with the title, the fact that he lost on Andrade’s debut is a potential sign that the “Year of Andrade” could include an early IC Title victory for Zelina Vega and him.
Either way, the fans are ready for the next Mysterio vs. Andrade match whenever WWE is.
Seth Rollins
Though Seth Rollins has faced so many great wrestlers in WWE, there are still plenty of dream matches left for “The Architect”. WWE fans would love to see Rollins vs. AJ Styles, which is now a possibility on Raw, but Rey Mysterio vs. Rollins has a chance to be an even more high-energy match.
Rollins will likely be willing to take on all comers as the epitome of a fighting champion, as that’s the biggest appeal with Seth as champ. He can put on a great match with just about anyone and, as Intercontinental Champion, he showed that he can put on those classics every Monday night without fail.
Mysterio was once that type of guy for WWE in his prime, and he hasn’t lost a step despite being 44 and near the end of his career. As his matches with Andrade showed, Mysterio is still one of the quickest and slickest wrestlers in between the ropes, performing moves that most wrestlers could only dream of.
Of course, Rollins is definitely extremely athletic and creative in his own right, as evidenced by using “The Stomp” to break up Bobby Lashley’s pin on the Raw during the Superstar Shakeup. He and Mysterio would pull out of all the stops in a Universal Championship match, and it would be quite the story for him to overcome a legend looking for one final reign at the top of WWE.
Lars Sullivan
Whether it’s been against The Big Show or The Great Khali, Rey Mysterio has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best in history at selling for the big guys. After interrupting Elias’s concert – becoming just the latest legend to attempt to get a little extra rub from WWE’s greatest live entertainer – Mysterio was met by Lars Sullivan inside the ring.
While Rey fought valiantly against the NXT call-up, his quickness just couldn’t match Sullivan’s strength. Lars is on a mission to make a huge statement on the rest of the WWE Raw roster, and he’s certainly made up for the time away from the ring. In addition to Rey, Lars also took out Kurt Angle on last week’s Raw and the Hardy Boyz on the SmackDown after WrestleMania.
Sullivan vs. Mysterio doesn’t hold quite the same level of cachet or interest as the dream matches on this list, but it’ll be a unique way for Mysterio to put over and up-and-comer. He’ll get a chance to make Lars look like an absolute monster, much in the same way he’s put over guys like Khali in the past. Mysterio does so many things well, but maybe one of the most valuable aspects of his in-ring game is his selling; he already did plenty for Lars during his first beatdown.
Finn Balor
In 2018, Finn Balor produced arguably his best work on the WWE main roster with Seth Rollins, as the duo had several great matches over the Intercontinental Championships on Monday nights. Balor couldn’t get the better of Rollins no matter how hard he tried, but he’s the IC Champion now after finally overcoming Bobby Lashley, using The Demon to pick up a definitive victory over The Dominator at WrestleMania 35.
Rey Mysterio and Balor could absolutely tear the roof off any arena in the world together, and the Intercontinental Championship was meant for matches like this one. With the likes of Rey and Andrade joining Raw, the upper mid-card scene will be stacked until WWE fully transitions Andrade into a main event role. And with Cedric Alexander and potentially Aleister Black and Ricochet waiting in the wings, there will be no shortage of opponents for Raw’s workhorses.
We haven’t seen Balor face off against many wrestlers who can truly help him show off his full skill-set inside the ring. But when he has faced Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, Balor has done nothing but dazzle. A match against Mysterio could wind up being one of Finn’s best television matches on the main roster, and wrestling fans will expect nothing less than greatness from these two in an IC Title match.
Cedric Alexander
After winning the Cruiserweight Championship on the WrestleMania 34 pre-show in a finals match against Mustafa Ali to close out an exhilarating tournament, Cedric Alexander went on to have a defining reign with the title. Alexander helped set the tone for Buddy Murphy, Tony Nese, and future Cruiserweight Champions on what is expected from someone holding that title, and he had fantastic matches with just about anyone – particularly Murphy.
Alexander can adjust to any style, and he does a great job of telling stories in the ring as a babyface or a tweener. That could lead to a perfect match against Rey Mysterio, whose quickness and savvy will test Alexander to his limit; Alexander will have to pull out all of his best facial expressions to sell what Rey will throw at him.
Perhaps Mysterio and Alexander could even fight for the IC Title. Though Alexander is the new kid on the block after building his brand on 205 Live, he has the full support of the WWE Universe and massive potential; it’s only a matter of time before he inserts himself into the title picture. Shining in the ring with Mysterio could be a way for Alexander to make a name for himself on Monday Night Raw in 2019.