Rey Mysterio, known for his high-flying moves and electrifying performances, initially thought WWE was not interested in him due to his small stature. This led to a delayed debut in the company. During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Mysterio revealed that WWE told him to wait out the rest of his WCW contract, as he was making more money at the time. This led him to believe that the company was not interested in him.
Mysterio’s initial success in WCW was due to his innovative high-flying moves, which were new to the American audience. However, after WWE acquired WCW, Mysterio didn’t make his debut until later. In the interview, Mysterio recalled the conversation at the time, saying, “I think at the time, I was probably making a little too much in WCW money-wise and the contract was still running when the company was bought out. The conversation at the time was, ‘Sit back, enjoy your pay for the rest of the year that’s in your contract, and once it’s expired, we’ll sit down and we’ll negotiate.’ At the time, I thought it was a way for them to say, ‘We’re not really interested.’ That’s what I thought because I had always heard that [I am] too small. Definitely too small for WWE, and that it wasn’t going to happen.”
As Mysterio approaches the latter part of his career, his goals have shifted. With his age and body taking a toll, he is considering his retirement plans. When asked if he wants to continue wrestling for another two or three years, Mysterio hesitated, stating, “I won’t until it’s being brought up, and when my wife brings that up, that’s when I pause. I don’t know if I want to do it another two years, three years. I kind of listen to my body and my mindset, because my body’s been feeling great. And with all the benefits that I get from doing things like the cold plunge and the sauna. My mind has to be in the right place, so that’s probably the hardest thing for me. Because, sometimes, the age factor comes into mind, not in the moment, but thinking ahead, like I want to be able to still move around and walk at 55 or 56. Is my body going to feel the same?”
It remains to be seen if Mysterio will continue his WWE career, but his scheduled singles match against Dominik Mysterio on RAW will give fans a Look into his future plans.