Rey Mysterio Makes Surprise Lucha Underground Debut

Rey Mysterio shocked the pro wrestling world on Saturday when he made his debut for Lucha Underground. Though reports had surfaced earlier in the week about the former WWE star signing with the upstart wrestling promotion, very few expected him to be able to work an actual match since he was shown in crutches at a recent AAA show in Mexico. Mysterio was a mystery contestant in a battle royal for the Lucha Underground Heavyweight Championship. Rey is expected to film several more episodes over the next couple of months.

From the moment that he was finally freed of his contractual obligations to WWE, Rey Mysterio kept stating that the freedom was something that he had been yearning for a very long time. Due to a dispute with Vince McMahon, the San Diego native was not allowed to work anywhere else. World Wrestling Entertainment continued to pay Mysterio as they did not want him showing up in TNA or any other rival promotions. The belief is that Rey would not have signed a deal with Lucha Underground if he were not allowed a certain level of freedom in his contract. All of that had to be hashed out before the deal was signed.

As of right now, Lucha Underground does not do tours. As a business, they are not at that level just yet. The company came pretty close to folding after the first season was filled. Performers started looking elsewhere for work as the future of Lucha Underground looked bleak. Fortunately for the promoters, the El Rey network decided to give them another chance. A second season was given the green light. The hope is that Rey Mysterio can help generate more revenue so they can start touring the country. Mysterio will more than likely want to renegotiate his contract at that point in time.

Signing someone as well known as Rey Mysterio makes Lucha Underground more legitimate. His presence makes it easier for company executives to approach potential advertisers and sponsors. The odds of them being willing to do business with Lucha Underground increases tremendous. It is basically the same reason why Dixie Carter spent all that money to bring Hulk Hogan to TNA. Being the most known professional wrestler of all time, his presence enabled the company to get all sorts of deals globally. While Hogan is no longer there, the company still benefits from many of those deals.

While details of the contract signed with Lucha Underground have yet to be revealed, the belief is that Rey Mysterio is getting the most favorable deal in the company. His value is that high, especially to a promotion that is trying to make a name for itself. There were talks months ago that ownership stakes were offered to both Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio, who opted for the security of heading back to WWE. Rey had an opportunity to return to World Wrestling Entertainment as well but it appears that Lucha Underground gave him an offer that he could not refuse.

The deal with Lucha Underground could end up being quite lucrative for Rey Mysterio. His name value would increase even more if he were able to help the promotion grow. The respect for him within the industry would be off the charts because Mysterio would help create another viable place of employment for performers. If things don’t work out in Lucha Underground, Rey doesn’t really lose much. The former world heavyweight champion can knock on TNA’s door any day that he wants. Plus, WWE has their arms extended to the popular masked performer.

Do you think Rey Mysterio can help Lucha Underground make it to a third season?

[Featured Photo by WWE]