After a long wait, Rey Misterio Jr. has been released from his WWE contract. There’s no release on their website, but WWE’s responded to questions by simply saying Rey Misterio is not part of the company any longer. The US promotion announced the parting of ways. Misterio is expected to announce appearances with other promotions immediately, and may have already done so by the time you read this. Rey originally expected to leave WWE in 2014 and had already started to make future plans. He’ll finally be able to act on them now.
Those plans obviously include AAA and Lucha Underground. Deals with those promotions may not be formerly announced for some time, but have at least been informally agreed upon. Lucha Underground did not announce their deal with Alberto el Patron until the moment he appeared in their ring at least in part due to the surprise factor. That may be repeated here, but Rey was intended to be part of that promotion from the start and now will get to be. AAA formerly introduced Myzteziz and Alberto at press conferences to promote events last year. AAA’s believed to have already scheduled a 03/03 press conference to talk about Rey de Reyes (as mentioned in the iPPV announcement) and that would make sense as an reintroduction point for Rey Jr. The Rey de Reyes slogan being “Un Rey se acerca” (A Rey is coming) is an obvious allusion.
Rey’s not expected to wrestle much, if at all. There’s surely some health concerns, but he’s a big enough name where he can command a great fee just for showing up and signing some autographs so he’s probably going to stick to that.. It’s not of the question that Rey may wrestle at a TripleMania, but they’re very likely to be Special Appearance type matches, not singles matches going for MOTY.
This helps Lucha Underground get another recognizable face (well, mask) to both El Rey management and sponsors. (It also probably raises the costs of running the show.) Rey’s story of leaving WWE is harder to drill down to simple sentence than Alberto, but he’s even more well known. Rey’s going to go thru the same whirlwind of demand.
It’s unclear at this point if there is any sort of no-compete included in the contract. It may not be a big obstacle if there is one; Lucha Underground is so far ahead that even a “three month” TV no-compete would still allow him to be on the next set of tapings. Those clauses usually aren’t/can’t be enforced out of the country, so it would have no effect on his AAA appearances.
Rey actually was seen as part of last year’s TripleMania, in a video airing only live (never on TV, but “accidentally” shown briefly on PPV) teasing a return to the company soon. Rey also was inducted into AAA’s Hall of Fame in 2007, but AAA was required by WWE to edit him out of the TV broadcast of the ceremony. (A few clips have snuck thru over the years.) As best I can tell, Rey’s last AAA TV would’ve been on the 08/30/1996 Juan de la Barrera show. His next AAA TV appearance may be in the same building.
The date of Rey leaving WWE had been agreed to for months, sometime after Rey’s last meeting with WWE officials in Buffalo. That date was supposed 02/27 (a late Friday release to bury the news), with the idea that Rey’s side was not allowed to tell leak it out or WWE would go back on their deal. Bizarrely, it appears it was WWE who leaked the news a day early by moving Rey to the Alumni section of their roster. There were a lot of little leaks coming out so WWE might have just decided to be done with it. I’m not sure if this is the last we’ll hear about the parting of the ways – there are not good feelings on either side and more is going to come out about it – but hopefully the early announcement means everyone can just move on quicker.
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Few true friendships in wrestling.
Rey Jr is a true friend, doing this to help an old friend, Konnan, and the promotion, AAA, that gave him his big break. Kind of a nice story.
I think Rey jr was using AAA as leverage for his deal with wwe, but the same could be said the other way. Now out of the e and in bad terms, could make AAA to change its tune… but all seems to be pointing to it being a done deal. This is big. Samoa Joe back in ROH is childsplay. Sting in Wrestlemania is a lesser deal than Rey Misterio Jr back in AAA. Only Spidey joining the CMU is a bigger story.
Rey might save a not very well built RdR, El Patron might even be not involved in the event. Fenix vs HFan, RdR 4 way and Penty/Perrillo vs Mystezis/Rey might be the top of the card. GDL is probably the worse place for Rey to come back, iirc, wwe drew poorly back in 2010, but diehard AAA fans who buy pricey AAAmania tickets would probably attend Nvo Progreso if AAA can (in about 10 days) promote it as an historic moment. There’s nothing set for AAAmania itself, guess AAA could and should be building for XXV, for it to be at Plaza Mexico (or maybe a stadium?) so it would be good if they avoid AAAMania 23 and 24 being in MxC…
For LU, Rey Jr is what they needed from the start. The network targets Mexican-Americans, and that’s pretty much Rey Jr’s tailor made role (Alberto or other AAA dudes are missing that mark). I think the “ideological battle between going more lucha vs wwe style and touring are conflicting. I think AAA/lucha wants to tour while wwe proponents would want to keep course and be sucking from Univision’s budget. Rey Jr, Patron, Morrison, + Puma, Fenix, Pentagon Jr, Drago make touring possible as long as they target the lucha/hispanic market (instead of wasting Alberto in silly ROH events). Just aim for 6-8k venues, in Mx border states, and Illinois, and they’ll be OK (with some 15-20 dates). Heck, maybe they could have Triplemania 24 in LA.
A main event big enough for Triplemania XXV? Rey Jr vs HdPerro career vs hair? (no mask since wcw ruined that). Maybe… LA Park, HdPerro and Pentagon Jr vs Mysteziz, Rey Jr and… Brillante Jr ??!!! I mean, Hijo del Fantasma said he considers(ed back then at least) Sombra his closest friend, and Sombra already went to join ‘stico street show, so he has the connections there… very likely he would mark out for the chance to work with Rey Jr as it would be the proverbial straw that makes him join AAA for a run with Rey. Or cut it to LA Park/Pentagon vs Rey/Sombra, 4 way, rudos destroy tecnicos, Sombra saves Rey, it ends up with Pentagon taking LA Park’s mask and everyone wins. LA Park gets a big check, Pentagon a big mask, Rey lives to keep fighting,,,
O.o
@chui: important consideration about where TripleMania should be: I don’t know how to go to any other city besides Mexico City. (And AAA planning a main event three years out and sticking to it is asking a lot.)
The podcast a week ago was pushing the idea of how it’s not as hard to get to GDL from DF as people might think, so I’d guess they’re hoping some people travel (and the ultras definitely will.)
My guess is Sombra is still not leaving as long as CMLL has the NJPW deal. AAA having Rey Jr. might help with that.
(Also this is bigger than Spider-Man showing up for like 5 minutes.)
“(Also this is bigger than Spider-Man showing up for like 5 minutes.)”
For 2015, Yeah, that’s probably 280 seconds longer than the actual thing, But it kinda “changes everything” for the movies not already being shot. Guess I would add Rey Jr to AAA is bigger than CM Punk signing with UFC, which gives ammo to Vince bashing, but will hardly carry UFC on its shoulders.
I could see it… During a match, a guy with half Brillante(which is the same mask as Sombra anyways) half Pentagon mask interferes, and attacks Pëntagon Jr, calling him out for stealing a legacy that belongs to his family… enter original Pentagon endorsing Sombra… the feud is right there!! :p OK, maybe not, Sombra is already a made man in CMLL, but Rey Jr will be a big hook for upcoming talent since sharing a locker room with their hero is a big thing. And if the business goes up, it would also pull in older guys, maybe providing a couple of masks for AAA to use in events.
“(And AAA planning a main event three years out and sticking to it is asking a lot.)”
It’s actually 2 years for AAAmania XXV. First one was held on April 30, so they could book 25 for March 19 (20 being a holiday Monday) 2017 and hinting that Rey Misterio Jr signed a 2 year deal so time is up so it could be his retirement match – and then have him not losing.