Top Free Agent Should Choose AEW Over WWE

WWE isn’t any closer to reaching a new deal with one of its biggest stars.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t 411Mania), Rey Mysterio still had not re-signed with WWE at last word: “The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that as of early this week, there has been no change in where negotiations stand, but they are still ongoing.”

Mysterio, who’s been embroiled in a bitter rivalry with Seth Rollins on Monday Night Raw, has been working without a WWE contract for the past few months following the expiration of the contract he signed with the company in the fall of 2018. It’s rare to see a WWE star continue wrestling for WWE without an official deal with the company, but WWE continued to utilize Mysterio in a high-profile role even after Vince McMahon rejected his request for a raise as part of his contract negotiations.

Though Mysterio has clearly remained on good enough terms with WWE to continue wrestling for the company without a pen-and-paper deal, he hasn’t appeared on TV since losing an “Eye for an Eye” match against Rollins at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, though his son Dominik has continued feuding with Rollins on his behalf. Of course, Mysterio’s status as a free agent who could leave WWE at the drop of a dime has resulted in whispers about the potential for him to jump ship to WWE’s new No. 1 competitor All Elite Wrestling.

During a recent interview with ESPN, AEW TNT Champion and backstage executive Cody Rhodes was asked about the possibility of AEW signing Mysterio and had high praise for the high-flyer, “To me, the greatest luchador ever, of all time — hands down — is Rey Mysterio Jr. And he’s got friends here. Jericho and him are friends. Mysterio is not afraid to travel out there, either. He’s not a one-company individual. And I think Rey still has a lot left to give in terms of wrestling. That might be something that someone else is currently discussing with him at this point. You never know.”

Though on the surface it seems unlikely that Mysterio would show up in AEW at any point in the near future, he is—technically speaking—free to do so if and when he chooses. As noted by Rhodes, Mysterio isn’t necessarily afraid to test the waters outside of WWE, having done so in recent years with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the All In wrestling event in September 2018 that served as the predecessor for what would ultimately become AEW. With his WWE return nearing right around that time, WWE reportedly tried to block Mysterio from working that famed All In event, but Mysterio actually wound up headlining the show in a star-studded six-man tag team match.

Just a month later, Mysterio would return to WWE, but he wisely kept his options open with a rare opt-out clause at the 18-month mark. Having exercised that clause, Mysterio now finds himself in a position to be one of the biggest stars to jump ship to the rival promotion during the ongoing battle for talent between AEW and WWE. A number of ex-WWE stars have showed up in AEW thus far, including Brodie Lee (a.k.a. Luke Harper), Matt Hardy and Zack Ryder (now Matt Cardona). While midcard stars like Lee and Hardy haven’t had a ton of success in AEW thus far, the two biggest WWE names who left Vince McMahon’s promotion for AEW—Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley)—have been the two cornerstones and most pushed stars in AEW thus far.

In fact, Jericho and Moxley are the lone two superstars to hold the AEW World Championship thus far in the nearly year-long period that the title has existed. That’s a telltale sign that when you’re a big enough star in WWE but are underused there, you can instantly become a top star in AEW. Widely heralded as the greatest luchador of all-time, Mysterio is certainly at the same level as Moxley and Jericho, which is perhaps the biggest reason why AEW would be a better fit for him at this stage in his career.

Mysterio has largely been utilized as fodder for WWE’s top heels, like Rollins and Brock Lesnar, during his current WWE run, but after seeing the success that Moxley and Jericho have had in AEW (where they are heavily featured and strongly pushed), it’s likely that Mysterio would slide in to a similar role at the top of the card there. Mysterio has demonstrated during his recent WWE run that he is still an elite in-ring performer and an incredibly likable character, and as WWE continues to be overloaded with talent and plagued by booking issues, AEW is a place that—as Moxley has attested to—would give Mysterio more creative freedom, a more secure spot in the main event picture and potential dream matches with stars like MJF, The Lucha Bros, Kenny Omega and more.

Given WWE’s constant script changes, its stacked roster and Mysterio’s recent history of losing virtually every major feud he has, his final years in the ring would be best served in an AEW promotion that has made the most out of former WWE world champions like Moxley and Jericho.