Several WWE superstars have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but one legendary talent may leave on his own. Former World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio is quite often in the middle of big storylines, but that doesn’t mean he is happy with his current position. Rumors are circulating that Mysterio’s current contract with WWE will expire this fall, and he has not yet decided to stick around.
When Mysterio re-signed with the promotion, there was a lot of speculation as to the length of his contract. Finally, the info came out that it was for two years, but that it had an option for the former champ to opt-out after 18 months.
According to Wrestling News , Mysterio did not choose to exercise the opt-out clause and instead remained with WWE for the full two years. That means his current deal is going to expire sometime in September of this year, and he has not yet agreed to a new contract.
Contracts discussions are already underway and were brought forth by WWE to Mysterio. If they don’t come to a new agreement, that would make Mysterio a free agent this fall and allow him to sign with any other wrestling company around the world.
The options for him are varied, as he could go to All Elite Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, or even New Japan.
Last month, nearly two dozen superstars were released from their contracts as WWE made budget cuts. The coronavirus pandemic has brought financial hardships to numerous businesses, and WWE has been focusing on keeping their profit margins high.
Mysterio initially returned to WWE under the short two-year deal because he wanted to see if his body could handle the schedule strain. He also wanted to keep his options open in case other promotions presented new opportunities.
For a while, Mysterio’s son Dominik joined him, Cain Velasquez, and Brock Lesnar in on-air storylines. WWE has now released Velasquez, and Dominik hasn’t been on television in quite some time.
If Mysterio chooses to re-sign with WWE, it would likely be for a long-term deal of three to five years.
Back in 2018, Rey Mysterio worked Cody Rhodes’ All In event just months before All Elite Wrestling became a reality. Mysterio is a participant in the men’s Ladder Match at Money In The Bank next weekend, and he also won his first United States Championship over Samoa Joe last year.
