To add to the news Jeremy Botter reported on Friday, Mistico is NOT coming to WWE, after he admitted to WWE that there are still multiple years left on a five-year deal he had signed with CMLL. Since the only way WWE could sign him were to work through CMLL (who doesn’t want him to leave), it’s not happening, and of course officials are upset over this.
Mistico’s tryout matches against Dean Malenko and Jamie Noble before the 02/27 Smackdown tapings impressed the Smackdown wrestlers, particularly JBL, Malenko and Booker, who told WWE officials they should sign him immediately. One person said they were expecting him to be a lot smaller than he actually was, since they were led to believe he was a young version of Rey Mysterio. He got an official offer late last week, after which he told WWE of his CMLL contractual status. If he signed, he was expected to be sent to a developmental territory to learn some WWE style rest holds and pacing and, more importantly, learn some English, while WWE got his working papers in order. He would have ended up on Smackdown, and Paul London had already asked writers if he could work with him.
Mistico headlined the 2nd March Arena Mexico show against Perro Aguayo Jr, which drew CMLL’s largest crowd of 2007 so far in 15,000 fans. Aguayo Jr won the first fall with a double foot stomp off the top rope. He then destroyed Mistico in the second fall, bloodying him and then ripping off his mask for the disqualification. Mistico was taken backstage while Aguayo Jr assaulted Que Monito, the tiny mascot of Mistico, but Mistico ran back out with a new mask and made Aguayo Jr submit to the tornillo armbar for the victory.
CMLL has tentatively booked a PPV match on 03/30 between Mistico and Perro Aguayo Jr, putting his mask up against Aguayo’s hair, with the belief being that if Mistico left for WWE, they would unmask him to damage his future drawing potential for the region. They have also contacted big indie draws El Hijo del Santo, Blue Demon Jr and Rayo de Jalisco about returning to Arena Mexico this month.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter (click here for subscription information)
