Report: TNA Make Big Attempt to Sign Rey Mysterio

[It's Damn Real!]

Via TNAInsider:

TNA has reportedly made a play to sign Rey Mysterio Jr. this past week.

Both John Gaburick and Dixie Carter talked with him and pushed the idea that they could get his merchandise into all the stores and open the doors for future movie and television projects. They also mentioned that they would want to build around him as their long-sought-after Mexican Superstar.

As an added bonuses, if he signed with them he would be able to work anywhere he wanted on his days off.

The front page is also carrying/running this story.

It can't be understated that TNA has been after a strong Mexican/Latin star to market for a while now. They were hard after ADR before this as well.

I haven't seen Mysterio wrestle a match in years, but I do know he's spent a shit ton of time on the IR the last like five or six years. All healed up? Even at 40?

In terms of splash, I guess it'd be big, but I never really personally cared for lil' Rey. The highlight reel for him in my head starts and ends with Kevin Nash throwing him into the side of a truck. But what do I know?

 

[Mustang Sally]

As an added bonuses, if he signed with them he would be able to work anywhere he wanted on his days off.

Seems like a recipe for disaster, no? In addition to his TNA schedule, he could wrestle even more? Given his last few years with WWE, how could he possibly go without getting hurt?......and as we know, when he's injured, he's out for a long, long time.

Would TNA have to keep paying him when he's on the shelf? I'd guess that's the usual way contracts are structured, yet how it could it be to TNA's advantage to enter into such a deal, given Rey's history?

Well, if wrestling organizations are vying for him, he's still a name, apparently ......and if they're looking to increase their Mexican fan base, maybe he'll give them what they need.

 

[MCMG]

If you are having pay problems, signing another guy to a big contract doesn't seem smart. Especially Rey.

I love Rey and most people do but TNA are trying to re-brand themselves. They can't be the place where all the old ex-WWE wrestlers go unless it is a no-brainer. An elite talent who can still offer a lot: Angle/Hardy's. Or a superstar that has immense potential that the WWE theoretically misused: Lashley, Galloway, EC3, Bram. A guy like MVP is somewhere in the middle and I'd say the same about Del Rio.

Rey simply doesn't tick either box. He just can't go like he used to and that limits his use in TNA. I'd pop if Rey turned up in TNA but the novelty will diminish. I can see an endless list of classic Rey matches on the Network so having him in TNA just isn't exciting. With that money they could get 2 or 3 of the best from the indies. With that, they can create can't miss TV to compete with NXT, ROH and Lucha, NOT the WWE itself.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

I'm a huge fan of Mysterio's but....No, he's great but his time is up. The x-division would be the only reason I wouls be o.k if he joined TNA but with how the division is at the moment it needs way more than just a Big named face.
And him being in the main event just doesnt fit well with me. TNA seems to be trying to build up the "future" in EC3, Magnus, and Bram and I dont really see how Mysterio would fit in. I don't think I could sustain disbelief of him beating these younger and bigger guys. (Just go look at Rey Mysterio's House of Hardcore debut. Watching EC3 and Eric Young sell for him seemed odd)
Also I don't think he would be used right any ways. TNA doesn't have the best history with Mask wrestlers/Luchadores. (Shark Boy, Abyss, El Tigre Uno, Suicide/Manik, Sangriento, etc.)

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'm a huge fan of Mysterio's but....No, he's great but his time is up. The x-division would be the only reason I wouls be o.k if he joined TNA but with how the division is at the moment it needs way more than just a Big named face.
And him being in the main event just doesnt fit well with me. TNA seems to be trying to build up the "future" in EC3, Magnus, and Bram and I dont really see how Mysterio would fit in. I don't think I could sustain disbelief of him beating these younger and bigger guys. (Just go look at Rey Mysterio's House of Hardcore debut. Watching EC3 and Eric Young sell for him seemed odd)
Also I don't think he would be used right any ways. TNA doesn't have the best history with Mask wrestlers/Luchadores. (Shark Boy, Abyss, El Tigre Uno, Suicide/Manik, Sangriento, etc.)

None of whom have/had the legacy Mysterio does.

Them not being able to get masked wrestlers over isn't actually true, either. Curry Man, Abyss [TNA Grand Slam Champion] and even Suicide were all over, relatively speaking. But even if we accept for the sake of argument that what you say is true, in this case, that history wouldn't matter. Mysterio comes in not needing to get over. He's already over. Everyone already knows who he is.

 

[Messiah]

Don't you know? TNA offers everyone a contract once they leave WWE. It's probably not the first offer they gave him. Mysterio has no reason to sign there when he's doing great in Mexico right now.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Don't you know? TNA offers everyone a contract once they leave WWE. It's probably not the first offer they gave him. Mysterio has no reason to sign there when he's doing great in Mexico right now.

Oh, cool, you have Mysterio's contract in AAA and his negotiated contract from TNA. Hey, can you share it, man? I'm curious to see.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Don't you know? TNA offers everyone a contract once they leave WWE. It's probably not the first offer they gave him. Mysterio has no reason to sign there when he's doing great in Mexico right now.

Don't you know... you're making claims you can't actually support?

For the record, I agree he doesn't need TNA the way TNA "needs" him, but you know fuck all about his contract or about the idea that "TNA offers everyone a contract once they leave WWE", so let's not go down that road.

 

[detroitking02]

Why is everyone acting like WWE discovered Rey Mysterio . Mysterio made his name in WCW and he wrestled for ECW before then.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Why is everyone acting like WWE discovered Rey Mysterio . Mysterio made his name in WCW and he wrestled for ECW before then.

Because to the wrestling audience of today, that doesn't matter. He's a "WWE guy". Clearly.

Most WCW and/or ECW talents don't really get the benefit of being known for that. Even guys like Booker T are or were labeled the same as Mysterio. I remember when TNA brought in Booker T, and that's all I heard — "another WWE guy". Regardless of the fact he'd spent nine years with WCW and only seven with WWE before he jumped to TNA.

 

[laodaron]

Why is everyone acting like WWE discovered Rey Mysterio . Mysterio made his name in WCW and he wrestled for ECW before then.

No one is acting like that. But the WWE made Rey a main event Superstar instead of a middling low carder like he was in WCW. The Luchas were treated like garbage in WCW, despite there being a belt for them.

The WWE gave Rey the chance to really fly, and he did. That's why he's known as a WWE guy, and not (laugh) ECW guy.

On to this contract situation, I'm only a very very casual fan of TNA, namely because it hasn't been interesting to me since Nash and Hogan and Mick Foley were there. But, I can respect what guys like Angle and Joe and all those guys did to keep a company afloat that was trying its hardest to actually drown. Bringing in someone else that the WWE has let go to pasture is only going to hurt the brand TNA. rey will always be a Mexican Lucha Superhero, but that doesn't translate in the same way to US audiences.

For a company that isn't paying the camera guys or the ring guys or the talent, tossing heavy money at a 40 year old that just can't run at the same speed anymore would REALLY cheese me off.

 

[Aquaman6686]

No one is acting like that. But the WWE made Rey a main event Superstar instead of a middling low carder like he was in WCW.

WWE attempted to make Rey Mysterio a main event Superstar, but they failed. Fans never accepted him as a top guy. He was booed out of the building at WrestleMania 22, and all of his opponents were cheered over him, even JBL, no matter how hard they tried to be heel. Nobody cared about Rey Mysterio as a top guy except the little kids in the crowd.

TNA signing him would be flushing money down the toilet. Even in his prime he wasn't great, and he's LONG past his prime.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

To be honest, TNA already have a Mexican star under contract who they could turn into the next Rey Mysterio. His name is Tigre Uno (with TNA). He called Grado a jackass a couple weeks ago and he's competing for the X Division title in a week or so.

 

[Scotty]

Rey Mysterio being in TNA would just an all around terrible move on TNA's part. TNA already has plenty of talent at their disposal but if they really wanted a top Mexican star I'm sure they can find a much cheaper option who is way less of a gamble than someone who has had ongoing injuries over the last few years.

Even towards the end of his WWE run no one really cared about Rey Mysterio. He was more just there and I don't really see anything any different happening if he was to sign with TNA.

 

[Messiah]

Nobody cared about Rey Mysterio as a top guy except the little kids in the crowd.

There you go.. That's all that matters, Rey was marketed towards the kids, that's all he needed to cheer for him.

 

[Aquaman6686]

There you go.. That's all that matters, Rey was marketed towards the kids, that's all he needed to cheer for him.

When it's WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio wins the title, and 15,000 adults are booing him out of the building, the 2,000 kids cheering him don't matter.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think this would be all that big of a splash to be quite honest. Rey's a big star, no doubt, but TNA's brought in wrestlers that're, frankly, much bigger and it hasn't really meant much of anything for TNA. Hogan, Hall, Nash, Flair, Angle, Foley, Booker, Steiner, Hardy, etc. are all stars every bit as big as Mysterio, some bigger than Mysterio could ever dream of being in the United States, but there's been no real payoff for TNA. TNA has paid millions of dollars for these major names and it hasn't really been a benefit to them. IF any of the reports over the past few years are accurate, then TNA's financial status isn't exactly rock solid, which raises the question of why they'd want to go after someone who's known for demanding huge money and was one of the highest paid talents on the WWE roster for over a decade. Truth be told, most of the biggest and most talked about stories surrounding TNA the past couple of years have been about their financial problems, the issues they've had with Spike, the difficulty in finding a new TV deal and alleged troubles with Destination America.

As for Mysterio himself, as others have already pointed out, there are serious doubts as to his abilities in the ring. In his last 2 years in WWE, he wrestled a small handful of times and those times weren't all that spectacular. Mysterio himself has stated that, for all intents and purposes, his knees are shot to shit; he's had multiple surgeries over the years, knees issues have been partially responsible for Mysterio's lengthy absences from WWE the past few years and I just don't see Mysterio's knees miraculously healing. Even if, by some miracle, his knees were at 100%, so what? If guys like Hogan, Flair and Angle can't bring in the fans in droves, there's no chance of Mysterio delivering. It ultimately comes off, at least to me, as TNA trying to hire huge names that demand huge paychecks; it's a strategy that's been a hallmark of the company for almost 10 years now and it's a strategy that's accomplished little more than draining company finances.

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

Rey Mysterio was one of the greatest high flyers in the history of professional wrestling......in his prime. Which was about 15-20 years ago. Now he's 40+ and injury prone.

Why doesnt TNA ever learn???

Stop picking up former WWE guys and build your own talent. WTF Dixie get this thru your head.

You're never going to differentiate yourselves or stand out if you keep plucking former WWE stars, rejects, main eventers past their primes and constantly putting them in your main events and handing them world titles.

Create your own homegrown talent and build them up from within. Its the only way you can build your own identity and get fans to forget how Hogan and Bischoff flushed this company down the toilet.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Rey Mysterio was one of the greatest high flyers in the history of professional wrestling......in his prime. Which was about 15-20 years ago. Now he's 40+ and injury prone.

Why doesnt TNA ever learn???

Stop picking up former WWE guys and build your own talent. WTF Dixie get this thru your head.

You're never going to differentiate yourselves or stand out if you keep plucking former WWE stars, rejects, main eventers past their primes and constantly putting them in your main events and handing them world titles.

Create your own homegrown talent and build them up from within. Its the only way you can build your own identity and get fans to forget how Hogan and Bischoff flushed this company down the toilet.

Mysterio adds value. Merchandise value. People buy his crap. That's the only reason why TNA is going after this. You can argue that only kids buy his crap, but Jeff Hardy is in the same boat and he's probably one of their top 3 merch pushers.

Also, let's not act like signing former WWE guys is all TNA does these days. For fuck's sake, there's EC3 on his way to beat Angle in what will be Angle's last Championship reign, there's Roode and Aries going around kicking ass, there's Rockstar Spud showiing he's far more than a skinny little British guy, there's Bram who is just lurking in the shadows waiting to make a splash, there's James Storm who keeps reinventing himself and doing decent work.Jessie Godderz stole the damn show last Wednesday and it seems like Robbie E. is going in a more serious direction, and on top of that you have Eric Young being one of the nastiest and purely evil heels in wrestling today and I'm pretty sure there are so many "homegrown TNA guys" that I'm forgetting someone.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

The only way TNA signing Mysterio is on a short term contract or a "pay you when we need you" type thing, where he pops up for the odd match every now and again. He is a physical wreck these days, after years of abuse on his body and can't do alot of the things he used to, even when hes technically "healthy".

Yes, he's still a big name with a lot of recognition and name value, but he's over 40 years old with knees held together with superglue. How do TNA intend "to build around him"? exactly? It's a recipe for disaster or throwing money away.

Sign him for the occasional match, yes. Full time deal? Absolutely not. If he is used occasionally (while still working elsewhere) they could still work out some kind of deal for merchandise, surely?

 

[TDFG]

Merchandise figures play a big roll, but if Mysterio is signed to create more emphasis on the X-Division and to put someone like Tigre Uno over then I can see why TNA would want to sign him.

The taping schedule would suit Mysterio and give him time to rest those bad knees, so I can see why it might appeal to him.

 

[Lowdown]

I imagine that if Rey Misterio were to sign with TNA it would be similar to when RVD came, except for a world title reign. There's no question regarding him being over and potentially bringing in new fans. Perhaps if this was five or six years ago then it would be more fanfare, particularly for what it would do for the X division. I haven't seen him in some time so I don't know the shape he's in or if he still has it. Somehow though I feel that he won't help TNA too much aside from being an established veteran.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Frankly, I'd rather they kick the tires on Del Rio again than bring Rey in. Too old, too injury prone, too little plus to it (obviously depending on the type of contract/money involved).

I don't like ADR much, if at all, either.