Rey Mysterio is heading for the WWE Hall of Fame!
On the March 10th episode of Friday Night SmackDown, it was revealed that Rey Mysterio will be the first inductee into the Hall of Fame class of 2023.
It was somewhat fitting that Mysterio was announced during SmackDown given his lengthy history with the blue brand. The legend famously made his WWE debut on SmackDown back in July.
However, by the time the star arrived in WWE, he was already regarded as one of the premiere performers in the world, having made his debut all of the way back in 1989, aged just 14. After starring in AAA and briefly ECW, Mysterio signed with WCW in June 1996, and help revolutionise cruiserweight wrestling in the United States.
During this period Mysterio had a series of acclaimed matches with the likes of Eddie Guererro and Dean Malenko.
After joining WWE, Rey Mysterio quickly rose to become one of the most popular stars on the roster. This popularity reached its peak in 2006 when Mysterio won the Royal Rumble match from the number two spot, dedicating his win to his late friend Eddie Guerrero who passed away just months earlier.
Mysterio went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.
The Lucha legend left the company in 2015 before returning in 2018. The high point of this second run arguably came at WrestleMania Backlash in 2021 when he won the SmackDown Tag Team Titles alongside his son Dominik.
In recent months Mysterio has been at war with Dominik after his son turned on him in late 2022. It is expected that the pair will settle their differences at WrestleMania 39.
Who Could Join Rey Mysterio
Ahead of SmackDown, it was reported that WWE was making plans to induct Japanese legend Keiji Muto into the Hall of Fame. The star, also known as The Great Muta finally brought down the curtain on his illustrious career in February.