Much has been made of Lucha Underground’s famous seven-year contracts for its talent, and since we’re only in the midst of season three currently, there has been a lot of discussion about who will become a free agent, and when. Most of that conversation has centered on the man who plays Prince Puma, but with no plans announced for a fourth season, and this new partnership between AAA and GFW, things are getting … kind of weird.
Of course, Alberto El Patron already set a precedent for former/current WWE stars leaving the company after just a season or so, leading to speculation that not EVERYONE gets those seven-year deals. You would think that if anyone gets to dictate the terms of their Lucha Underground contract, it would be Rey Mysterio, a legitimate living legend and massive international superstar.
Sports Illustrated is reporting that Mysterio’s current deal with Lucha Underground is up after season three, and both WWE and GFW are actively pursuing him to start in their promotion when he becomes available. The way Mysterio’s contract is structured, his contract will officially end after season three finishes airing, which is slated to be sometime in September. After that, the assumption is there will be a 90-day no-compete, so Mysterio would not be able to appear for any new company or on any competing television until late 2017 at the earliest, and likely early 2018 realistically.
That certainly seems like it would put Mysterio right in line to be a huge surprise entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble, but you never know how appealing GFW’s lighter schedule might be to a guy who will turn 43 in December. SI speculates that with Mysterio’s son, Dominic, trying to break into wrestling, potential access to WWE’s Performance Center might be a nice bonus. I personally would assume Rey Mysterio’s kid can probably stop by the PC any time he wants already, but who knows?
If Mysterio does return to WWE at the Royal Rumble, it will be a nice turnaround from the last time he was in the match, when he got vociferously booed for the audacity of not being Daniel Bryan.
