World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2002–2015)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and he was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio also resumed wearing his mask.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face, defeating Chavo Guerrero. Mysterio's first feud was with Kurt Angle, culminating in a match at SummerSlam on August 25, which Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. Mysterio later formed a tag team with Edge, participating in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. Mysterio and Edge lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy on October 20; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Mysterio and Edge won the WWE Tag Team Championship when they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, but lost them to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match at Survivor Series on November 17.
On March 30, 2003, at WrestleMania XIX, Mysterio faced the Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after interference from Shannon Moore. After earning a title shot in May, Mysterio defeated Hardy on the June 5 episode of SmackDown! to win the Cruiserweight Championship. After losing the championship to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio regained it from Tajiri on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!. At the Royal Rumble on January 25, Mysterio successfully defended the title against Jamie Noble. Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out on February 15. At WrestleMania XX on March 14, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, where Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Chavo Classic to win the title for a third time. Mysterio lost it to Spike Dudley on the July 29 episode of SmackDown! then failed to regain the title on the September 23 episode of SmackDown! and in a fatal four-way match at Survivor Series on November 14.
During this time, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam and feuded with Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée. At No Mercy on October 3, Mysterio and Van Dam failed to win the titles from Suzuki and Duprée, but won them in a rematch on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio and Van Dam successfully defended the titles against Suzuki and Duprée at Armageddon on December 12, before losing the titles to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
On February 20, Mysterio teamed up with Eddie Guerrero, winning the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Basham Brothers at No Way Out. In a departure from traditional booking, Mysterio and Guerrero did not defend their titles at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, but instead had a match against each other, which Mysterio won. On the April 21 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Guerrero lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro). The following week, Guerrero abandoned Mysterio, whom he had considered "his family" earlier in the show, during their rematch for the titles, costing them the match. After a street fight against Chavo on the May 5 episode of SmackDown!, Eddie came out and suplexed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio.
At Judgment Day on May 22, Mysterio defeated Guerrero by disqualification after Guerrero attacked him with a steel chair. On June 12, in the midst of their feud, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years at ECW One Night Stand. Guerrero then threatened to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. At The Great American Bash on July 24, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a match with a stipulation that if Guerrero lost, he would not tell the secret. Despite this, Guerrero revealed the secret on the following episode of SmackDown!, that he was Dominik's biological father. Guerrero said he knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. He threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam on August 21, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. On the September 9 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio lost to Guerrero in a steel cage match, ending their feud.
On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day, at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect, removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series on November 27, as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), defeating Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). Mysterio faced Big Show, who he eliminated at Survivor Series, in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show on November 29, which ended as a "no contest" after interference from Show's tag team partner, Kane. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag team match at Armageddon on December 18. Two days before the event, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Guerrero. Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was then billed as "Champions vs. Champions", which they lost. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista lost their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match after interference by Henry.
On January 29, 2006, Mysterio was the second entrant in the Royal Rumble match, setting a record by lasting 62 minutes, winning the match, and earning a world title shot by last eliminating Orton. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. Over the following weeks, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, which many people, including Orton, felt were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death. Orton won at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. However, General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania on April 2, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – billed as an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio retained the title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), who stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw him face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest". On May 21, Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day.
The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand on June 11, when he announced his return as a color commentator.
Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at ECW One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker, who won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. King Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of King Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking King Booker and his "court". On July 23, at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero would also cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. At SummerSlam on August 20, Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then turned on Mysterio by hitting him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. On October 8, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 episode of SmackDown!, which Mysterio lost. During the match, Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, which was used to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after he obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Batista and Finlay in a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven, held by The Great Khali. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in an "I Quit" match after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, ending the feud. After the match, Batista saved Mysterio from an attack by Khali, making the match at Unforgiven a triple threat match. At Unforgiven on September 16, Mysterio failed to win the title, which was won by Batista.
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy on October 7, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday on October 28. During this feud, Mysterio lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series on November 18, which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
Mysterio re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008, episode of SmackDown! when he won a Beat the Clock challenge for a chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble on January 27, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out on February 17, which he lost. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio returned on the June 23 episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from the SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven on September 7, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a match at No Mercy on October 5, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. Mysterio defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday on October 26, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series on November 23, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio then competed in a number one contender's tournament for the Intercontinental Championship, losing to CM Punk in the finals at Armageddon on December 14. At No Way Out on February 15, 2009, Mysterio competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was the last man eliminated by Edge.
At WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Mysterio defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in 21 seconds to capture the Intercontinental Championship. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002.
He then entered into an extensive feud with Chris Jericho, retaining his title against him at Judgment Day on May 17. At Extreme Rules on June 7, Mysterio lost the title after being unmasked and pinned by Jericho. Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match that was scheduled for The Bash on June 28, which Mysterio won, regaining the title. Mysterio retained the title once more against Jericho on the July 10 episode of SmackDown to end their feud, before he was attacked by Dolph Ziggler after the match. He successfully defended the title against Ziggler at both Night of Champions on July 26 and SummerSlam on August 23.
On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. Before the suspension, he lost the title on the September 1 (aired September 4) episode of SmackDown against John Morrison. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour.
Later that month, Mysterio returned and was revealed as Batista's partner in a match against Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell on October 4, which they lost. At Bragging Rights on October 25, they participated in a Fatal 4 Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Mysterio prevented Batista of winning the title and, after the match was attacked by Batista. On November 22, Mysterio lost to Batista at Survivor Series by technical knockout. Their feud moved around the World Heavyweight Championship, when Mysterio defeated Batista on the December 18 episode of SmackDown to gain a title shot against The Undertaker on the following episode of SmackDown, but the match ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On the January 15, 2010, episode of SmackDown, they faced off again in a number one contender's steel cage match, where Mysterio won. However, Mysterio lost the title match to The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble on January 31.
In February, Mysterio began a feud with Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the namesake event on February 21, Mysterio eliminated Punk. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk and had a match at WrestleMania XXVI on March 28 with the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. After Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania, they faced again at Extreme Rules on April 25, with Mysterio losing to Punk in a match where Punk should have had his head shaved if he lost. At Over the Limit on May 23, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair); Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
At Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On July 18, at Money in the Bank, he retained the title against Swagger before Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, ending Mysterio's reign at 28 days. He had a rematch for the title at SummerSlam on August 15, but he was defeated.
Mysterio then entered a feud with the debuting Alberto Del Rio, a Mexican wrestler who portrayed a high-class aristocrat. During Del Rio's debut on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to Del Rio by submission. They both participated at Bragging Rights on October 24 as part of the victorious Team SmackDown, but during the match, Del Rio attacked Mysterio. At Survivor Series on November 21, Mysterio and Del Rio led two opposing teams as part of the traditional Survivor Series match, where Team Mysterio won. They also participated at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 in a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio accidentally broke the nose of Cody Rhodes when he hit him with a 619. WWE used this accident to start a feud and, as part of the storyline, Rhodes began to wear a mask and they wrestled at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, where Mysterio lost to Rhodes. Mysterio defeated Rhodes on the April 22 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules on May 1 in a Falls Count Anywhere match, ending their feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. Mysterio then reignited his feud with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a match at Capitol Punishment on June 19, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 25, Mysterio won a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost to him via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August.
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25. After his return in July, Mysterio faced The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam on August 19 and in a fatal-four-way match at Night of Champions on September 16, but lost both times. In September, he was paired with Sin Cara as a tag team. They entered into a feud with The Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil and Darren Young), defeating them at Hell in a Cell on October 28, as well as O'Neil and Young's team at Survivor Series on November 18. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, they lost to Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a tables match. On the following episode of SmackDown, Mysterio and Cara were written off television after being attacked by The Shield and Mysterio suffered an injury, dissolving the team. This was done for Mysterio to take time off and Sin Cara underwent knee surgery. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell on October 27. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series on November 24, in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 15, Mysterio and Big Show unsuccessfully challenged Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but was eliminated by eventual winner Cesaro.
On the April 7 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost to a returning Bad News Barrett. He subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury. During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but WWE had extended his contract without his approval. He did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
