10 Great Wrestling Careers Ruined By Bad Gimmick Changes
5. Mistico Becoming Sin Cara
Mistico’s WWE signing seemed like easy money at the time. The company had been looking for Rey Mysterio’s long-term successor for a while, and it looked like they’d found the perfect choice in one of Mexico’s biggest stars. The multi-talented luchador was one of Triple H’s first acquisitions as Vice President of Talent Relations, and having spent the last few years selling out arenas and winning titles south of the border, Mistico joined WWE in 2011.
He became Sin Cara, and his career took an immediate downturn. Debuting in April, Cara was incredibly eye-catching and exciting at first, but it soon became apparent that he was struggling to adapt to the slower American style. He developed an unfortunate reputation for botching in big matches, and fell foul of WWE’s Wellness Policy. Sadly, he never looked close to succeeding Mysterio, and was soon relegated to midcard obscurity.
WWE’s patience was running thin by 2013, and after infuriating long-time backstage rival Alberto Del Rio during one of his last matches, Mistico was let go. The former Hunico inherited the gimmick and Mistico has since returned to Mexico as Caristico, but his WWE run was nothing but an unnecessary diversion. It’s unlikely that he’ll ever be given another chance in a major American promotion after flopping in such spectacular fashion.