10 Wrestlers Who Shouldn't Return For WWE's Brand Split 2016 This Week

3. Rey Mysterio

rey mysterio
WWE.com

An exciting, trendsetting high-flier who reached great heights and amassed immense popularity throughout his runs with WCW and WWE, Mysterio was released in 2015 after a long, drawn-out contract dispute. He’s since played a starring role for Lucha Underground and Mexico’s AAA, and while not the wrestler he was 10 years ago, Mysterio continues to produce the goods on a gentler schedule at this late stage in his career.

Unfortunately, Rey had sunk into irrelevancy long before his WWE release. The company lost faith in him and his seemingly perma-injured legs, so they pulled far away from the main event scene and left him floating around the midcard as Sin Cara’s tag team partner.

His fan support dwindled as a result, and by the time he left, nobody was really mourning Rey Mysterio’s WWE departure.

It’s just too soon for him to come back. Mysterio might return under a limited appearance Legends deal in the future, but it’s barely been a year since he left. The staleness that had plagued his WWE career’s latter stages hasn’t fully dispersed yet, and likely won’t for at least another couple of years.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.