7 Wrestlers Who Were ELITE Everywhere Except WWE

Mistico has spent the last 2 years getting his flowers in AEW and CMLL. His short feud with MJF was one of 2025's most enjoyable (if short) rivalries, and a series that did wonders for both men. Between Friedman's trademark disrespect and the outpouring of love for Mistico's unforgettable theme music and in-ring theatrics, it was an understated rivalry that showed off the best of both performers.

This only tells part of the story for the high-flying luchador, who is a former Wrestling Observer 'Wrestler of the Year'. Winning the accolade in 2006, Mistico had been thrilling audiences south of the border since 1998 and was so over in CMLL that they even published comic books portraying him as a superhero. Add in several high-profile bouts for NJPW (including a 6-man tag appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 3 alongside Prince Devitt/Finn Bálor), and it was no wonder that WWE came calling.

They signed Mistico in 2011 and repackaged the incredibly popular superstar as Sin Cara.

WWE insists on talent adjusting to their own in-house style, and this never quite clicked for Mistico as Cara. Add in several wellness violations and multiple injuries, and he couldn't capture the magic that made him so popular around the rest of the world. WWE released Mistico in 2014, but a 2,262-day reign with CMLL's NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship and killer runs in AEW, Ring Of Honor and MLW have seen Mistico revive himself as a major attraction once more.