Why WWE Has FAILED To Replace This Legend

The Error Apparent

While Alberto Del Rio faltered, WWE had to believe their next Mexican superstar wouldn’t stumble: a masked luchador who could wow fans with his in-ring acrobatics and would be ready to take the mantle of the next Rey Mysterio.

Enter Sin Cara.

The former Mistico joined WWE in 2011 with heavy hype surrounding him, skipping developmental in favor of debuting directly on the main roster. And what a decision that would turn out to be.

From the jump, it was clear that Sin Cara wasn’t everything as advertised. As one of Triple H’s first major signings, it felt almost like he was snakebitten from the outset. Sin Cara stumbled right out of the gates – literally – and never really recovered. He was plagued by botches and injuries, and a bizarre imposter storyline (the result of WWE using another wrestler to portray Sin Cara while the original was suspended). His matches being bathed in purple and yellow lighting didn’t help.

By the time the original Cara returned from injury in mid-2012, it was pretty clear that he didn’t fit the bill. Mistico would depart WWE in 2014, but the Sin Cara character would return to action, with “imposter” Jorge Arriaga (Hunico in-between turns as the faceless luchador) donning the mask once again. He would achieve a modicum of success as part of the Lucha Dragons alongside Kalisto and remain with WWE until 2019, but he was never more than mid-card and tag fodder at best.

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