Rey Mysterio Reveals WWE Forced Him to Wear the Mask Again in 2002

Rey Mysterio’s legendary return to WWE in 2002 came with a major surprise — even for him.

During his appearance on No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Mysterio admitted that when WWE signed him, he didn’t plan on wearing the mask again. After all, he had already spent nearly two years competing without it following his WCW run.

Mysterio signed with WWE in early 2002 and made his televised debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown. But just days before stepping back into the spotlight, WWE blindsided him with a huge creative decision.

“When I got… when WWE picked me up, I’m thinking in my head, cause I was already wrestling for two years without the mask… I gotta figure out what gear I’m gonna bring… maybe a couple days before my debut, they were like, ‘What mask are you wearing?’ They asked me—the office did. I’m like, ‘What do you mean what mask? I’ve been wrestling without a mask.’ ‘Oh no, no, no… Vince wants you to come back with the mask.’ I was like, nobody told me anything…”

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In hindsight, the call to bring back the mask helped Mysterio cement himself as one of WWE’s most recognizable superstars. But at the time, it caught him completely off guard — and once again showed how WWE makes branding decisions with little room for debate.

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