Major Backstage Update On Mysterio/WWE Problems

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

While issues between Rey Mysterio and World Wrestling Entertainment have yet to be completely settled, he has no plans on leaving. He was however, on the verge of doing so at one point a few weeks ago. Internally, there was great fear he would quit, but they managed to pacify him for the time being.

Mysterio is under a long-term contract to WWE, but he has let company officials know he can make more money in Mexico. In recent years he's made somewhere in the $1.5 million range (a tremendous increase from the $75,000 downside guarantee he was offered in 2002 to join the company), which may prove difficult to obtain in Mexico. Supposedly, the AAA promotion had offered him a contract in excess of $1 million per year as well as a $1 million signing bonus while he was contemplating re-signing with WWE or not earlier this year.

Mysterio is said to be in the camp of wrestlers who have seen a 15% decrease in salary as a result of the revenue streams they are paid off of being down 15%. Although, the decline in WrestleMania revenue from last year is significantly less than the overall business (about 8%), and the annual pay-per-view extravaganza is a significant part of wrestlers' annual income.

At the moment, Mysterio is said to be happy about where things are going with him in the future and as well as his program with Chris Jericho. The big issue however is that many people feel he is the second most popular person in Mexico at the moment, behind only the country's president. He wants to take advantage of his enormous popularity in Mexico and monetize it while he can by making mainstream media appearances and getting product endorsements such as tennis shoes and the like that only the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and LeBron James would get in the United States. These are avenues that wouldn't be available to wrestlers in the United States, but those in Mexico say Mysterio could get them.