WWE News: Rey Mysterio Reportedly in Hot Water with WWE Management

Rey Mysterio, who has been on the injured list for the last several months, is reportedly not in the WWE's best graces.

The high-flying former world heavyweight champion is being looked down upon by WWE officials who are becoming increasingly peeved with him.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via 411Mania.com), Mysterio has a surprising amount of heat on him:

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Mention of Rey Mysterio backstage to WWE management after his visit at last week's Raw has reportedly resulted in negative comments. Management is said to be frustrated about the way contract negotiations are going with him, plus the fact that he hasn't returned from injury as quickly as they want. Some think that his small status means he's lucky to be employed by the company.

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Suffice it to say, this piece of information is very surprising.

Since being introduced to American audiences in 1995, Mysterio has always been a consummate professional who has willingly sacrificed his well-being for ECW, WCW and now the WWE.

Anyone with common sense would realize that, given Mysterio's aerial in-ring style—which has inarguably revolutionized the business—he is susceptible to injuries, especially of the lower limb variety.

In reality, the "619" superstar's knee ailments—which have resulted in six operations—shouldn't be held against him. In fact, it's inspiring (if not foolhardy) that he has continually overlooked his long-term health in lieu of WWE's short-term gain. For all intents and purposes, the creator of "The West Coast Pop" could have made the choice to retire long ago.

Taking into account his veteran status and dedication to the WWE brand beyond just the squared circle, Mysterio should be afforded the same patience that The Undertaker, another oft-injured star, gets.

Also, lest it be forgotten, Mysterio's immense popularity with children has always yielded incalculable profits for Vince McMahon's empire. For instance, replica masks, T-shirts and other apparel have consistently landed the San Diego native high up on the WWE's merchandising charts.

Thus, the masked superstar has every right to take his time to negotiate a contract extension that is fair to him. Not to mention, back-and-forth haggling over money has been part and parcel of sports and entertainment since the beginning. There is no reason why Mysterio should be singled out for this when his contemporaries, like Chris Jericho, have not been given the same dismissive treatment.

And quite frankly, the company's sentiments that Mysterio, because of his diminutive size, should consider himself lucky to be employed reveals a blatant bias toward the Mexican-American star.

His 5'2" stature has been proven several times over to be irrelevant; fans have looked past it since day one. It is unfortunate that WWE officials continue to harp on Mystero's short frame considering he's been a whopping success story for the company since debuting in 2002.

Doubtless to say, such antiquated beliefs about size have no place in 2012.

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