Rey Mysterio to Make WWE Return at SmackDown 1000 on Oct. 16

Former world champion Rey Mysterio will make his return to WWE programming at SmackDown 1000 on Oct. 16, WWE announced Sunday.

Mysterio's comeback had long been expected after he made a pair of cameos for the company in January and April, respectively.

After parting ways with WWE in 2015, Mysterio made a surprise appearance in the 2018 Royal Rumble match as the 27th entrant. He electrified the crowd and eliminated Adam Cole before getting tossed out by Finn Balor.

Mysterio was then part of another Rumble match a few months later when he competed at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.

With Mysterio and WWE clearly back on working terms, rumors and speculation started to pop up regarding a long-term return.

In August, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc) reported Mysterio was "very close" to returning to WWE.

Meltzer noted the Sept. 1 All In pay-per-view and a Sept. 2 show were his final commitments on the independent scene.

While Mysterio is 43 years old and much closer to the end of his career than the start, signing him is a coup for WWE.

His popularity stretches across many different demographics. Kids love him because of his look and exciting style of wrestling, and older wrestling fans enjoy him too since they grew up with him being a significant part of the product.

WWE also has plenty of options with regard to how it will utilize Mysterio moving forward.

He would be a good fit as a top babyface on either Raw or SmackDown Live, plus he could be the anchor of 205 Live if WWE is serious about making the cruiserweight division a major part of the company.

Even if Mysterio isn't back on a full-time basis, using him for a few months at a time before giving him a rest could go a long way toward keeping him fresh physically and in the eyes of the WWE Universe.

There is no real downside to signing a Superstar of Mysterio's caliber, and there is no shortage of potential dream matches on the table for him now that he's back.

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