Rey Mysterio Is the Key to Unlocking Cain Velasquez's Full Potential as WWE Star

Based off what went down in Saudi Arabia at WWE Crown Jewel on Thursday night, it couldn't be more evident that Rey Mysterio is the real star of his pairing with Cain Velasquez, which speaks volumes to how horribly the former UFC Heavyweight champion has been booked.

It should have been simple to portray Velasquez as a threat to Brock Lesnar from the get-go given their history inside the Octagon. At UFC 121, Velasquez beat The Beast Incarnate in a matter of minutes to claim the UFC Heavyweight Championship, a loss that haunted him for almost a decade.

In Velasquez's debut on SmackDown's Fox premiere in October, he came across like a big deal. It also made sense for him to be aligned with Mysterio, who was looking to avenge the brutal beating his son, Dominik, received courtesy of Lesnar.

Unfortunately, the follow-up was far from stellar, and Velasquez lost all of the mystique he had that night almost immediately, long before he stepped in the ring at Crown Jewel.

Although Velasquez's English is comprehensible, Mysterio has essentially served as his mouthpiece for this angle despite being a member of the Raw roster. The Master of the 619, who has never been known for his exceptional mic skills, has helped Velasquez tremendously on that front and has been the glue that has held this program together.

It doesn't help that nothing Velasquez has been involved in over the past month has made him look as intimidating as he was in UFC. Not only was his recent attack on Shelton Benjamin deemed underwhelming by fans, but he was also dominated by Lesnar with ease days later on SmackDown.

Credit: WWE.com

Needless to say, Velasquez has not gotten over with the audience as quickly as officials likely hoped. Most crowds have greeted with him with silence, and rightfully so; nothing has stood out as special about him.

Worse yet, he was forced to tap out by his longtime rival within two minutes at Thursday's Crown Jewel pay-per-view. Although he scored some offense, he was largely made to look as inferior to Lesnar as anyone else on the WWE roster, his knee injury notwithstanding.

All hope may not be lost, especially since Mysterio's bad blood with Lesnar is still there. That can only be seen as positive news for Velasquez, who can continue to grow from his partnership with one of WWE's most beloved legends.

Prior to signing with WWE, Velasquez didn't have much experience inside the squared circle. He wrestled a few matches for the AAA promotion and could have used more seasoning before being put up against Lesnar on such a high-profile show.

Velasquez was rushed into the role, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with Mysterio's guidance. He's more of a mentor than a mouthpiece for the former mixed martial artist and can get fans familiar with who he is and what he's all about.

The Lesnar match was a major disappointment, but Velasquez will have his chance to redeem himself when he teams with Mysterio to take on Drew McIntyre and Andrade during a huge house show in Mexico City on November 30.

There's no reason for WWE to cut short their on-screen alliance simply because Velasquez has failed to flourish as a face—through no fault of his own. He can bounce back and reestablish himself as a worthy challenger to Lesnar's WWE Championship, even it isn't anytime soon.

In the meantime, Lesnar vs. Mysterio is a logical route to go in for Survivor Series, with the November classic once again carrying a Raw vs. SmackDown (vs. NXT) theme. Lest we forget, those Superstars are on opposite brands, and Mysterio is still owed a world title shot from the "season premiere" of Raw.

While it's way too soon for Velasquez to be winning the WWE title, he can greatly benefit from aiding Mysterio in his pursuit of the prestigious prize over the remainder of the year and being booked like the main event-level attraction he has potential to be.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.