Rey Mysterio is on the mend after a scary, in-ring moment during SmackDown left him unable to continue a match. A number of fans across the Internet expressed concern for the highly celebrated Latino wrestler after his face-off with Santos Escobar. Amid all of that, there was a lingering question about whether this injury was part of the show or a legitimate accident. There's new information on that front, and Mysterio himself has spoken out following the televised event.
For those that missed the episode, Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar were competing one-on-one, and the winner was to earn a United States championship match against Austin Theory. The match took a turn, however, when Escobar performed a suicide dive out of the ring to Mysterio during a commercial break. This led to the latter taking a hard fall to the ground. When SmackDown returned, Mysterio was being looked over by a physician and was seemingly in pain. You can see how the end of the match played out by way of the video below:
Prayers up for @ReyMysterio 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1yobuNhgLGJuly 29, 2023
"The Giant Killer" was able to get up and embrace Santos Escobar by the end of the ordeal, and that led to some confusion about what was going on. FIghtful Select has since alleged that star's injury is legitimate and that the end to the match did not pan out as intended. Originally, Escobar was supposed to have a clean win against Mysterio, and a backstage segment between them was set to take place afterward. The latter was scratched, likely due to the apparent injury suffered by the wrestler (via CagesideSeats.com).
This development might put Rey Mysterio's status at the upcoming WWE event SummerSlam in question -- if there were actually any plans for him to participate in the first place. One thing that seemingly isn't in question, though, is his relationship with "King Cuerno." Despite the injury, Mysterio was quick to congratulate his opponent through an Instagram post, wishing him luck in his upcoming championship match against Austin Theory:
Let’s FKN Go!!! A ganar!!👊🏼🇲🇽👊🏼
It's always great to see that kind of respect between wrestlers, and such sentiments are especially meaningful following an unfortunate incident. It appears that Rey Mysterio holds no ill will toward his fellow LWO member and will be cheering for him when he takes on his rival following SummerSlam.
Santos Escobar's upcoming match against Austin Theory is one of keen interest amongst fans, but it admittedly makes for an odd situation. It's strange that this bout is planned for the week following SummerSlam, especially considering Theory hasn't had a title match on a pay-per-view since Payback in May.
If Rey Mysterio was planning to be involved with the upcoming match in any way, he may be able recover enough to potentially view it ringside or ensure Austin Theory doesn't try to use heel tactics to rob Santos Escobar of a win. Of course, this all depends on the severity of the blow he suffered. At the moment, the nature of Mysterio's injury has not been disclosed, and it's also unclear how long he may be out of action. While we wait for more information, here's wishing him a speedy recovery!
While Rey Mysterio is on the mend, catch up on some of his greatest matches using a Peacock Premium subscription. Know that you'll certainly want that membership if you plan on checking out SummerSlam when it officially arrives in a week!
