Tonight at Money in the Bank, Rey Mysterio shocked everyone including himself by defeating Samoa Joe to become the new United States Champion. More shocking was the fact that the win came in the blink of an eye with Mysterio countering a Powerbomb attempt from Joe and rolling him up for a quick pin.
Both the competitors looked in disbelief after the result and Mysterio was is utter shock even when the referee was handing him the US Title. Interestingly, the replays showed that Joe's shoulders were up before the referee made the third count, indicating a faulty finish by the referee. But the announcers acknowledging this tells us that the spot was planned.
Mysterio becoming the US Champion at MITB was not something many had expected, and especially a win like this was a huge shocker. But why did WWE decided to do this?
In this article, let's take a look at the 5 Explanations as to why Rey Mysterio defeated Samoa Joe to become the new United States Champion at Money in the Bank.
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#5 The only title that he had not won
Rey Mysterio already has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career even before his return to WWE last year. Debuting in WWE in the year 2002, Mysterio is a 2-time World Heavyweight Champion, 1-time WWE Champion, 3-time Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time Intercontinental Champion, and 4-time tag team champion with different partners. He is also a former Royal Rumble winner.
The only major championship eluding Mysterio was the US Championship which he won for the first time at Money in the Bank. With this win, Mysterio is now also a Grand Slam Champion!
#4 One final title reign for the Master of the 619
Rey Mysterio is arguably one of the best WWE wrestlers and high-flyers in the history of the company. Being known as the Master of the 619, Mysterio is a sure shot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang his boots.
With Rey being in the twilight of his career, giving him one final run could be seen as a mark of respect from the company for the great luchador. The fact is that Rey can still have great matches, and it'd be exciting to see him compete against the newer talents. Vince, can we get the US Title Open Challenges back, please?
#3 To set up Dominic vs Joe
After his embarrassing loss at the hands of Rey Mysterio, Joe came back and ruthlessly attacked him inside the ring. Rey's son Dominic, who had come to celebrate his father's victory watched Joe ambushing Rey in front of his eyes.
While Dominic did have a look of helplessness at Money in the Bank, one has to wonder how long can he see his father being disrespected by Joe? The reports are that Dominic has signed an official contract with WWE and if that is true, Joe sure seems to be the correct first opponent for him.
Joe losing the US Title was necessary for this feud to start, as WWE won't put Dominic directly into a championship feud, considering he is still relatively new to this.
#2 Retribution for the WrestleMania 35 embarrassment
Before their encounter at Money in the Bank, Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio had a match for the US Championship at this year's WrestleMania as well. The ending of the match was the exact opposite to what we saw tonight as Joe pretty much squashed Rey quickly to retain his title.
Fans were caught off-guard with such a shocking defeat for Mysterio and his win at MITB looked like perfect retribution for that embarrassment that he faced at the Show of Shows last month.
#1 Dominic heel turn and a match with his father
According to the Gorilla Position podcast, Rey Mysterio is pushing for a match that will see him losing his mask to none other than his son, Dominic.
"Apparently what Rey wants is to pass the mask on. And that’s what he said to WWE that he wants eventually for Dominick to wear the mask. He wants a match with Dominick where he loses and he passes the mask on."
Rey's plan is to pass on his mask to his son Dominic, and for him to wrestle under the legendary mask and continue his father's legacy. This definitely would be a great idea as Mysterio is one of the greatest masked wrestlers in the company's history.
But for this match to happen, Dominic has to turn heel and take the mask from his father. This could all have been started tonight at Money in the Bank. Dominic turning on his father after supporting him this whole time would be a huge shock, and could establish himself as a ruthless heel. His size and shape also make him a believable monster heel, if portrayed correctly.
What are your views on Rey Mysterio winning the US Title at Money in the Bank? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.