WWE fans predict huge heel turn after Rey Mysterio's title win on SmackDown

Rey Mysterio defeated Austin Theory on the August 11 episode of SmackDown to capture the United States Championship. Mysterio celebrated the win alongside his fellow Latino World Order (LWO) members on Instagram, prompting fans to raise questions about the group's future.

Mysterio's LWO stablemate Santos Escobar was originally supposed to challenge for the United States Championship. However, he was unable to compete due to a pre-match attack from Theory. Mysterio replaced his 39-year-old ally before unexpectedly winning the gold.

Although the injured Escobar is smiling in Mysterio's Instagram picture, fans are convinced he will betray the new United States Champion soon:

Santos Escobar has not always been a babyface in WWE

Escobar previously performed as a heel alongside LWO members Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde. The former NXT trio became babyfaces when they aligned with Mysterio and Zelina Vega to reform the LWO in March.

While the new version of the WCW faction has widely been viewed as a success, some fans believe the alliance could be short-lived:

Mysterio's own son Dominik betrayed him in 2022

Other fans questioned whether Mysterio's United States Championship triumph could lead to another match against his son Dominik. The Judgment Day member recently defeated Wes Lee to win the NXT North American Championship.

The WWE Hall of Famer defeated his son at WrestleMania 39

Mysterio is now a three-time United States Champion. The 48-year-old previously won the title twice in 2019.

---

Why did Rey Mysterio take Santos Escobar's place?

Ahead of their United States Championship bout, Austin Theory attacked Santos Escobar during a backstage interview. The challenger's involvement in the title match was thrown into doubt due to an injury he suffered to his left knee.

After receiving medical attention, the LWO member was cleared to compete in the match. However, while hobbling to the ring, Theory blindsided him once again with an attack to the back of his left leg. The 26-year-old claimed he was going home before WWE official Adam Pearce told Rey Mysterio to compete in the match instead of Escobar.

The three-minute encounter ended with a surprise Mysterio win, meaning Theory's 257-day United States Championship reign is now over.

Do you think Santos Escobar should betray Rey Mysterio? Let us know in the comments section below.