What happened to Rey Mysterio? Reason why he isn't on WWE TV anymore

WWE fans were delighted to see Rey Mysterio capture the United States Championship on the August 11, 2023 edition of SmackDown. He had replaced an injured Santos Escobar and beat then-champion Austin Theory to win the title. However, things did not go as planned for the Luchador.

At Crown Jewel 2023, Mysterio lost his title to Logan Paul. While this loss hurt the SmackDown star, a bigger setback followed. A betrayal from Santos Escobar led to a split in the Latino World Order, causing Mysterio to be absent from WWE programming.

The real reason why the 49-year-old has been absent from WWE programming is due to a knee injury he has been dealing with for a long time. In an interview, Mysterio revealed that he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. At the time of the interview, Mysterio revealed that the injury would keep him out for six to eight weeks.

Per the latest reports, Rey Mysterio is set to return to the Stamford-based promotion in a few weeks. Once the Hall of Famer returns, it will be interesting to see how he deals with Santos Escobar and his faction on SmackDown.

---

Wrestling veteran recently compared an AEW star to Rey Mysterio

Throughout his career, Rey Mysterio has captivated audiences with his high-flying moves. While Mysterio did become a heel back in WCW, he never attempted it again.

This quality of the superstar led to wrestling veteran Konnan comparing an AEW star to Mysterio. The AEW star in question is Jeff Hardy.

During a recent episode of his Keepin' It 100 podcast, Konnan mentioned it's hard to see Hardy as a heel but also admitted the AEW star might surprise him. Konnan said:

"I just think that Jeff Hardy is like Rey Mysterio. I can't really see him as a heel but he may surprise me," he said.

Even though it's hard for Konnan to see Jeff Hardy as a heel, the AEW star did turn heel when he was with TNA in 2010. At the time, he also experienced success by winning important matches.