The SmackDown World Cup kicked off last week on Friday Night SmackDown and it kicked off in a big way when Santos Escobar defeated Shinsuke Nakamura. The winner of the tournament is set to receive a shot at the Intercontinental Championship and it sounds like Rey Mysterio was originally set for the tournament.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Mysterio was originally scheduled for the SmackDown World Cup, but he was pulled due to what is either a foot or ankle injury. Mustafa Ali ended up joining the tournament as Rey Mysterio’s replacement.
It was noted that Rey Mysterio was backstage at SmackDown last week in a walking boot. At this point Mysterio is only expected to be out of action for a few weeks, but he is unable to compete in the SmackDown World Cup.
Mysterio last competed in a trios match at the WWE live event in Mexico City at Arena CMDX, when he teamed with AJ Styles and Raquel Rodriguez to take on Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley. Stay tuned for updates.
