Though Rey Mysterio may be most widely regarded for his time in WWE, as he is a certified Hall of Famer who celebrated 20 years in the promotion earlier this year, it's easy to forget that the 5-foot-4 luchador had a pretty prolific career in the ring before landing in The Fed and even had a solid run in the middle of the last decade when he was allowed to leave from 2015-2018 for what effectively served as a late-career excursion around the world.

Sitting down for an interview with Ariel Helwani to discuss all things professional wrestling, from his soon-to-be match with Logan Paul to his lasting legacy, Mysterio was asked about his former tag team partner Edge, who is beginning a new chapter in his career under his given name, Adam Copeland, in AEW. Did Mysterio, after watching the “Rated-R Superstar” become a household name in WWE, ever think he'd see the Hall of Famer wrestle elsewhere? No, no, he did not.

“I was shocked. We had just spoken a week before that. Not that I expected him to tell me anything. We never had the time to even talk about what was next. I saw him in his last match, ‘we'll be in touch.' We call each other every now and then,” Rey Mysterio told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour via TJR.

“Next thing you know, I didn't even see, it was on social media the following day. ‘Did you see?' ‘No, what happened.' They showed me (his debut). ‘Wow, I didn't see that coming.' I imagine he has his reasons on why, and I can't wait to sit down and chop it up with him.

“It's always good to have an option. At the end of the day, that was his decision. That's what made him feel good, take it. I would say that about anyone who would have done it.

“The fact that we have a great connection doesn't mean we can dictate what he should want or doesn't want. Overall, it was shocking because I thought he was going to re-sign with the company or figure out what he wanted to do, whether movies or stick around for some more time.”

Was it surprising to see Copeland leave WWE, especially while performers like Mysterio are still holding titles at his same age? Sure, had Judgment Day turned out the same way as LWO, maybe he'd still be working as a special attraction a few times a year, just like “The Mystery.” Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but hey, just because Copeland left in the past doesn't mean he couldn't be back in the future, as Mysterio himself famously left only to come back a few years ago, too.

Rey Mysterio explains why he returned to WWE in 2018.

Speaking of WWE Hall of Famers leaving for a time only to come back, Rey Mysterio made a similar journey from 2015-18, when he signed with Lucha Libre AAA, wrestled in Lucha Underground, and appeared for over a dozen other promotions before making his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble in 2018.

Sitting down for an interview with Justin Barrasso in 2021, Mysterio explained why he decided to return to WWE and how getting a chance to work with his son Dominik was simply too good to pass up.

“I am so happy to see my son Dominik doing so well, and it means so much to me to be with him in WWE. When I left WWE [in 2015], I was tired, I was beat, and I was going through a phase in my life where I just needed some time off. That time away recharged my batteries,” Mysterio told Sports Illustrated.

“During that period, I was given time to think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I sat down with my wife and my kids, and we ultimately made the decision together that it was time for me to come back to WWE. I am thankful for that opportunity because I knew my son wanted to be part of this industry, and I wanted to reopen the door for Dominik to eventually get a foot in the business. WWE has treated me like I had never left, and I am so grateful and truly blessed for that. I’m under WWE’s wings once again, and they’ve seen such potential in Dominik and such a bright future for him.”

What would the future have looked like had Mysterio opted to wrestle in AEW instead of WWE? It's impossible to know, but for all of the fans who made fun of the elder Mysterio for sticking around in WWE in favor of trying something more exciting in order to get his son the best training, who would have thought that Dominik would actually be the more impactful Mysterio for the promotion just a few years later?