Rey Mysterio was forced to stop wearing superhero-inspired ring gear in WWE after Marvel issued cease and desist letters.
Speaking to Adrian Hernandez of Unlikely, Mysterio revealed that while he loved paying tribute to iconic characters like Spider-Man, Superman, and Wolverine, WWE had to step in due to legal concerns.
“Actually, WWE had to shut me down for a minute because I was getting too exaggerated. It’s my logo, I’m just using their colours and maybe a Captain America star here and the gloves, but I don’t change anything.”
Mysterio, who has long incorporated comic book aesthetics into his attire, first started wearing superhero-themed outfits during his time in AAA. He recalled one of his earliest tributes, a Superman-inspired outfit that featured tights, trunks, and a red cape.
“When I did the first one, I was in AAA. I did a Superman outfit. I used to wear tights and trunks over the tights and the logo on the trunks had the Superman logo with the ‘?’ and the colours. I just wore a red cape. People got what I was trying to do.”
Even after joining World Wrestling Entertainment, Mysterio continued the tradition of sporting gear inspired by Batman and Spider-Man. However, things changed when the company started receiving legal warnings.
“I carried that with me to WWE until they told me, ‘Hey, maybe you’ve got to stop a little bit because we’re getting cease and desist letters.’”
Despite the restrictions, Mysterio still finds creative ways to incorporate superhero elements into his gear, teasing that he has a “dope idea” he hopes to use in the future.
Whose Plans For Retirement Does Rey Mysterio Hope To Replicate?
Rey Mysterio spoke about how he wishes to replicate the retirement plans of John Cena, who announced his retirement ahead of time with a final year of dates announced where he will compete at WWE events until he hangs up his boot for good at the end of 2025. Mysterio said that he’d love to make a similar announcement and give his fans the chance to see him one final time before he retires from in-ring competition.
H/t to Fightful.com