New Details on Rey Mysterio's Contract Negotiations with WWE

We may finally be inching closer to an official announcement that Rey Mysterio has reached a deal to return to WWE.

Following a fantastic return to the company at the Royal Rumble for a surprise appearance in the 30 man Rumble, rumors have persisted that WWE was interested in bringing the former world champion back on a more regular basis. Negotiations have continued between Mysterio and WWE since that point in time, but we may finally be getting closer to some of the details being hammered out.

According to a report from Lucha Central, Mysterio and WWE are working on a three year contract. The detail still being worked out is how many dates Mysterio will be required to work, with the star wanting to work more of a part time schedule at this point in his career.

According to the report, Triple H is heading up negotiations from WWE's side. The tone of the discussions has reportedly been very good, with the odds of an agreement being reached between both sides still looking likely. There's a good chance you will see Mysterio back in WWE this year. We have previously reported that WWE would like to bring him back following SummerSlam in the fall. That timeline was then accelerated when another report indicated he could be back before SummerSlam.

Reports have been out for months that Mysterio and WWE have been trying to work out a deal, with the hang-up being Mysterio wanting a part-time schedule. The Lucha Central report confirms that report while also adding the new detail about negotiations centering on a three year contract.

It wouldn't be out of the question for Mysterio to be granted a part time contract, as WWE has done this for several bonafide stars in the past (Chris Jericho) and presently (Randy Orton, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar).

Publicly, Mysterio has sounded optimistic about a return to his former place of employment. In an interview with the Mirror in March, Mysterio heavily foreshadowed a return to Vince McMahon's company.

"I want to say that there is a big possibility that I will be back. [We're] figuring out what the situation is, you know from both ends. But there is definitely a positive feedback on behalf of the fans, on behalf of the WWE staff and behalf of myself man. I think we're possibly going to sit down and negotiate something where we can both work together and have a good time and enjoy," he said.

Mysterio has continued to work following his Royal Rumble appearance, getting injured in the process during an independent show this spring that kept him out of a match with Jushin Liger at NJPW's Strong Style Evolved event in Long Beach, California this past March. He was still able to return to WWE for one night only in April at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.

Recently, Mysterio worked at NJPW Dominion where he teamed with Liger and Hironish Tanahashi in a losing effort against the Bullet Club (Cody, Adam Page, and Marty Scurll).