The Master of the 619 battles The Swiss Superman in a bout sparked by a tense backstage confrontation.

Rey Mysterio beating Samoa Joe seemed like an impossibility as recently as six weeks ago, when the latter trounced the former at WrestleMania. Now, on the back of two wins against dangerous opponents — Joe himself two weeks ago and Cesaro tonight — The Ultimate Underdog is looking like something of a favorite in his United States Title rematch this Sunday.

The remarkable turnaround is a testament to the unpredictability of the field — anything can happen in WWE! — and the foolishness of writing off Mysterio, which it certainly seemed like Cesaro was doing when he chose to question the parentage of Rey’s son Dominick in the backstage area.

The Swiss Cyborg definitely made good on his cockiness in the ensuing bout, subjecting Mysterio to a dizzying Cesaro Swing and a European uppercut that nearly knocked his mask into Wales; by any measure, this was the rare match where the loser looked as impressive as the winner. But Mysterio still pulled out the win, countering Cesaro’s attempt at a Swiss-19 with the O.G. 619, dropping the dime and sending himself to WWE Money in the Bank on the winds of a hard-earned victory. Joe still looms large in the distance, but with one superman already under his belt, Mysterio certainly seems to be cruising toward redemption, if not destiny.