M&F is in Los Angeles overlaying all of the motion and pleasure of WrestleMania 39 week in Hollywood and with Friday’s WWE Corridor of Fame induction lower than 24 hours away, we felt it solely proper to have fun probably the most iconic figures and inductees in professional wrestling historical past: Rey Mysterio Jr!
When Mysterio received the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22, he actually did obtain the unthinkable. For those who recall (and who doesn’t) the WWE was as soon as a spot the place giants reigned supreme. Particularly within the Nineteen Eighties, when the promotion first discovered world success, man mountains like Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy, the Final Warrior and naturally, Andre “The Large” himself had been the kind of grapplers that discovered a seemingly unshakeable footing on the very high of the cardboard.
In time, with these pillars of the primary occasion both passing their prime within the ring or falling foul of firm administration for a wide range of totally different causes, the early nineties served to usher in a brand new era of smaller in stature, however equally big in coronary heart performers.
Bret “Hitman” Hart’s work ethic and plain storytelling, whereas weighing comparatively lower than his larger-than-life predecessors at 235 kilos, proved that the evolving “sports activities leisure” viewers wished athleticism and technical talent to go together with their muscle repair. And, due to Hart’s shattering of the glass ceiling, by the mid-’90s, Shawn Michaels was capable of comply with go well with, toppling “The Hitman” whereas weighing in at 235 kilos.
Progress was undoubtedly being made for the smaller man, besides, the concept a high-flying luchador might comply with go well with appeared prefer it is perhaps a step too far for the bodybuilding fanatic, and supreme resolution maker: Vince McMahon. It could take some big shifts within the professional wrestling universe for perceptions to vary. However change they did.
Rey Mysterio’s Performances Influenced ECW, WCW, and WWE
With WWE’s “New Era Period” starting to lose viewers within the latter half of the nineties to the then edgier rival; World Championship Wrestling, there was a 3rd, smaller, wrestling promotion based mostly out of Philadelphia that was extra innovative than each of these larger promotions mixed. Paul Heyman’s Excessive Championship Wrestling didn’t constrain itself with conventional “wrasslin” traditions just like the follow of utilizing lighter guys as fodder to be squashed by the larger marquee expertise. As an alternative, ECW targeted on a full throttle, balls to the wall type, that went on to affect WWE’s a lot heralded comeback with its “Angle Period.”
Few true wrestling aficionados can low cost Rey Mysterio’s influence throughout this era. First there have been these basic confrontations with Juventud Guerrera and Psicosis in ECW, then got here his superlative cruiserweight performances on WCW’s “Monday Nitro” present after signing with WWE’s largest risk — serving to Nitro to trounce WWE’s “Monday Evening Uncooked” within the rankings for 83 weeks straight. Then, when WWE lastly rebounded and put their competitors out of enterprise, Mysterio was signed to Vince McMahon’s group and made a splash there.
The “Angle Period” viewers was chomping on the bit to see someone contemporary like Mysterio shake up the established order and win wrestling largest prize, and people prayers had been answered when he received the 2006 Royal Rumble and earned himself a profitable shot on the gold in a triple risk match in Madison Sq. Backyard. On that fateful night time, Mysterio had already cemented his legacy as a future WWE Corridor of Famer. And but right here we’re, almost twenty years on from that groundbreaking win, and this superhero in human kind continues to be enthralling followers with a few of his most emotional moments but.
Mysterio grew to become an plain champion as a result of he’s relatable as an underdog, however he’s additionally been one of many constantly hardest staff within the mat recreation. “Rey Rey’s” enduring reputation has re-written the method of wrestling bosses reserving their winners and losers based mostly on measurement. And, after speaking to his friends right here in Hollywood, there’s no scarcity of affection for him within the WWE locker room.
The WWE Locker Room is Excited for Rey Mysterio to Go into the WWE Corridor of Fame
“I believe he ought to have been within the Corridor of Fame a very long time in the past,” says NXT Famous person Alba Fyre, who explains that for her, Rey Mysterio introduced escapism and pleasure to her tv display screen as a child, making her wish to comply with in his footsteps. Fyre’s tag staff associate Isla Daybreak couldn’t agree extra. “For me, he was simply one of many folks that I wished to be,” she says. “Me and my sisters would go into the again backyard and play wrestle and argue about who would play the a part of Rey!” Little doubt, this staff will channel Mysterio’s vitality and pleasure once they head to NXT Stand & Ship of their quest to turn into tag staff champions.
It’s not simply up and coming WWE Superstars that respect the person. Even athletes that got here from totally different circles to him can nonetheless recognize his artwork. “I believe the factor that folks neglect in regards to the lucha type is that they’ve actually technical stuff,” says Shayna Baszler, who got here to professional wrestling from the world of MMA and has a deep respect for Myseterio. “Within the again, speaking to Rey about a few of that’s one thing individuals most likely wouldn’t count on.”
In fact, at WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio is about to wrestle his son Dominik. Whereas the 2 will go to battle on display screen, it’s honest to say that he has turn into an awesome mentor to his personal subsequent era behind the scenes. Mysterio’s unselfishness in honoring his legacy whereas sharing his success with others shouldn’t be misplaced on Santos Escobar and the Legado Del Fantasma secure. “We respect Rey. We admire Rey. And now we defend Rey” says Escobar. “For those who speak about huge or small, he’s the smallest of all of them, however he’s an enormous. His coronary heart, big. His expertise even larger than that. You’ll be able to’t ignore that.” Mysterio has unquestionably opened the door for others to comply with. “So, after I received right here (WWE) the very first thing was, I don’t wanna be just like the American superstars. I don’t wanna be like, with all due respect, the Hulk Hogan’s. I don’t wanna be like The Rock. I don’t wanna be just like the John Cena’s.”
Wouldn’t all of us wish to step inside Rey Mysterio’s excessive flying sneakers for the day? Watch Rey Mysterio’s WWE Corridor of Fame induction March 31 on Peacock in the USA and WWE Community all over the place else.
