Rey Mysterio Jr.
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Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
. He is currently signed to
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
, where he performs on the
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable '' lucha libre'' wrestlers. The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre ( professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its ...
(AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for
Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW), Mysterio departed to
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize ''lucha libre'' in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the
WCW Cruiserweight Championship World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
five times and the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE) in 2002. In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship, all of them which he won twice, the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
once, and the
Tag Team Championship A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rivalr ...
four times. He is WWE's 21st
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and
Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...
champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view
events Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of ev ...
. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
(NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE' ...
once with his son Dominik.


Early life

Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1989–1992)

Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the '' Lucha Libre'' high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.


Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)

In
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre ( professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its ...
(AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father
Fuerza Guerrera Fuerza Guerrera (born December 13, 1953) is a Mexican ''Luchador enmascarado'' (or masked professional wrestler) who made his debut in 1978. In his career Guerrera has worked for every major wrestling organization in Mexico including Consejo Mund ...
.


Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)

Mysterio signed with
Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...
's
Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating
Psicosis Dionicio Castellanos Torres (born May 19, 1971) is a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Psicosis (sometimes Anglicised as Psychosis) and Nicho el Millonario. He is best known for his appearances with the promotions Luc ...
, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a
two out of three falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at
Big Ass Extreme Bash Big Ass Extreme Bash was a professional wrestling doubleheader live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on the weekend of March 8 and March 9, 1996. The March 8 card was held in the Lost Battalion Hall in the Queens neighborhoo ...
in March 1996.


World Championship Wrestling


Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)

Mysterio made his
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
, challenging
Dean Malenko Dean Simon (born August 4, 1960), better known by the ring name Dean Malenko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a senior producer. He is best known for his time with Extreme ...
for the
WCW Cruiserweight Championship World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
in a losing effort. At Bash at the Beach on July 7, he defeated Psicosis in a #1 contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of ''
WCW Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT in the Unite ...
'', he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon at Hog Wild on August 10, Malenko, and
Super Caló Rafael García (born February 22, 1971) is a Mexican professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Super Caló. García is a long-time mainstay of AAA, but is perhaps best known outside Mexico for his stint in World Championship Wrest ...
at Fall Brawl on September 15 before he lost the title to Malenko at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
on October 27. Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the
J-Crown The J-Crown (also known as J-Crown Octuple Unified Championship) was formed originally by New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a way of unifying eight junior heavyweight and cruiserweight titles from several different organizations. The J-Crown tournament ...
Championship in a losing effort at World War 3 on November 24. In early 1997, he began a feud with
Prince Iaukea Michael Laauli Hayner (born August 1, 1964) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 2000 under the ring name Prince Iaukea and later The Artist Formerl ...
over the
WCW World Television Championship The WCW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship owned by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotion. The title was created in 1974 by Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) as a ...
, culminating in a title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII on February 23, which he lost after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a title rematch at Uncensored on March 16. He defeated Ultimate Dragon at Spring Stampede on April 6, and
Yuji Yasuraoka Yuji Yasuraoka (安良岡裕二 ''Yasuraoka Yuji'') (born January 28, 1971) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Wrestle Association R, where he became a one-time International Junior Heavyweight Champion ...
at Slamboree on May 18. Mysterio began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member
Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...
at
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...
on August 9. Mysterio was then involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
, whom he defeated in a Title vs. Mask match at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
on October 26 to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10 episode of ''Nitro'', he lost the title back to Guerrero, as well as in a rematch at World War 3 on November 23. On the January 15, 1998 episode of ''
WCW Thunder ''WCW Thunder'', or simply ''Thunder'', is an American professional wrestling show that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001. The popularity of WCW in 1996 and 1997 allo ...
'', Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
at
Souled Out Souled Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January from 1997 through 2000. The 1997 and 1998 WCW Souled Out PPV events were held on Saturdays due to the Super Bowl played ...
. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. At Bash at the Beach on July 12, Mysterio returned and defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the ''Latino World Order'' (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...
on August 8. He was forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
partner
Billy Kidman Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by WWE as a producer. As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with World Champi ...
joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. Mysterio faced Kidman for the Cruiserweight Championship at
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...
on December 27, but was unsuccessful in a triangle match also involving Juventud. On January 17, 1999, at
Souled Out Souled Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January from 1997 through 2000. The 1997 and 1998 WCW Souled Out PPV events were held on Saturdays due to the Super Bowl played ...
, Mysterio failed to win the title from Kidman in a
fatal four-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
that also included Psicosis and Juventud.


Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)

After the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at
SuperBrawl IX SuperBrawl IX was the ninth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 21, 1999 from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. Storylines The event f ...
on February 21, where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash,
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
, and
Scott Norton Scott Norton (born June 15, 1961) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in which he was a member of the New World Order and nWo Japan. He ...
. At Uncensored on March 14, he lost to Nash after
Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...
interfered and helped Nash win. The next night, on the March 15 episode of ''Nitro'', he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 episode of ''Nitro'', Mysterio got his first shot at the
WCW World Heavyweight Championship The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the original world title of ...
against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held.
El Dandy Roberto Gutiérrez Frías (born October 2, 1962) is a Mexican former professional wrestler and wrestling trainer, best known under the ring name El Dandy. He is the cousin of professional wrestler Juan Conrado Aguilar, known as El Texano, and th ...
was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though
Arn Anderson Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20, 1958), better known by the ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a ...
's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman defeated Flair's
Four Horsemen The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand tha ...
stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede on April 11 before losing the title on the April 19 episode of ''Nitro'' to Psicosis in a fatal four-way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of ''Nitro'', he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree on May 9, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and
Perry Saturn Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...
in a triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.


No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)

In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined
Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...
's No Limit Soldiers and feuded with The West Texas Rednecks. At
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
on June 13, they defeated Rednecks members
Curt Hennig Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He performed under his real name for promotions including the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE) ...
and Bobby Duncum Jr., and at Bash at the Beach on July 11, defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four
elimination tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, turning heel for the first and only time in his career. The Filthy Animals soon began a feud with the
Dead Pool A dead pool, also known as a deadpool or death pool, is a game of prediction which involves guessing when someone will die. Sometimes it is a bet where money is involved. Modern application In the early 20th century, dead pools were popular i ...
, and defeated them in a six-man tag team match at
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...
on August 14 and at Fall Brawl on September 12. On the August 19 episode of ''Thunder'', Mysterio lost the cruiserweight title to Lenny Lane. On the October 18 episode of ''Nitro'', Mysterio and Konnan defeated
Harlem Heat Harlem Heat was a professional wrestling tag team composed of two brothers, Booker and Lash Huffman (better known as Booker T and Stevie Ray). The team achieved their greatest success in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where they won the WCW ...
to win the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result, Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining
the New Blood The New Blood was a professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2000. History In early 2000, WCW decided that Kevin Sullivan (wrestler), Kevin Sullivan's booking styl ...
faction in early 2000 opposing
the Millionaire's Club The Millionaire's Club was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2000. History In early 2000, WCW decided that Kevin Sullivan's booking style was not as successful as they had hoped. So, they decided to brin ...
. On the August 14 episode of ''Nitro'', Mysterio and Juventud defeated
The Great Muta is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and ...
and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after
Ernest Miller Ernest Clifford Miller (born January 14, 1964) is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller. ...
pinned
Disco Inferno "Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limit ...
with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with
The Natural Born Thrillers The Natural Born Thrillers were a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling from 2000 to 2001. The name is a play on the 1994 film '' Natural Born Killers''. History The Natural Born Thrillers were made up of seven young wrest ...
in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl on September 17, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a triangle match at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
on October 29, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights in a losing effort. At
Millennium Final Millennium Final was a Germany-only professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on November 16, 2000 from the Arena Oberhausen in Oberhausen, Germany, marking the finale of WCW's "Millenn ...
on November 16, Mysterio and Kidman lost to
KroniK KroniK (also stylized as Kroniꓘ) was an American professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), composed of Brian Adams and Bryan Clark in the e ...
, but avenged their loss at Mayhem ten days later, defeating KroniK and
Alex Wright Alexander Wright (born May 17, 1975) is a German former professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He wrestled professionally in Germany and Japan before signing with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. He remained a pro ...
in a handicap match. At Starrcade on December 17, The Filthy Animals lost to
The Harris Brothers Donald Harris and Ronald Harris (born October 23, 1960) are American twin brothers best known for their professional wrestling careers with promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestli ...
and
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
in a
Bunkhouse Brawl Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. After this, the Filthy Animals starting feuding with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at
Sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
on January 14, 2001. At
SuperBrawl Revenge SuperBrawl Revenge was the eleventh and final SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and the penultimate pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on February 18, 2001 from the Nashville M ...
on February 19, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Championship. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and
Kid Romeo Samuel Roman (born 1975) is a Puerto Rican-American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling in 2001 under the ring name Kid Romeo, where he was one half of the first ever Cruiserweight Tag Te ...
. On the final episode of ''Nitro'' on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF).


Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)

After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.


Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)

Upon his return to the US, he worked in
IWA Mid-South Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 1996 ...
, the
Xcitement Wrestling Federation The X Wrestling Federation (XWF) (later referred to as the Xcitement Wrestling Federation) was an American professional wrestling promotion that operated from 2001 to 2002. The previous number two and three American promotions, World Champio ...
and the
Heartland Wrestling Association The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 19 ...
, with the likes of
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the
World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.


World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE


Championship reigns (2002–2004)

In June 2002, Mysterio signed with
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio, with his mask, made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002 episode of '' SmackDown!'' as a
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
, defeating Chavo Guerrero. He eventually began a feud with
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
, culminating in a match at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 25, which Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
; the two participated in a
tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
. They lost to Kurt Angle and
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy on October 20; the match was voted Match of the Year by the ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''. They won the titles when defeated Angle and Benoit in a
two out of three falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, but lost it to Los Guerreros in a
Triple Threat Elimination match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
on November 17. At
WrestleMania XIX WrestleMania XIX was the 19th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took pl ...
, hefaced the cruiserweight Champion
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
for the title, but lost after
Shannon Moore Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for several years in the 2000s. H ...
interfered. On the June 5 episode of ''SmackDown!'', he defeated Hardy to win the title. After losing the championship to Tajiri on September 25, he regained it on January 1, 2004. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 25, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out on February 15. At
WrestleMania XX WrestleMania XX was the 20th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It featured professional wrestlers from both of the promotion's two brands divisions – Raw an ...
on March 14, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of ''SmackDown!'', he defeated Chavo Classic to win the title for a third time. He lost the title to
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
on the July 29 episode of ''SmackDown!''.


Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)

After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from
Kenzo Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion in the lat ...
and
René Duprée René Emile Goguen (born December 15, 1983), better known by his ring name René Duprée (; ja, レネ・デュプリ, Rene Dyupuri) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah where he is a former two-time GHC Tag ...
on the December 9 episode of ''SmackDown!''. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
on December 12, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of ''SmackDown!'' after Van Dam was injured. Mysterio then teamed up with
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out on February 20. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at
WrestleMania 21 WrestleMania 21 was the 21st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event too ...
on April 3, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. He once again defeated Guerrero at Judgment Day on May 22 by disqualification. At ECW One Night Stand on June 12, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years. The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. After a
no disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 21, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where ''SmackDown!'' and ''Raw'' were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.


World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)

Mysterio participated in the main event of
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 27 as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton,
Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
,
Batista Batista is a Spanish or Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player * Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also known as Batista * Edina Alves Batis ...
, and
John "Bradshaw" Layfield John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on ...
(JBL) who defeated Team Raw ( Shawn Michaels, Kane,
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
, Carlito, and
Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National Ch ...
). Mysterio then started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series. Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "
David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
vs. Goliath" in a ''SmackDown!'' special show, and ended as a "
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
on December 18. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of ''SmackDown!'' to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was then billed as "Champions vs. Champions," which they lost. On the December 30 episode of ''SmackDown!'', MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after interference by Henry. On the January 13 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Mysterio was involved in a 20-man
battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry. Mysterio was the second entrant in the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
match on January 29, 2006, setting a record by lasting 62 minutes, winning the match, and earning a world title shot by last eliminating Randy Orton. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. Over the following weeks, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, which many felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death. Orton won at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at
WrestleMania 22 WrestleMania 22 was the 22nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took ...
on April 2. General Manager
Theodore Long Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional referee and manager known for his work for WWE and WCW serving as an on-screen authority figure. Long began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance ...
re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion,
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of ''SmackDown!'', Mysterio – billed as an "
underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio retained the title again during a WrestleMania rematch on ''SmackDown!'' against Angle three weeks later. Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and
The Great Khali Dalip Singh Rana (born 27 August 1972) is an Indian professional wrestler and wrestling promoter better known by his ring name The Great Khali. He is best known for his tenure in WWE where he became the first Indian-born WWE World Heavywe ...
in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day on May 21. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to
Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
five days later on ''SmackDown!'' after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main ( play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and ...
. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion
Gregory Helms Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and Hu ...
in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand on June 11, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known. Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a
battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife
Queen Sharmell Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman (born November 2, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestling valet, dancer, beauty queen, and professional wrestler. As the wife of Booker T, she is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment ( ...
. The next week on ''SmackDown!'', Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "
court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...
". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
on an episode of ''SmackDown!'', moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a
619 __NOTOC__ Year 619 ( DCXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 619 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...
around the steel post. On July 23 at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 20, where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a
Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at No Mercy on October 8. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of ''SmackDown!''. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery. Mysterio made his in-ring return at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and
Finlay Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh. Given name Finlay * Finlay Mickel, Scottish skier *Finlay Currie (1878–1968), Scottish actor * Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby pl ...
. On the September 7 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
on September 16. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.


Various storylines (2007–2009)

Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy on October 7, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next ''SmackDown!'' he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday on October 28. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of ''SmackDown!'' and was part of the winning team at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 18 which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated). He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of ''SmackDown!'' when he won a
Beat the Clock ''Beat the Clock'' is an American television game show that involves people trying to complete challenges to win prizes while faced with a time limit. The show was a creation of Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. The show began on radio as ' ...
challenge for a chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship at the event on January 27. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out on February 17, which he lost. On the February 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month. Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of ''Raw'', as the first wrestler to be drafted in the
2008 WWE Draft The 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft, the sixth WWE draft, took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 23. The draft took place live for three hours on '' Raw.'' Every WWE wrestler, announcer, commentator, and ge ...
from
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
to the
Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning
Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...
after a 619.
General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Mike Adamle announced that
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
. The next week, Mysterio made his return to ''Raw'' after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
on September 7, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a match at No Mercy on October 5, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday on October 26, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 23, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. At No Way Out on February 15, 2009, Mysterio competed in the
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the match.


Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)

At
WrestleMania 25 WrestleMania 25 (also marketed as The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and written as WrestleMania 25th Anniversary) was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE ...
, Mysterio defeated
John "Bradshaw" Layfield John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on ...
for the Intercontinental Championship in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of ''Raw'', in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then entered into an extensive feud with
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
, retaining his title against him at Judgment Day on May 17. During their second match at Extreme Rules, Jericho won after he unmasked Mysterio and pinned him, losing the title. Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match that was scheduled for The Bash on June 28, which Mysterio won, regaining the title. He then moved into a feud with
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
, whom he retained the title against at both Night of Champions and
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. Before the suspension, he lost the title on September 1 against John Morrison. In an interview with Mexican newspaper ''Record'', Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. When he returned, Mysterio began a storyline with
Batista Batista is a Spanish or Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player * Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also known as Batista * Edina Alves Batis ...
. They lost a match for the
Unified WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Raw Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's main roste ...
at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
At
Bragging Rights Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
, they participated in a Fatal 4 Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Mysterio prevented Batista of winning the title and, after the match Batista attacked Mysterio. Batista defeated Mysterio at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
. Their feud moved around the World title, when Mysterio defeated Batista to gain a title shot, but the match for the title ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January, they faced again in a number one contender's match in a
Steel Cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, where Mysterio won. However, he didn't won the title at Royal Rumble. Since February, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's
Straight Edge Society The Straight Edge Society was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that appeared on its SmackDown brand. The concept behind the group was the straight edge lifestyle, which promotes and abides to dis ...
. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk and had a match at
WrestleMania XXVI WrestleMania XXVI (also written as WrestleMania 26) was the 26th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDo ...
with the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. After Mysterio defeated Punk at, they faced again at Extreme Rules with a defeat for Rey in a match where Punk should have been shaved if he lost. At Over the Limit on May 23, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair); Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.


World championship reigns (2010–2011)

At Fatal 4-Way, Mysterio defeated
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. He only retained the title for 28 days, losing it at Money in the Bank against Kane, who had won the SmackDown
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
earlier that night. He had the rematch for the title at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, but he was defeated. Between August 2010 and January 2011, Mysterio had a feud with the debuting
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
, a Mexican wrestler who portrayed a high-class aristocrat. During Del Rio's debut on the August 20 episode of ''SmackDown'', Mysterio lost to him by submission. They both participated at
Bragging Rights Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
as part of victorius Team Smackdown, but during the match Del Rio attacked Mysterio. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 21, Mysterio and Del Rio led two oposing teams as part of the traditional Survivor Series match, where Team Mysterio won. They also participated at Tables, Ladders & Chairs in fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of ''SmackDown'' in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout. Mysterio next feud was against Cody Rhodes. On the January 21 episode of ''SmackDown'', during a match against Cody Rhodes, Mysterio accidentally broke his nose when he hit him with a 619. WWE used this accident to start a feud and, as part of the storyline, Rhodes began to wear a mask and they wrestled at
WrestleMania XXVII WrestleMania XXVII (also written as WrestleMania 27) was the 27th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDow ...
, where Mysterio lost to Rhodes. At Extreme Rules on May 1, Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud. In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of ''Raw''. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 25, Mysterio won a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August.


Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)

On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25. After his return, Mysterio had two matches at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
and Night Of Champions for the Intercontinental Championship held by The Miz, but he was defeated both times. Since September 2012, he was paired with Sin Cara, working as a tag team. Despite they worked for 3 months, Mysterio took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. The team dissolved on December since Mysterio was taking time off and Sin Cara underwent knee surgery. To write him off television, the storyline was that The Shield attacked them and Mysterio suffered an injury. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.


Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)

After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
on October 27. On the November 18 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by
The Wyatt Family The Wyatt Family was an American professional wrestling stable in WWE originally composed of Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper. The Wyatt Family debuted in WWE's then developmental branch NXT in November 2012, with Harper and Rowan g ...
and The Real Americans (
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 24, in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 15, Mysterio and
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
unsuccessfully challenged
Cody Rhodes and Goldust Cody and Dustin Rhodes (also known as Cody Rhodes and Goldust, The Brotherhood, The Rhodes Brothers, and Gold and Stardust) were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes. They are also known for th ...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (
Ryback Ryback Allen Reeves (né Ryan; born November 10, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Ryback. One of the eight finalists on WWE's '' Tough Enough 4'', Reeves ...
and
Curtis Axel Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Curtis Axel. Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and wrestled at their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and was ...
) and The Real Americans. At
WrestleMania XXX WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE ...
on April 6, 2014 Mysterio competed in the
André the Giant André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...
Memorial
Battle Royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
but was eliminated by Cesaro. On the April 7 episode of ''Raw'', he made an appearance and lost to a returning Bad News Barrett, subsequently deciding to take time off to heal a wrist injury. During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's
Triplemanía XXII Triplemanía XXII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) produced by the AAA promotion. It took place on August 17, 2014, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. The event was the twenty-second annual Triplemanía, which is ...
and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.


Return to AAA (2015–2016)

On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view
Rey de Reyes The Rey de Reyes (English: "King of Kings") is an annual tournament held by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) comparable to WWE’s King of the Ring tournament. For the first six tournaments the format consisted of four-way elimination matches with ...
("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the ''
Los Perros del Mal Los Perros del Mal (''English: The Dogs of Evil'') was a Mexican ''Lucha libre'' wrestling group stable, originally competed in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and in Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA). The name (meaning "The Dogs of Evil") is a pla ...
'' team of
El Hijo del Perro Aguayo Pedro Aguayo Ramírez (July 23, 1979 – March 21, 2015) was a Mexican '' luchador'' or professional wrestler and promoter who achieved fame in lucha libre as Perro Aguayo Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo ("The Son of Perro Aguayo"). He was the r ...
and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest. On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For ''
Triplemanía XXIII Triplemanía XXIII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) produced by the Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. It took place on August 9, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. The event was the twenty-third year ...
'', AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a '' Fujiwara armbar''. After the match, Myzteziz turned ''rudo'' and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a ''Lucha de Apuestas''. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.


Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)

Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing
Amazing Red Jonathan Figueroa (born April 26, 1982), better known by his ring name Amazing Red, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time ...
in House of Glory,
Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
in Drive Wrestling, P. J. Black in Black Destiny Wrestling,
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
at a
5 Star Wrestling 5 Star Wrestling (stylised as 5★ Wrestling) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Scotland. The company operated from 2015-2018 and promoted events throughout Great Britain and Ireland. They also produced a television series which was ...
show in the UK,
Alberto El Patron José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a ...
in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others. Mysterio faced fellow
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
alumnus
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper
Riff Raff Riff Raff, Riffraff, or Riff-Raff, a term for the common people but with negative connotations, may refer to: In music * Riff Raff (rapper), from Texas * Riff Raff (band), a UK progressive rock band * Riff Raff, a band formed by Billy Bragg * ...
. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with
Penta El Zero M Penta may refer to: Places * , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno * Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica * Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India * , a small river in Lithuania Other * P ...
defeating
Alberto El Patron José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a ...
in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier
Will Ospreay William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
. Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018, losing to The Golden Elite team of
Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
and
The Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(Nick and Matt Jackson).


Lucha Underground (2015–2018)

Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and P. J. Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever
Aztec Warfare Aztec warfare concerns the aspects associated with the militaristic conventions, forces, weaponry and strategic expansions conducted by the Late Postclassic Aztec civilizations of Mesoamerica, including particularly the military history of the ...
match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo. During an interview with ''Title Match Wrestling'' in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)

Rey Mysterio made his
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
(NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with
Jushin Thunder Liger , better known as and later , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having wrestled for the company since h ...
and
Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler. He works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavywei ...
, losing to the
Bullet Club (stylised as BULLET CLUB), sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In the United States, the group currently appears on NJPW events run by the co ...
team of
Cody Cody may refer to: People *Cody (given name) *Cody (surname) * Cody (wrestler), a ring name of Cody Runnels Places Canada * Cody, British Columbia United States * Cody, Florida * Cody (Duluth), Minnesota * Cody, Missouri * Cody, Nebraska *Cody, ...
,
Marty Scurll Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
and
Adam Page Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and ...
.


Second return to AAA (2018)

On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
(AAA) at ''Verano de Escándalo'', competing in a three-way match for the
AAA Mega Championship The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the English ...
against Rey Wegner and
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
, with Jarrett winning.


Return to WWE


United States Champion (2018–2020)

In 2018, Mysterio made two surprise appearances at
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
and
Greatest Royal Rumble WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2018, a ...
, but he didn't win the matches. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE. He participated in the
WWE World Cup The 2018 Crown Jewel was the inaugural Crown Jewel professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Novembe ...
, but was defeated in the semi-finals by
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
at Crown Jewel. Two nights later on ''SmackDown Live'', Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, where he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...
on November 25, Mysterio faced Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship and won the match by disqualification, but not the title; he then teamed with Rusev to defeat Nakamura and The Miz. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, Mysterio defeated Orton in a
Chairs match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, Mysterio entered at #25, but was eliminated by Orton. From February to May, Mysterio had several matches for Samoa Joe's United States Championship. He failed to win it at Fastlane and
WrestleMania 35 WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place ...
. After being drafted to Raw as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio won the title at Money in the Bank, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. However, on the June 3 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio announced that he would return the title to Joe due to suffering an injury. Mysterio returned from injury one month later. On the September 23 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
. However, the following week on ''Raw'', Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of ''SmackDown'', Mysterio assisted the debut of
Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...
to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel on October 31, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 24, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik. Mysterio regained the United States Championship on the November 25 episode of ''Raw'', when he defeated
A.J. Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
, but 31 days later lost it during a house show at Madison Square Garden to Andrade. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of ''Raw'', but Andrade successfully retained the title.


Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–2022)

On the April 20 episode of ''Raw,'' Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
. At Money in the Bank on May 10, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio and
Aleister Black Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 201 ...
fought
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
and Murphy to a disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking him out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at
The Horror Show at Extreme Rules The Horror Show at Extreme Rules was the 12th annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was b ...
; the match could be won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At the event on July 19, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At
Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on August 30, Mysterio and his son
Dominik Mysterio Dominik Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and is a member of The Judgment Day. He is a one-time former ...
defeated Rollins and Murphy. As part of the 2020 Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand. Mysterio and Rollins faced each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', which Mysterio won after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 22, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 26, at Superstar Spectacle, Mysterio,
Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
, Dilsher Shanky and Giant Zanjeer defeated Cesaro,
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
, King Corbin, and Shinsuke Nakamura. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 31, 2021, Mysterio entered at #26, but would be eliminated by
Omos Tolulope "Jordan" Omogbehin (born May 16, 1994) is a Nigerian-American professional wrestler and former college basketball player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the WWE Raw brand under the ring name Omos. He played colle ...
. Soon after the Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik, and on the WrestleMania edition of ''SmackDown'' on April 9, they faced
The Street Profits The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. The team is currently performing in WWE on the Raw brand. They are three-time tag team champions in WWE, having held the Raw, Sm ...
, Otis and
Chad Gable Charles Edward Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He is a four-time tag team champion in ...
, and the champions
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
and
Robert Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian professional wrestler signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is currently inactive due to undergoing neck surgery. Roode is known for his 12-year tenure for Total Nonst ...
for the
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE' ...
in a losing effort as the champions retained. At WrestleMania Backlash on May 16, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, becoming the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history. On the June 4 episode of ''SmackDown'', the Mysterios retained their titles against
The Usos The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They ar ...
, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After
Adam Pearce Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer, trainer, ...
and
Sonya Deville Daria Rae Berenato (born September 24, 1993) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sonya Deville. She is also a former on-scre ...
granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on ''SmackDown'', Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
match at the namesake pay-per-view on June 20, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbombed Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on ''Talking Smack'',
Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...
, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of ''SmackDown'', marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on ''SmackDown'', in which was defeated by Reigns. At Money in the Bank on July 18, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their reign at 63 days. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 21, The Mysterios failed to win the titles from the Usos in a rematch. As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the
King of the Ring King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotion ...
tournament, where he lost to
Sami Zayn Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to jo ...
in the first round. On the October 25 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio competed in a fatal four-way ladder match to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship, which was won by Seth Rollins and featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 29, 2022, Rey entered at #23 but was eliminated by Otis. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio lost to
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Around this time, Rey, along with Dominik, were involved in a feud with
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
. At
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
on February 19, Mysterio defeated Miz in the pre-show. On the first night of WrestleMania on April 2, The Mysterios lost a tag team match to Miz and social media star
Logan Paul Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American media personality, podcaster, actor, and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is inactive due to a knee injury. He has over 23 m ...
. On the June 27 episode of ''Raw'', Mysterio competed in a Money in the Bank qualifying battle royal, which was won by Riddle.


Feud with The Judgment Day (2022–present)

The Mysterios soon began a feud with
The Judgment Day The Judgment Day is a villainous professional wrestling stable composed of Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio. The stable performs in WWE on the Raw brand. The Judgment Day was founded and previously led by Edge. H ...
(
Finn Balor The word Finn (''pl.'' Finns) usually refers to a member of the majority Balto-Finnic ethnic group of Finland, or to a person from Finland. Finn may also refer to: Places * Finn Lake, Minnesota, United States * Finn Township, Logan County, Nort ...
,
Damian Priest Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judg ...
, and
Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural N ...
), who repeatedly attempted to have Dominik join the stable and betray Rey. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on July 30, the Mysterios defeated Bálor and Priest in a no disqualification match due to interference from a returning
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
, the Judgment Day's former leader. On the following episode of ''Raw'', they faced The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a losing effort. At Clash at the Castle on September 3, Rey and Edge defeated Bálor and Priest, and after the match, Dominik hit Edge with a low blow and hit a clothesline on Rey, turning heel and disbanding the Mysterios. On the October 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', he was transferred to the SmackDown brand.


Other media

Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including ''Rey Mysterio: 619'', a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced ''Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man'', a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD ''Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr.'' in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. ''Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man'' was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK,
Silver Vision Clear Vision Limited from Start to Liquidation Silver Vision was a British video production and distribution label in which the Headquarters was in Enfield, London, England as it Used to be owned by Clear Vision Limited. From 7 July 1990 to ...
released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005,
WrestleMania 22 WrestleMania 22 was the 22nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took ...
, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.


Movies

Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film ''
Ready to Rumble ''Ready to Rumble'' is a 2000 American buddy comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and written by Steven Brill, which is based on Turner Broadcasting's now defunct professional wrestling promotion, World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The mo ...
'' along with several other wrestlers.


Books

*


Music

Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album ''
WWE Originals ''WWE Originals'' is a soundtrack album by WWE. Released on January 13, 2004 by Columbia Records, it features original songs recorded by various WWE wrestlers. The album was a commercial success, reaching number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. R ...
'' and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.


Video games


Personal life

Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler,
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
, who died in 2005. He is a devout
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God. Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika. On March 19, 2007, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and
HGH Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in h ...
ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained
nandrolone Nandrolone, also known as 19-nortestosterone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) which is used in the form of esters such as nandrolone decanoate (brand name Deca-Durabolin) and nandrolone phenylpropionate (brand name Durabolin). Nandrolon ...
and
stanozolol Stanozolol ( abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceutical company W ...
. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.


Filmography


Television


Championships and accomplishments

* Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide **
Mexican National Trios Championship The Mexican National Trios Championship (''Campeonato National Trios'' in Spanish) is a three-man tag team professional wrestling championship, sanctioned by the "Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F." (''Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling ...
( 1 time) – with
Octagón Juan Escalera (born March 27, 1961) is a Mexican luchador enmascarado (masked professional wrestler) better known as Octagón. He is best known for working for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), having worked for the company since it ...
and
Super Muñeco Super Muñeco (''Super Doll'') (10 April 1952 – 9 February 2022) was a Mexican '' Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. Super Muñeco is Spanish for "Super Doll", a comedic ring character based on a clown. Super Muñeco is b ...
**
Mexican National Welterweight Championship The Mexican National Welterweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional Peso Welter'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling championship created and sanctioned by Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrest ...
( 1 time) ** Lucha Libre World Cup ( 2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto **
AAA Hall of Fame The AAA Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and wrestling personalities, established and maintained by the Mexico based national wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Inductees Individuals See als ...
(Class of 2007) ** ''Técnico'' of the Year (2015) * Catch Wrestling Europe ** CWE World Grand Prix (2017) *
Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abra ...
**Lucha Libre Award (2020) * The Crash **
The Crash Heavyweight Championship The Crash Heavyweight Championship ( es, Campeonato de Peso Completo de The Crash) is a professional wrestling championship used in the Mexican lucha libre promotion The Crash Lucha Libre based in Tijuana, Baja California. It is the top male champ ...
(1 time) *
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
**
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as ...
( 1 time) * Destiny World Wrestling ** DWW Championship (1 time) * Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling ** HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * International Wrestling All-Stars ** IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...
* Lucha Underground **
Lucha Underground Trios Championship } The Lucha Underground Trios Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship promoted by Lucha Underground. In contrast to usual tag team championships for two wrestlers, it is exclusively for three-man tag teams, also know ...
( 1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and
Prince Puma Trevor Dean Mann (born October 11, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Ricochet. Before signing with WWE, Mann is best known for his tenure with ...
* ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' ** Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 1999 ** Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 *
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
**
WCW Cruiserweight Championship World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
( 5 times) ** WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with
Billy Kidman Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by WWE as a producer. As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with World Champi ...
**
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
( 3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1) *
World Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ''luchadores'' a ...
** WWA Lightweight Championship ( 3 times) ** WWA Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Rey Misterio ** WWA Welterweight Championship ( 3 times) *
World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
**
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship The WWC Junior Heavyweight Championship is a championship contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. While weight classes are generally not strictly adhered to in professional wrestling tod ...
( 1 time) * World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE **
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
( 1 time) ** World Heavyweight Championship ( 2 times) ** WWE Cruiserweight Championship ( 3 times) **
WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...
( 2 times) **
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
(
4 times "4 Times" (stylized as "4 TIMES") is the 50th single by pop/ R&B singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011 and debuted at No. 6, remaining on the Oricon charts for nine consecutive weeks. In commemoration of it being the fiftieth singl ...
) – with
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
(1),
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
(1),
Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
(1), and
Batista Batista is a Spanish or Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player * Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also known as Batista * Edina Alves Batis ...
(1) **
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE ...
( 1 time) – with
Dominik Mysterio Dominik Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and is a member of The Judgment Day. He is a one-time former ...
**
WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along with the ...
( 2 times) **
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
( 2006) ** Championship Competition Tournament (2007) ** Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
,
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
,
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
,
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
,
Tyler Reks Gabbi Alon Tuft (born November 1, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler. Tuft is best known for her time with WWE under the ring name Tyler Reks. Tuft also competed in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling ( ...
and
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
)
** WWE Championship Tournament (2011) ** Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion ** Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion ** Bumpy Award (1 time) *** Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio * ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
'' ** Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004) ** Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor ** Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs.
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
and
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
, for the
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
, WWE No Mercy, October 20
** Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996) ** Rookie of the Year (1992) ** Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane **
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of t ...
( Class of 2010)


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mysterio, Rey 1974 births American male professional wrestlers American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent Catholics from California Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople Living people Masked wrestlers NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions People from Chula Vista, California Professional wrestlers from California The Latino World Order members World Heavyweight Champions (WWE) WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions WWE Champions WWE Grand Slam champions 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Champions Mexican National Trios Champions Lucha Underground Trios Champions Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions WCW World Tag Team Champions