M&F is in Los Angeles masking all of the motion and pleasure of WrestleMania 39 week in Hollywood and with Friday’s WWE Corridor of Fame induction lower than 24 hours away, we felt it solely proper to have a good time probably the most iconic figures and inductees in professional wrestling historical past: Rey Mysterio Jr!

When Mysterio gained the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22, he actually did obtain the unthinkable. Should you recall (and who doesn’t) the WWE was as soon as a spot the place giants reigned supreme. Particularly within the Nineteen Eighties, when the promotion first discovered world success, man mountains like Hulk Hogan, King Kong Bundy, the Final Warrior and naturally, Andre “The Large” himself have been the kind of grapplers that discovered a seemingly unshakeable footing on the very prime of the cardboard.

In time, with these pillars of the primary occasion both passing their prime within the ring or falling foul of firm administration for a wide range of totally different causes, the early nineties served to usher in a brand new era of smaller in stature, however equally big in coronary heart performers.

Bret “Hitman” Hart’s work ethic and simple storytelling, whereas weighing comparatively lower than his larger-than-life predecessors at 235 kilos, proved that the evolving “sports activities leisure” viewers wished athleticism and technical talent to go along with their muscle repair. And, due to Hart’s shattering of the glass ceiling, by the mid-’90s, Shawn Michaels was capable of observe go well with, toppling “The Hitman” whereas weighing in at 235 kilos.

Progress was undoubtedly being made for the smaller man, besides, the concept a high-flying luchador might observe go well with appeared prefer it may be a step too far for the bodybuilding fanatic, and supreme choice maker: Vince McMahon. It will take some big shifts within the professional wrestling universe for perceptions to vary. However change they did.

Rey Mysterio’s Performances Influenced ECW, WCW, and WWE

With WWE’s “New Technology Period” starting to lose viewers within the latter half of the nineties to the then edgier rival; World Championship Wrestling, there was a 3rd, smaller, wrestling promotion based mostly out of Philadelphia that was extra leading edge than each of these greater promotions mixed. Paul Heyman’s Excessive Championship Wrestling didn’t constrain itself with conventional “wrasslin” traditions just like the follow of utilizing lighter guys as fodder to be squashed by the larger marquee expertise. As an alternative, ECW targeted on a full throttle, balls to the wall model, that went on to affect WWE’s a lot heralded comeback with its “Perspective Period.”

Few true wrestling aficionados can low cost Rey Mysterio’s impression throughout this era. First there have been these traditional confrontations with Juventud Guerrera and Psicosis in ECW, then got here his superlative cruiserweight performances on WCW’s “Monday Nitro” present after signing with WWE’s greatest menace — serving to Nitro to trounce WWE’s “Monday Evening Uncooked” within the scores for 83 weeks straight. Then, when WWE lastly rebounded and put their competitors out of enterprise, Mysterio was signed to Vince McMahon’s group and made a splash there.

The “Perspective Period” viewers was chomping on the bit to see anyone recent like Mysterio shake up the established order and win wrestling greatest prize, and people prayers have been answered when he gained the 2006 Royal Rumble and earned himself a profitable shot on the gold in a triple menace match in Madison Sq. Backyard. On that fateful evening, Mysterio had already cemented his legacy as a future WWE Corridor of Famer. And but right here we’re, practically twenty years on from that groundbreaking win, and this superhero in human type remains to be enthralling followers with a few of his most emotional moments but.

Mysterio turned an simple champion as a result of he’s relatable as an underdog, however he’s additionally been one of many constantly hardest employees within the mat sport. “Rey Rey’s” enduring reputation has re-written the formulation of wrestling bosses reserving their winners and losers based mostly on dimension. And, after speaking to his friends right here in Hollywood, there’s no scarcity of affection for him within the WWE locker room.

The WWE Locker Room is Excited for Rey Mysterio to Go into the WWE Corridor of Fame

“I feel he ought to have been within the Corridor of Fame a very long time in the past,” says NXT Famous person Alba Fyre, who explains that for her, Rey Mysterio introduced escapism and pleasure to her tv display as a child, making her need to observe in his footsteps. Fyre’s tag group companion Isla Daybreak couldn’t agree extra. “For me, he was simply one of many those who I wished to be,” she says. “Me and my sisters would go into the again backyard and play wrestle and argue about who would play the a part of Rey!” Little question, this group will channel Mysterio’s power and pleasure after they head to NXT Stand & Ship of their quest to turn into tag group champions.

It’s not simply up and coming WWE Superstars that respect the person. Even athletes that got here from totally different circles to him can nonetheless respect his artwork.  “I feel the factor that folks neglect in regards to the lucha model is that they’ve actually technical stuff,” says Shayna Baszler, who got here to professional wrestling from the world of MMA and has a deep respect for Myseterio. “Within the again, speaking to Rey about a few of that’s one thing folks in all probability wouldn’t anticipate.”

After all, at WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio is ready to wrestle his son Dominik. Whereas the 2 will go to conflict on display, it’s honest to say that he has turn into an important mentor to his personal subsequent era behind the scenes. Mysterio’s unselfishness in honoring his legacy whereas sharing his success with others will not be misplaced on Santos Escobar and the Legado Del Fantasma secure. “We respect Rey. We admire Rey. And now we shield Rey” says Escobar. “Should you discuss huge or small, he’s the smallest of all of them, however he’s an enormous. His coronary heart, big. His expertise even greater than that. You possibly can’t ignore that.” Mysterio has unquestionably opened the door for others to observe. “So, once I received right here (WWE) the very first thing was, I don’t wanna be just like the American superstars. I don’t wanna be like, with all due respect, the Hulk Hogan’s. I don’t wanna be like The Rock. I don’t wanna be just like the John Cena’s.”

Wouldn’t all of us need to step inside Rey Mysterio’s excessive flying footwear for the day? Watch Rey Mysterio’s WWE Corridor of Fame induction March 31 on Peacock in america and WWE Community all over the place else.