Oscar Gutierrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. According to ESPN, he is "widely regarded as the greatest cruiserweight in pro wrestling history". Gutierrez was born and raised in Chula Vista, California, and began his professional wrestling career at age 14 in 1989, prior to debuting for Mexican promotion Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion (AAA) in 1992, under the tutelage of his uncle, Rey Misterio. He had a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995, before he signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize the high-flying lucha libre wrestling style, which is credited with having also helped kick-start the emergence of cruiserweight wrestling in the United States. He also won a number of championships during his time with the company, including the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship. After WCW closed in 2001, Mysterio returned to Mexico, briefly wrestling for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), before signing with WWE in 2002. Over the course of his time with the company, he has achieved sustained success, and is a two-time Intercontinental champion, two-time United States Champion, a four-time tag-team champion, a three-time Cruiserweight champion, and a three-time world champion. He is also the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble and has headlined several major WWE pay-per-view events. He departed the company in 2015 and then wrestled on the independent circuit, before returning to WWE in 2018. Per WWE, Mysterio is one of the most well-known and revered performers of all time.
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 "Colibri (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 Colibri.Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion (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.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during the first half of 1996.
World Championship Wrestling:
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, 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, Malenko, and Super Calo before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nwo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nwo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost. On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. 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. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he 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. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998-1999)
Mysterio unmasked in 1999:
In 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 where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash 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 was strongly against it! I don't think WCW understood what the mask meant to me, to my fans and to my family. It was a very bad move on their behalf. The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match. The same thing happened to Juventud and Psicosis and psychologically wise it was a bad move by Eric Bischoff. I think the fans understand that I was in a position where I had no option. I either had to lose my mask or lose my job.Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship 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 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's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede 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, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE:
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The Jr was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. At the insistence of Vince McMahon, Mysterio agreed to wear his mask again. While this angered lucha libre fans in Mexico as it violated tradition, Mysterio did receive permission from an official lucha libre commission to wear his mask again, as he had not lost his mask in a traditional mask vs. mask match. WWE has normally censored footage of Mysterio being unmasked in WCW for kayfabe-based reasons. However, when WWE Classics on Demand rebroadcast WCW Sin in April 2013, a match featuring Mysterio unmasked was left intact.Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown as a fan favorite in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on November 7, they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win their first Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
Mysterio signing autographs in 2004
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, 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 for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Title from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Title involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.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, and went on to win the Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree on the December 9 episode of SmackDown. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, 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 to win the Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
Mysterio during a WWE house show in 2005
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 Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match 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 Dominick, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominick's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominick as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominick, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominick. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match. 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 no one could see his face). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interpromotional 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.
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