Standing out in a world of giants: Rey Mysterio on completing 20 years in WWE, Wrestlemania 38 and more

The wrestling veteran looks back at a career that has thrown up a lot of challenges but also many moments to cherish

Over 17,000 people thronged the Allstate Arena at Rosemount, Illinois. It is the 22nd edition of Wrestlemania, an event the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) hypes up as the grandest stage of them all. Kurt Angle is defending his World Heavyweight Championship title against Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio. With Orton down, Angle attempts Angle Slam, one of his signature moves, on Mysterio. The latter counters – he slips from Angle’s shoulder, locks his left elbow with Angle’s and brings him down. Mysterio, then, quickly recovers to dropkick Orton onto the middle rope. He connects his signature move – the 619, which is a swinging kick between the ropes. Next, he jumps from the top rope on Orton and pins him.

 One, two, three.

The crowd erupts. Mysterio collects the championship belt from the referee, hugs it like it is his lost-and-found baby, and displays it to the crowd standing on the middle turnbuckle. His mask barely hides his emotions. 

Mysterio, in a recent video call with The Hindu, fondly recalled that Wrestlemania night, 16 years ago, when he became one of the shortest wrestlers ever to win the world title. It, he said, was the most defining moment of his 20-year WWE career.

“That was an important obstacle I crossed. That opened up doors for other wrestlers of my size and style of wrestling,” he said.

WWE has always been a giants’ world. Close your eyes and think of five high-profile WWE wrestlers that come to mind. Chances are that most (or even all) of them are six feet tall or more. Mysterio, at 5’6’ (shorter than an average American male), stood out in a roster mostly filled with big, brawny men. It was not that WWE did not see short wrestlers before Mysterio but none of them went to accomplish things that he did inside the ring. He has won all the major titles in WWE, outlasted 29 other wrestlers to win the Royal Rumble in 2006 as the No. 2 entrant, and has been a fan favourite for two decades.

Mysterio is especially proud of popularising the ‘Lucha Libre’ – Mexican freestyle wrestling. “A few people, including me, brought the Lucha style to WCW (World Championship Wrestling, the company started by Ted Turner),” he says, “It was suddenly seen worldwide. The fans were like, ‘Wow, what is this? This is really cool.’ That kind of moulded the generation that came right after us. You can see a change in their style of wrestling – you can see the influence of Lucha.”