Rey Mysterio Reflects On His WCW Debut, His Feelings Before The Match
Rey Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash pay-per-view event, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship in a losing effort.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Mysterio recalled his feelings before his debut match, Konnan encouraging him at the time, and Eddie Guerrero’s contribution to the bout.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On what he was feeling ahead of the match: “I remember walking into the building in Baltimore, and I felt so uncomfortable. I was walking into a locker room full of giants. The Steiners, Big Show, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. It felt really awkward. I kept on hearing voices say, ‘Who’s that kid? What the hell is he doing in here?’ No one knew who I was. It felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there.”
On Konnan offering him encouragement before the match: “Right before my match, Konnan spoke with me. I still remember him saying, ‘No pressure, but you’re representing Mexico and you’re representing lucha libre. You’re representing all the little guys. Now go out there and kick some ass.’ I was already nervous facing Dean, but that took it to a whole new level.”
On Eddie Guerrero’s contribution to the match: “I’d been trying to study Dean, watching his matches. In the ring, we connected right away. It was immediate. From my understanding, Eddie spoke with Dean and told him a little bit about me. That was extremely important. Dean could have easily buried me, but no. He took me under his wing and made me look like a million bucks. I remember coming back after that opening match. Everyone had been glued to the monitor, and we got a standing ovation from the boys. It’s still one of the greatest moments of my life. That was the moment I felt I’d made it.”
On growing up as a fan of his uncle Rey Misterio: “With me, it was all about my uncle, my mom’s younger brother. At a very young age, four or five, I would help him pack his bag when he wrestled every Friday at the Auditorio in Tijuana. Being in the car with him as he pulled up to the arena, and seeing him transform into this idolized persona, it meant everything to me. For me, it’s always been about the mask and its significance. It can turn you into a real-life superhero. No one recognized my uncle without the mask, but as soon as it was on, he would be stormed by fans. That’s what I wanted to do, that’s who I wanted to be. Now here I am.”
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