Professional wrestling career

Early career

Gutierrez 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" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, 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 (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 E. Dangerously'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 (1996-1999)

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 Caló 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 Title at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the Cruiserweight title at Starrcade 1998 but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a Triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the Cruiserweight title at Souled Out 1999 in a Fatal Four-Way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.

Giant Killer and unmasking (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:

“

I 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 fourth 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 Title 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.

No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999-2001)

Main articles: The No Limit Soldiers and The Filthy Animals

In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum, Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four Elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals. This was Mysterio's first heel turn.The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. 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 teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy 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 faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno 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 in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, 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, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.

At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero, Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. 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. 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 (WWF).

Return to Mexico and the independent circuit (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. Upon his return to the USA, he worked in XWF, IWA Mid-South, and HWA, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk.

World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE

Cruiserweight Champion (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 the official lucha libre organizations 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.

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 sixth Cruiserweight Championship on the May 22 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 seventh Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at 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 Chavo retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting eighth Cruiserweight Championship. 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 Spike, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.

Tag Team Champion and feud 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 René Duprée 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 Rey 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 Rey 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.

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.

World Heavyweight Champion and feud with Chavo Guerrero (2005-2008)

Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with The Big Show the feud culmated after Rey eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Rey would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show,and ended as a "no contest" 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 The Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 19 episode of SmackDown! to win the Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio with help from Mark Henry to regain the Tag Team Championship. Mysterio and Batista lost a Steel Cage match for the title the next week, after more interference by Henry. On the January 10, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. He was eliminated by Mark Henry, Kurt Angle won the match, last eliminating Henry.

Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At Wrestlemania 22, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the April 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio - who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Randy Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Kurt Angle, three weeks later.

Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield. 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 in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgement Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the U.S. Title to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like he 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. 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 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, 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 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. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo Guerrero interfered the match and hit Mysterio with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam 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 at No Mercy. Subsequently Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I Quit" match. In that match, Chavo 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, defeating Guerrero with the 619, 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. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Chavo 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. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.

Various storylines (2007-2008)

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. On October 28, after fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight title on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he conceded one match to Finlay on an episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).

He re-entered the world title picture when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. 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 again at No Way Out. 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.

Brand switch & Intercontinental Champion (2008-2010)

Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. 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, competing in the Raw Championship scramble match. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by the Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.

Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXV, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment history. Mysterio was drafted back to SmackDown! during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Title exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since mid-2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. 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. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.

Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified Tag Team Championships. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was KO punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker possibly costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista turned heel and attacked him. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio was defeated by Batista again in a street fight on December 11 episode of SmackDown. A few weeks later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.

Following the Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to The SES vs Punk's hair.) Mysterio defeated Punk after Kane interfered, resulting in Punk's hair being shaved.

World Title reigns & Pursuits (2010−2011)

On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On June 4 Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World title, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won his Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.

Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked him following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio which culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.

On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At the event he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.

In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted back to Raw. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. From May, Rey 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 WWE Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On July 25, Mysterio defeated Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship but lost the title to John Cena later that night. On August 15, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August 2011, and a storyline was put in place to write Mysterio off television, by blaming Alberto Del Rio. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.

Intercontinental Championship Pursuit & 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 an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. Four days later on SmackDown, Mysterio returned to in-ring action when he teamed up with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus to defeat Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler by disqualification. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal-four way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Epico and Primo in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Epico and Primo in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Epico, Primo, Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. On the following episode of SmackDown, Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) in a non-title match. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.

Various injuries, feuds 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. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a four-way match also involving Rybaxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. His last appearance in WWE on the following night on the April 7 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided 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 didn't return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his 13-year tenure with the company.

Return to AAA (2015-2016)

Five days later after being released from WWE, it was announced on March 3, 2015, that Mysterio had been re-signed by AAA for the first time since 1995. A few days later AAA announced that Rey Mysterio using his old previously WCW ring name, Rey Mysterio Jr., would team up with Myzteziz in the main event of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") show on March 20, 2015 against and defeated Los Perros del Mal leader El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr. to win the match when Mysterio Jr. scored the pin. At 1:00 AM on March 21, 2015, Aguayo died following a freak accident the night before during a tag team match where Aguayo teamed with Manik to face Mysterio and Extreme Tiger. Two months later after El Hijo del Perro Aguayo's death, 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 in a singles sudden death overtime for the win.

For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz was announced. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed one-on-one against each other. On August 9 at Triplemanía XXIII Mysterio was victorious, submitting Myzteziz with 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, Mysterio left AAA due to financial qualms.

Independent circuit (2015-present)

Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red, Ricochet, PJ Black, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, amongst others.

Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promtion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff.

Lucha Underground (2015-present)

Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and has 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 PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Eliminaion Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza.

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 released a Rey Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, Wrestlemania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.

Books

• Mysterio, Rey; Roberts, Jeremy (November 2009). Rey Mysterio: Behind the Mask. New York City: WWE Books (Pocket Books). 368pp. ISBN 978-1-4165-9896-1

Music

Mysterio, along with rapper Madd One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme between September 2005 and April 2006. On March 3, 2015, upon his return to AAA, Mysterio made his entrance to the theme. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals.

Personal life

Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: one son, Dominic, born 1997 and a daughter, Aaliyah, born 2001. He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, and tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before every match 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.

Gutierrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.

On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH 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 and stanozolol. 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, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, it was announced that Gutierrez would be suspended for 60 days due to a second violation of the WWE Wellness Program.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • • 619 (Tiger feint kick to the head of an opponent draped over the second rope) - WWE; followed by
    • Diving splash drop, sometimes while springboarding - WWE
    • Droppin' Da Dime (Springboard leg drop, sometimes to the back of the opponent's head) - ECW/WCW/WWE
    • Frankensteiner - WCW; used as a signature move on its own in WWE
    • Flip piledriver - AAA
    • Frog splash - WWE; adopted from Eddie Guerrero
    • Springboard headbutt - ECW / WCW; sometimes used in WWE
    • Springboard seated senton - ECW / WCW; used as a signature move on its own in WWE
    • West Coast Pop (Springboard hurricanrana) - ECW / WCW / WWE
• Signature moves
  • Armbar, often transitioned into a hammerlock
  • Arm wrench inside cradle
  • Baseball slide, sometimes transitioned into a headscissors takedown
  • Bronco buster
  • Bulldog, often used as a counter
  • Buzzsaw Kick (High speed roundhouse kick to the head of a seated, kneeling or rising opponent) (adopted from Yoshihiro Tajiri)
  • Diving hurricanrana, sometimes off the ring apron
  • Dropkick, sometimes while springboarding or from the top rope
  • Mysterio Express (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb)
  • Somersault seated senton to the outside of the ring, sometimes transitioned into a hurricanrana
  • Split-legged moonsault
  • Springboard moonsault
  • Thesz press
  • Tilt-a-whirl
  • Wheelbarrow bodyscissors transitioned into either an arm drag or a bulldog
• Managers
  • Torrie Wilson
  • Tygress
• Nicknames
  • "El Super Duper Niño" ("The Super Duper Kid") (ECW)
  • "The Giant Killer" (WCW/WWE)
  • "The Master of the 619" (WWE)
  • "The Biggest Little Man" (WWE)
  • "The Ultimate Underdog" (WWE)
• Entrance themes
  • "Sad but True" by Metallica (ECW; 1995 - 1996; as Rey Mysterio Jr.)
  • "March of Death" by Jimmy Hart (ECW; 1995 - 1996 / WCW; June 16, 1996 - October 1998; as Rey Mysterio Jr.)
  • "Rey Mysterio, Jr. Jam" by Ill Harmonics (WCW; November 1998 - February 1999; as Rey Mysterio Jr.)
  • "Psycho" by Konnan and Madd One (WCW; February 1999 - January 2000, May 2000; as Rey Mysterio Jr.; used while part of the Filthy Animals)
  • "Filthy, Dirty, Nasty" by The Filthy Animals (WCW; January 2000 - September 2000; as Rey Mysterio Jr.; used while part of the Filthy Animals)
  • "The Reason" by Madd One (WCW; September 2000 - March 2001; as Rey Mysterio Jr.; used while part of the Filthy Animals)
  • "619" by Jim Johnston and Chris Classic (WWE; July 25, 2002 - September 16, 2005)
  • "Booyaka 619" by Rey Mysterio and Madd One (WWE; September 23, 2005 - April 28, 2006; August 26, 2007 / AAA; March 3, 2015; as Rey Mysterio Jr.)
  • "Booyaka 619" by P.O.D. (WWE; April 2, 2006; May 5, 2006 - February 26, 2015; from May 12, 2006 the original "Booyaka" intro was used, but was then replaced with the P.O.D. intro on August 31, 2007)
  • "Bow Wow Wow" by Konnan and Madd One (AAA; March 18, 2015 - present)

Championships and accomplishments

• Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
  • Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) - with Octagón and Super Muñeco
  • Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
  • Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) - with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
  • AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
  • Técnico of the Year (2015)
• Destiny Wrestling
  • Destiny Championship (1 time)
• Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
  • HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• International Wrestling All-Stars
  • IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Konnan
• International Wrestling Council
  • IWC World Middleweight Championship (2 times)
• Lucha Underground
  • Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) - with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
  • PWI ranked him 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
• Tijuana, Mexico
  • Tijuana Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
  • WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Billy Kidman
  • WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
• World Wrestling Association
  • WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
  • WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rey Misterio
  • WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
• World Wrestling Council
  • WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • WWE Championship (1 time)
  • WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
  • Royal Rumble (2006)
  • 21st Triple Crown Champion
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 5 Star Match (1993)
  • 5 Star Match (1995)
  • 5 Star Match (1996)
  • Best Flying Wrestler (1995-1997, 2002-2004)
  • Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995)
  • Match of the Year (2002)
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
  • Rookie of the Year (1992)
  • Worst Feud of the Year (2008)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)

Luchas de Apuestas record

See also: Luchas de Apuestas

Winner (wager)	Loser (wager)	Location	Event	Date	Notes
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Mr. Cóndor (mask)	Acapulco, Guerrero	Live event	000000001992-08-14-0000August 14, 1992
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Rocco Valente (hair)	Tampico, Tamaulipas	Live event	000000001992-10-18-0000October 18, 1992
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Tony Arce (hair)	Acapulco, Guerrero	Live event	000000001992-11-06-0000November 6, 1992
Rey Mysterio Jr. (mask)	El Bandido (mask)	Querétaro City, Querétaro	Live event	000000001993-05-28-0000May 28, 1993
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Vulcano (hair)	Monterrey, Nuevo León	Live event	000000001993-09-11-0000September 11, 1993
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Misterioso (mask)	Tijuana, Baja California	Live event	000000001996-12-19-0000December 19, 1996
Rey Misterio Jr. (mask)	Eddie Guerrero (championship)	Las Vegas, Nevada	Halloween Havoc	000000001997-10-26-0000October 26, 1997
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (hair)	Rey Misterio Jr. (mask) and Konnan	Oakland, California	SuperBrawl IX	000000001999-02-21-0000February 21, 1999
Rey Mysterio (championship)	John "Bradshaw" Layfield (brand contract)	Bakersfield, California	SmackDown	000000002006-05-26-0000May 26, 2006
Rey Mysterio (mask)	Chris Jericho (championship)	Sacramento, California	The Bash	000000002009-06-28-0000June 28, 2009
Rey Mysterio (stable pledge)	CM Punk (hair)	Detroit, Michigan	Over the Limit	000000002010-05-23-0000May 23, 2010

[ Source: Wikipedia ]