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 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 (Hummingbird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, while wrestling in Mexico as Colibrí, Mysterio was named "Most Improved Wrestler".
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1996) 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 Misterio Jr. faced Guerrera and his father
Fuerza Guerrera. In 1994, Mysterio participated in the co-promoted event between AAA and American promotion
World Championship Wrestling AAA When Worlds Collide. Mysterio credited their event as the reason WCW noticed him.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996) Mysterio signed with
Paul Heyman's
Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted on September 16, 1995, 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 at
South Philly Jam and a
Mexican Death match at
November to Remember 1995. At
Bash at the Beach on July 7, he defeated Psicosis in a #1 contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight Championship, which he won for the first time by defeating Malenko the next night on
WCW Monday Nitro. He successfully defended the title against
Ultimate Dragon at
Hog Wild on August 10, Malenko at
Clash of the Champions XXXIII five days later, and
Super Caló at
Fall Brawl on September 15. On October 27, at
Halloween Havoc, he lost the title back to Malenko. Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the
J-Crown Championship in a losing effort at
World War 3 on November 24. On February 23, 1997, he faced
Prince Iaukea for the
WCW World Television Championship at
SuperBrawl VII, but lost after being attacked by
Lord Steven Regal. Mysterio also lost a title rematch at
Uncensored on March 16. Soon after, Mysterio began a feud with the
New World Order (nWo), culminating when he lost a
Mexican Death match to nWo member
Konnan at
Road Wild on August 9. Mysterio was then involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion
Eddie Guerrero, whom he defeated in a
Title vs. Mask match at
Halloween Havoc on October 26 to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10 episode of
Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero, as well as in a rematch at
World War 3 on November 23. 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. At
Bash at the Beach on July 12, Mysterio returned and 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. He was 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. Mysterio faced Kidman for the Cruiserweight Championship at
Starrcade on December 27, but was unsuccessful in a
triangle match also involving Juventud. On January 17, 1999, at
Souled Out, Mysterio failed to win the title from Kidman in a
four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer; unmasking (1998–1999) 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 on February 21, 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: Following SuperBrawl, Mysterio became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash,
Bam Bam Bigelow, and
Scott Norton. At
Uncensored on March 14, he lost to Nash after interference from
Lex Luger. The next night, on the March 15 episode of
Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fourth Cruiserweight Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman 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 on April 11 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.
No Limit Soldiers; Filthy Animals (1999–2001) In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined
Master P's
No Limit Soldiers and feuded with the
West Texas Rednecks. At
The Great American Bash on June 13, they defeated Rednecks members
Curt Hennig and
Bobby Duncum Jr., and at
Bash at the Beach on July 11, won a four-on-four
elimination tag team match against them. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a
stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, turning
heel for the first and only time in his career. The Filthy Animals defeated
Dead Pool in six-man tag team matches at
Road Wild on August 14 and
Fall Brawl on September 12. 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 defeated
Harlem Heat to win the World Tag Team Championship, however, Mysterio was injured during the match and was sidelined. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining
the New Blood faction, 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. At
Fall Brawl on September 17, the Filthy Animals fought
The Natural Born Thrillers to a
no contest in an elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a triangle match at
Halloween Havoc on October 29, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and
The Boogie Knights in a losing effort. At
Millennium Final on November 16, Mysterio and Kidman lost to
KroniK, but avenged their loss at
Mayhem ten days later against KroniK and
Alex Wright in a handicap match. At
Starrcade on December 17, The Filthy Animals lost to
The Harris Brothers and
Jeff Jarrett in a
Bunkhouse Brawl. After this, the Filthy Animals starting feuding with
Team Canada, to whom they lost in a
Penalty Box match at
Sin on January 14, 2001. At
SuperBrawl Revenge on February 18, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged
Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Championship. 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 lost to Elix Skipper and
Kid Romeo at
Greed on March 18. On the final episode of
Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship before WCW was sold to the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001) 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.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2002) Upon his return to the US, he worked in
IWA Mid-South, the
Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the
Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of
Eddie Guerrero and
CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the
World Wrestling Council and defeated
Eddie Colon for the
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship on January 6, 2002, holding the belt until losing it back to Colon on April 6. Mysterio, with his mask, made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of
SmackDown! as a
face, defeating Chavo Guerrero. Mysterio's first feud was with
Kurt Angle, culminating in a match at
SummerSlam on August 25, which Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the
ankle lock. Mysterio later formed a tag team with
Edge, participating in a
tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive
WWE Tag Team Championship. Mysterio and Edge lost to Kurt Angle and
Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at
No Mercy on October 20; the match was voted
Match of the Year by the
Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Mysterio and Edge won the WWE Tag Team Championship when they defeated Angle and Benoit in a
two out of three falls match on the November 7 episode of
SmackDown!, but lost them to Los Guerreros in a
Triple Threat Elimination match at
Survivor Series on November 17. On March 30, 2003, at
WrestleMania XIX, Mysterio faced the
Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after interference from
Shannon Moore. After earning a title shot in May, Mysterio defeated Hardy on the June 5 episode of
SmackDown! to win the Cruiserweight Championship. After losing the championship to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio regained it from Tajiri on the January 1, 2004, episode of
SmackDown!. At the
Royal Rumble on January 25, Mysterio successfully defended the title against
Jamie Noble. Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at
No Way Out on February 15. At
WrestleMania XX on March 14, Mysterio took part in a
Cruiserweight Open for the title, where Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated
Chavo Classic to win the title for a third time. Mysterio lost it to
Spike Dudley on the July 29 episode of
SmackDown! then failed to regain the title on the September 23 episode of
SmackDown! and in a fatal four-way match at
Survivor Series on November 14.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005) in 2005 During this time, Mysterio formed a tag team with
Rob Van Dam and feuded with
Kenzo Suzuki and
René Duprée. At
No Mercy on October 3, Mysterio and Van Dam failed to win the titles from Suzuki and Duprée, but won them in a rematch on the December 9 episode of
SmackDown!. Mysterio and Van Dam successfully defended the titles against Suzuki and Duprée at
Armageddon on December 12, before losing the titles to the
Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of
SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured. On February 20, Mysterio teamed up with
Eddie Guerrero, winning the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Basham Brothers at
No Way Out. In a departure from traditional
booking, Mysterio and Guerrero did not defend their titles at
WrestleMania 21 on April 3, but instead had a match against each other, which Mysterio won. On the April 21 episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio and Guerrero lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to
MNM (
Joey Mercury and
Johnny Nitro). The following week, Guerrero abandoned Mysterio, whom he had considered "his family" earlier in the show, during their rematch for the titles, costing them the match. After a
street fight against Chavo on the May 5 episode of
SmackDown!, Eddie came out and suplexed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. At
Judgment Day on May 22, Mysterio defeated Guerrero by disqualification after Guerrero attacked him with a steel chair. On June 12, in the midst of their feud, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years at
ECW One Night Stand. Guerrero then threatened to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son
Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. At
The Great American Bash on July 24, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a match with a stipulation that if Guerrero lost, he would not tell the secret. Despite this, Guerrero revealed the secret on the following episode of
SmackDown!, that he was Dominik's biological father. Guerrero said he knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. He threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At
SummerSlam on August 21, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a
ladder match for the custody of Dominik. On the September 9 episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio lost to Guerrero in a steel cage match, ending their feud. 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 his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat
Shawn Michaels in an interbrand 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 (2005–2007) Mysterio participated in the main event of
Survivor Series on November 27, as part of Team SmackDown! along with
Randy Orton,
Bobby Lashley,
Batista, and
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), defeating Team Raw (
Shawn Michaels,
Kane,
Big Show,
Carlito, and
Chris Masters). Mysterio faced Big Show, who he eliminated at Survivor Series, in a match billed as "
David vs.
Goliath" in a
SmackDown! special show on November 29, which ended as a "no contest" after interference from Show's tag team partner, Kane. 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 Big Show in a tag team match at
Armageddon on December 18. Two days before the event, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on
SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Guerrero. Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was then billed as "Champions vs. Champions", which they lost. On the December 30 episode of
SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from
Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista lost their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match after interference by Henry. On January 29, 2006, Mysterio was the second entrant in the
Royal Rumble match, setting a record by lasting 62 minutes, winning the match, and earning a world title shot by last eliminating Orton. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at
No Way Out. Over the following weeks, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, which many people, including Orton, felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death. Orton won at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at
WrestleMania 22. However, General Manager
Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion,
Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania on April 2, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio – billed as an "
underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio retained the title again during a WrestleMania rematch on
SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later. Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), who stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw him 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". On May 21, Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to
Bobby Lashley five days later on
SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler
Sabu at ECW 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 ECW 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. King Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of King Booker's wife
Queen Sharmell. The next week on
SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking King Booker and his "
court". Guerrero would also cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. At
SummerSlam on August 20, Mysterio lost to Guerrero after
Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then turned on Mysterio by hitting him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. On October 8, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a
Falls Count Anywhere match at
No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an
"I quit" match for the October 20 episode of
SmackDown!, which Mysterio lost. During the match, Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, which was used to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery. Mysterio made his in-ring return at
SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after he obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Batista and
Finlay in a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at
Unforgiven, held by
The Great Khali. On the following episode of
SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in an "I Quit" match after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, ending the feud. After the match, Batista saved Mysterio from an attack by Khali, making the match at Unforgiven a triple threat match. At Unforgiven on September 16, Mysterio failed to win the title, which was won by Batista.
Various storylines (2007–2009) 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. After fighting to a "no contest" at
No Mercy on October 7, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next
SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Finlay in a
Stretcher match at
Cyber Sunday on October 28. During this feud, Mysterio lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of
SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at
Survivor Series on November 18, which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated). Mysterio re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008, episode of
SmackDown! when he won a
Beat the Clock challenge for a chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the
Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble on January 27, Mysterio 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 in a rematch at
No Way Out on February 17, which he lost. 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. Mysterio returned on the June 23 episode of
Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the
2008 WWE Draft from the
SmackDown brand 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 on September 7, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by
Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a match at
No Mercy on October 5, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a
steel chair. Mysterio defeated Kane again at
Cyber Sunday on October 26, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at
Survivor Series on November 23, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio then competed in a number one contender's tournament for the
Intercontinental Championship, losing to
CM Punk in the finals at
Armageddon on December 14. At
No Way Out on February 15, 2009, Mysterio competed in the
Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was the last man eliminated by Edge.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010) At
WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Mysterio defeated
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in 21 seconds to capture the Intercontinental Championship. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first
Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the
2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of
Raw, making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then entered into an extensive feud with
Chris Jericho, retaining his title against him at
Judgment Day on May 17. At
Extreme Rules on June 7, Mysterio lost the title after being unmasked and pinned by Jericho. Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match that was scheduled for
The Bash on June 28, which Mysterio won, regaining the title. Mysterio retained the title once more against Jericho on the July 10 episode of
SmackDown to end their feud, before he was attacked by
Dolph Ziggler after the match. He successfully defended the title against Ziggler at both
Night of Champions on July 26 and
SummerSlam on August 23. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. Before the suspension, he lost the title on the September 1 (aired September 4) episode of
SmackDown against
John Morrison. 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. At
Bragging Rights on October 25, they participated in a Fatal 4 Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Mysterio prevented Batista of winning the title and, after the match was attacked by Batista. On November 22, Mysterio lost to Batista at
Survivor Series by
technical knockout. Their feud moved around the World Heavyweight Championship, when Mysterio defeated Batista on the December 18 episode of
SmackDown to gain a title shot against
The Undertaker on the following episode of
SmackDown, but the match ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On the January 15, 2010, episode of
SmackDown, they faced off again in a number one contender's steel cage match, where Mysterio won. However, Mysterio lost the title match to The Undertaker at the
Royal Rumble on January 31. In February, Mysterio began a feud with Punk that also involved Punk's
Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the
namesake event on February 21, Mysterio eliminated Punk. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk and had a match at
WrestleMania XXVI on March 28 with the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. After Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania, they faced again at
Extreme Rules on April 25, with Mysterio losing to Punk in a match where Punk should have had his head shaved if he lost. At
Over the Limit on May 23, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair); Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011) At
Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Mysterio defeated
Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On July 18, at
Money in the Bank, he retained the title against Swagger before Kane, who had won the SmackDown
Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, ending Mysterio's reign at 28 days. He had a rematch for the title at
SummerSlam on August 15, but he was defeated. Mysterio then entered a feud with the debuting
Alberto Del Rio, a Mexican wrestler who portrayed a high-class aristocrat. During Del Rio's debut on the August 20 episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio lost to Del Rio by submission. They both participated at
Bragging Rights on October 24 as part of the victorious Team SmackDown, but during the match, Del Rio attacked Mysterio. At
Survivor Series on November 21, Mysterio and Del Rio led two opposing teams as part of the traditional Survivor Series match, where Team Mysterio won. They also participated at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 in a fatal four-way
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio 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 accidentally broke the nose of
Cody Rhodes when he hit him with a 619. WWE used this accident to start a feud and, as part of the storyline, Rhodes began to wear a mask and they wrestled at
WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, where Mysterio lost to Rhodes. Mysterio defeated Rhodes on the April 22 episode of
SmackDown and at
Extreme Rules on May 1 in a Falls Count Anywhere match, ending their feud. In the
2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. Mysterio then reignited his feud with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of
Raw. The feud culminated in a match at
Capitol Punishment on June 19, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 25, Mysterio won a
tournament for the vacant WWE Championship to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to
John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of
Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost to him via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August.
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 his return in July, Mysterio faced The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at
SummerSlam on August 19 and in a fatal-four-way match at
Night of Champions on September 16, but lost both times. In September, he was paired with
Sin Cara as a tag team. They entered into a feud with
The Prime Time Players (
Titus O'Neil and
Darren Young), defeating them at
Hell in a Cell on October 28, as well as O'Neil and Young's team at
Survivor Series on November 18. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, they lost to Rhodes and
Damien Sandow in a tables match. On the following episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio and Cara were written off television after being attacked by
The Shield and Mysterio suffered an injury, dissolving the team. This was done for Mysterio to take time off and Sin Cara underwent knee surgery. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015) in April 2014. 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 October 27. 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 on November 24, in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor
Roman Reigns. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 15, Mysterio and
Big Show unsuccessfully challenged
Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (
Ryback and
Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At
WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, Mysterio competed in the
André the Giant Memorial
Battle Royal, but was eliminated by eventual winner
Cesaro. On the April 7 episode of
Raw, Mysterio lost to a returning
Bad News Barrett. He subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury. During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but WWE had extended his contract without his approval. He did not 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 officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2015–2016) Five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view
Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, where he and
Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) defeated the
Los Perros del Mal team of
El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and
Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. On March 20, during another tag team match, a dropkick from Mysterio resulted in Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring. Mysterio delivered the dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involves Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The referee, wrestlers, and locker room crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official cause of death was ruled as
cardiac arrest, due to a cervical
stroke caused by three fractured vertebrae. 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 for the win. For
Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a
Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned
rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face, challenging him to a
Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the
2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside
Dr. Wagner Jr. and
Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International"; the trio finished in third place.
Return to the independent circuit (2015–2018) Rey Mysterio has appeared on a number of independent shows, facing the likes of
Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling,
Amazing Red in House of Glory,
AJ Styles at a
5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, and Ricochet in Xtreme Wrestling Alliance (XWA). Mysterio faced fellow
WWE alumnus
Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016, for the upstart URFight promotion, defeating Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper
Riff Raff. On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with
Penta El Zero M, defeating
Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and longtime rival
Juventud Guerrera in the finals. Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors
Fenix and
Bandido for the main event of the indy super show
All In on September 1, 2018, losing to
The Golden Elite team of
Kota Ibushi and
The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2016) Mysterio signed with
Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015, and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio,
Dragon Azteca Jr. and
Prince Puma defeated
Ivelisse,
Johnny Mundo and
Son of Havoc and
Fénix,
Jack Evans, and
P. J. Black and
Cortez Castro,
Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a four-way trio tag team elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. At
Ultima Lucha Dos on January 31, Mysterio defeated Puma. In March, he was the second competitor to enter the second
Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner,
Matanza. On April 9, Mysterio competed in the third Aztec Warfare match, which was aired in November, eliminating
Matanza Cueto and ending his undefeated streak, before he was eliminated by
Johnny Mundo. At the end of Season 3, Mysterio lost a match to Cueto, who then brutally attacked Mysterio, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018) Rey Mysterio made his
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018, as part of NJPW's
Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with
Jushin Thunder Liger and
Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the
Bullet Club team of
Cody,
Marty Scurll and
Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018) On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at
Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the
AAA Mega Championship against
Rey Wegner and
Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE (2018–present) United States Champion (2018–2020) In 2018, Mysterio made two surprise appearances at
Royal Rumble on January 28 and
Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, but lost both matches. On September 19, it was confirmed he had signed a two-year contract with WWE. Mysterio participated in the
WWE World Cup at
Crown Jewel on November 2, defeating
Randy Orton in the first round but lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. After weeks of attacks by Orton, Mysterio faced Orton on the November 20 episode of
SmackDown Live, but lost. At
Survivor Series on November 18, Mysterio competed as part of Team SmackDown in the
Survivor Series match, but was eliminated by
Braun Strowman, and his team lost to Team Raw. On December 16, at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a
chairs match, ending their feud. At the
Royal Rumble on January 27, 2019, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at No. 25, but was eliminated by Orton. In February, Mysterio began challenging for the
United States Championship. He failed to win the title from
Samoa Joe at
Fastlane on March 10 and
WrestleMania 35 on April 7, where he was squashed by Joe in 58 seconds. After being drafted to Raw as part of the
Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio won the title from Joe at
Money in the Bank on May 19, becoming the twenty-first
WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. However, on the June 3 episode of
Raw, Mysterio announced that he would return the title to Joe due to suffering an injury. Mysterio returned from injury one month later. On the September 23 episode of
Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, earning him a
Universal Championship opportunity against
Seth Rollins. However, the following week on
Raw, Mysterio and his son, Dominik, were brutally attacked by
Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of
Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At
Crown Jewel on October 31, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. The following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At
Survivor Series on November 24, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik. Mysterio won a fatal-four-way match on the November 25 episode of
Raw to earn a match for the United States Championship, regaining the title by defeating
A.J. Styles. On the December 9 episode of
Raw, he successfully defended the title against Styles, before losing it to
Andrade during a
house show at
Madison Square Garden on December 26. He attempted to win the title back from Andrade on the January 6 and 20 episodes of
Raw, in a losing effort.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–2022) during a tag team match against the
Street Profits in December 2021 In May 2020, Mysterio began feuding with
Seth Rollins, who used the corner of steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye and take him out of action. At
The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on July 19, Mysterio lost to Rollins in an Eye for an Eye match. On August 30, Mysterio and his son,
Dominik Mysterio, defeated Rollins and
Murphy at
Payback. As part of the
2020 Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the
SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Rollins faced each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of
SmackDown, which Mysterio won after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins, ending their feud. At
Royal Rumble on January 31, 2021, Mysterio entered at No. 26, but was eliminated by
Omos. Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio began teaming with Dominik. At
WrestleMania Backlash on May 16, they defeated
Dolph Ziggler and
Robert Roode to win the
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, becoming the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history. On the June 4 episode of
SmackDown, the Mysterios retained their titles against
The Usos, albeit with controversy as the referee failed to notice Jimmy's shoulder was lifted. After
Adam Pearce and
Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after
Roman Reigns interfered and attacked them, causing a disqualification. On the June 18 episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio lost to Reigns in a
Hell in a Cell match. At the
Money in the Bank pre-show on July 18, the Mysterios lost the titles to the Usos, ending their reign at 63 days. They failed to regain the titles at
SummerSlam on August 21. As part of the
2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the
Raw brand. Rey, along with Dominik, were then involved in a feud with
The Miz, whom Rey defeated at the
Elimination Chamber pre-show on February 19. The feud grew to involve social media star
Logan Paul, culminating in a tag team match between the Mysterios and Miz and Paul on Night 1 of
WrestleMania 38 on April 2, which the Mysterios lost. Over the following weeks, The Mysterios began a feud with
The Judgment Day (
Finn Balor,
Damian Priest, and
Rhea Ripley), who repeatedly attempted to have Dominik join the stable. At
SummerSlam on July 30, the Mysterios defeated Bálor and Priest after interference from a returning
Edge. At
Clash at the Castle on September 3, Rey and Edge defeated Bálor and Priest. After the match, Dominik hit Edge with a low blow and hit a clothesline on Rey, thus disbanding the Mysterios. On the October 14 episode of
SmackDown, he was transferred to the SmackDown brand, refusing to fight his son. Later that night, he won a fatal four-way match for an Intercontinental Championship match against
Gunther, which he lost on the November 4 episode of
SmackDown.
Latino World Order; English commentator for AAA (2023–present) (
Finn Balor,
Damian Priest,
Dominik Mysterio and
JD McDonagh) in August 2024. At the
Royal Rumble on January 28, 2023, Rey was scheduled to enter the Royal Rumble match at No. 17, but was unable to compete in storyline due to presumably being attacked by Dominik, who entered the match at No. 18. On March 10, WWE announced that Mysterio would be inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the
Class of 2023. After weeks of continuous torment by Dominik, on the March 24 episode of
SmackDown, Rey attacked Dominik after he disrespected his mother and sister, accepting his challenge for a match at
WrestleMania 39. On the following episode of
SmackDown, Rey would reform the
Latino World Order by gifting LWO shirts to
Legado Del Fantasma (
Santos Escobar,
Zelina Vega,
Joaquin Wilde, and
Cruz Del Toro), as the group had aided Mysterio against The Judgment Day for several weeks prior. At Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 on April 1, Rey defeated Dominik with help from
Bad Bunny. In July, Mysterio competed in the United States Title Invitational Tournament, where he was defeated by LWO stablemate Escobar in the finals via referee stoppage, after suffering from whiplash. On the August 11 episode of
SmackDown, after Escobar was rendered unable to compete in his title match due to an attack from the champion,
Austin Theory, Mysterio took Escobar's place and defeated Theory to capture his third United States Championship. At
Payback on September 2, he defeated Theory in a rematch to retain the title. On the September 29 episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio successfully defended the title against Escobar. After the match, they were attacked by
The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). At
Fastlane on October 7, Mysterio, Escobar and the returning
Carlito defeated
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits in a six-man tag team match. On November 4, at
Crown Jewel, Mysterio lost the United States Championship to
Logan Paul after Escobar placed brass knuckles in the ring, which Paul used on Mysterio, ending his reign at 85 days. After a three-month hiatus, Mysterio returned on the March 1 episode of
SmackDown, assisting Carlito in winning a
street fight against Escobar. Three weeks later, Mysterio lost to Escobar after interference from Dominik. On the March 29 episode of
SmackDown, Mysterio introduced
Dragon Lee as the newest member of the LWO, and Rey and Lee challenged Escobar and Dominik to a tag team match at
WrestleMania XL. However, Lee was found attacked backstage the following week, rendering him unable to compete at WrestleMania. Rey was assisted by
Andrade to fend off Escobar and Dominik. At Night 1 of WrestleMania XL on April 6, Mysterio and Andrade defeated Escobar and Dominik after interference from
Lane Johnson and
Jason Kelce. On the April 26 episode of
SmackDown, after Rey and Lee defeated Los Lotharios (
Angel and
Berto), Escobar revealed that Carlito had attacked Lee. Carlito then proceeded to attack both Lee and Mysterio after Escobar's revelation. As part of the
2024 WWE Draft, Mysterio and the rest of the LWO were drafted to the Raw brand. In October 2024, the LWO began a televised feud with
Chad Gable's newly formed faction,
American Made. The rivalry was centered around Gable's portrayal of "El Grande Americano", a masked character parodying lucha libre traditions, directly opposing Rey Mysterio and the LWO's cultural legacy. The two groups competed in various tag team and mixed-tag matches throughout late 2024 and early 2025. The storyline culminated at
WrestleMania 41, where Gable (as El Grande Americano) was scheduled to face Mysterio. However, on the April 19, 2025, episode of SmackDown, Mysterio suffered a legitimate torn groin and a ruptured eardrum during a six-man tag match involving American Made and the LWO. As a result, he was medically disqualified from competing and was replaced by
Rey Fénix. Mysterio later underwent surgery and was expected to return to action towards the end of 2025. On June 7, 2025, he appeared at
AAA X WWE Worlds Collide 2025, giving a speech to open the show. On August 16, 2025, Mysterio appeared at
TripleMania XXXIII, to induct
Konnan into the
AAA Hall of Fame. Mysterio returned to action for the first time in over half a year on the November 17, 2025, episode of Monday Night Raw where he teamed with Sheamus and John Cena to defeat
The Judgement Day. On January 15, 2026, he appeared to open the episode to mark the beginning of the weekly show moving to Fox and YouTube before joining as an English commentator and Spanish-English interpreter for subsequent pre-recorded episodes up to the January 31 episode, when he is actually in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for
Royal Rumble on that day. He entered the match at #4, being eliminated by
Oba Femi. In March 2026, it was reported that Mysterio had suffered fractured ribs and would be out of action. Mysterio would subsequently return on the April 6, 2026 edition of
Raw to announce that he would be a participant in the
WrestleMania 42 Intercontinental Championship ladder match. At the event on Night 2 April 19, Mysterio failed to win the title. == Professional wrestling persona ==