Mysterio talks Del Rio, Undertaker and Punk

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Rey Mysterio recently did an interview with WrestleTalk TV in the UK. This was a follow up to Alberto Del Rio’s interview in January, and filmed just minutes after Del Rio made his surprising return to the WWE. In the previous interview, Del Rio revealed the true details of his release in 2014, and heavily praised Mysterio.

The interviewer was Producer Alex Shane, who was also a wrestler and a promoter. He introduced Mysterio as someone who pioneered the lucha libre style in the west, and the holder of 21 titles. Mysterio didn’t realise that he had won so many. Shane said that everyone in the industry has someone who thinks that they are a “douchebag”, but admitted that he has never heard anyone say anything bad about Mysterio. Shane asked what the secret was, and Mysterio credited his upbringing. Both his parents and his uncle (the original Rey Misterio) taught him to show respect to everyone, particularly his elders and veterans. He believes that showing respect has helped him last 25 years in the industry, and gets so much respect back.

Shane told a story about when he was training to become a wrestler with Dirtbike Kid, and Kid made him watch Rey Mysterio’s first ECW match. Shane exclaimed that “wrestling will never be the same again”. He wondered if Mysterio knew he was pioneering a change, but Mysterio denied having done so. He said that he and Psicosis were only concerned about making a good first impression. The pair had been reviewing tapes of their previous matches in Mexico for ideas. When they asked Paul Heyman about using a table, Heyman told them to do whatever they wanted and to have fun. This put more pressure on them because they had no limits; therefore they had no excuses for not giving their best. He is still humbled by knowing what he and Psicosis got to do when he was just 19. He admitted that it was the best moment in his career at that point.

Shane asked about how Mysterio adapted to WCW, implying that WCW was cutthroat while ECW was creative. Mysterio agreed that WCW was politically charged, and his upbringing (showing respect to everyone) ensured his survival. A few minutes before his debut match, he discovered that the show he was at was actually a pay-per-view event.

Shane claimed that Mysterio’s ‘Mask vs Title’ match with Eddie Guerrero was in a lot of people’s ‘Top 5’ matches. Mysterio admitted it was in his Top 3, and that he had a lot of great matches with Guerrero and Kurt Angle. He said that he was under a lot of pressure because he was scheduled to lose his mask, and a lot of fans were excited about seeing his face. They wanted the excitement of the match to exceed the hype. Shortly before the match, management informed them that Mysterio was keeping the mask and winning the Cruiserweight Championship. Eddie was furious because he thought management were punishing him, not rewarding Mysterio. Mysterio convinced Eddie that he wouldn’t let him look weak, and they came up with a new match that made Mysterio look strong while letting Eddie retain his dignity. He claimed that the experience helped give him a real feel for Eddie and that was one of the few times when Mysterio was at 100%.

Shane made a quip about Alberto Del Rio saying that Mysterio was “God” in Mexico while Del Rio was “the devil”.

Mysterio admitted that he didn’t think Del Rio would ever return to the WWE, but is really happy he did. He said that if there is a place you want to be, you should take the opportunity to go there if it happens, because life is short. Mysterio hinted that he would go back too, but didn’t explain why it wouldn’t happen. He clarified that he is happy now, and he is happy for Del Rio. He said that the WWE is lacking in Latin talent, and Del Rio would make the perfect star.

Shane mentioned that there is always talk about WWE finding their “next Rey Mysterio”, and Mysterio said they can’t. Shane asked if Mysterio would return to WWE, but Mysterio insisted that he is happy now. He made great money with the company, travelled the world and loved interacting with the fans. However, he missed a lot of time with his family. His two children are already teenagers, with his son getting ready to go to college. He agreed that if he ever had more time in the future, he would consider going back. Shane asked if his family was the reason why he left, and Mysterio said it was family and needing time off to heal. He now feels great. He said working with the WWE was like being on-call 24/7, as when the WWE says they need, you have to be ready to go right away.

Mysterio had trouble verbalising his opinion on how he and Undertaker have become ‘one of a kind’ attractions. He believed that they were both a different breed that is rare today. He noted Del Rio as an exception. He claimed that when you have put in as much work as they have, you develop a different passion for the sport, and it is important to protect it. You also can’t deny the fans every time you get out there. He knows that there are others out there who are like that, but finding them seems to be a bigger problem now.

Mysterio said the Streak should not have ended. But this was not his decision and accepted some people have a different way of thinking.

Mysterio feels that John Cena always performs at a very high level and he has enjoyed working with him. He is aware that most fans have an opposite opinion, and are tired of seeing him on top. Mysterio thinks the problem is that he had been on top for so long that the fans want to see someone new in that spot, but they reject everyone who comes up. He gave the example of Roman Reigns and suggested that he is failing because fans won’t give him a chance…

He then changed his mind and said that the fans choose the stars. He said that fans want Daniel Bryan. You can’t give them what they want a little bit and then take it away again. The fans are the ones buying tickets and merchandise, and they are also the ones that know what they want. It is better to give them what they want and keep them happy.

Mysterio admitted that he always tried to avoid backstage politics, and has no idea what really happened between the WWE and CM Punk, but he accepts Punk’s opinion on what he wanted to do and why. Mysterio said that if Punk wasn’t getting the respect or answers that he needed, then he was right to walk away, and people (including WWE) should respect that. You can’t sugar-coat the truth against someone. He believed that Punk was not getting the answers he needed and should have walked away.

He said that he is definitely looking forward to CM Punk’s UFC debut.

Shane told Mysterio that he had twice as many Twitter followers as Diego Maradona. Mysterio was shocked and credited things like that to the support and love from fans.
 
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