Black Widow
04-02-2009, 10:10 PM
Rey Mysterio is not a tall man. The masked wrestler (born Oscar Gutierrez) stands around 5½ feet, which makes for striking contrasts when he gets paired against World Wrestling Entertainment goliaths who sometimes approach 7 feet tall. But the San Diego-born wrestler is hard not to notice. He leaps about the ring like a flea executing a series of signature moves that emphasize acrobatic flair — a hallmark of the Mexican lucha libre style of wrestling he learned from his uncle.
Mysterio will have to rely on signature moves — the West Coast Pop and the 619 — if he’s going to best JBL (John “Bradshaw” Layfield) on Sunday at WrestleMania XXV. Mysterio gives up more than a foot and more than 100 pounds to the Intercontinental champion.
He stopped by Houston a week before WrestleMania to talk about his lucha roots, his masks and his worst injuries.
Q: Do you think you’re going home with the Intercontinental belt?
A:I hope so. If it does happen that will be a great birthday present for my son. He will be here along with my daughter.
Q: Do they have masks?
A: Yes they do. Both of them do. My daughter has a pink outfit. My son has a mask, too. I had them custom made by the same guy that does my outfits.
Q: So you don’t just go to the mask store and buy off the rack?
A:No. (Laughs.) No.
Q:You got started in wrestling as a teen, right?
A: It goes back almost 30 years. I have to say, the first time I stepped into the ring it was probably at the age of 4. That’s when I was hanging out with my uncle, my mom’s brother, Rey Mysterio Sr. It runs in the family, it’s stayed in the family.
Q: Were you a high-flying kid?
A:Yeah, yeah. For some reason I could never stop. We never had a trampoline, but I wished I did. We’d sneak into a friend’s pool and use their trampoline to practice backflips.
Q:Is all the jumping around harder at 35 than 25?
A: It is without a doubt. I don’t know if it’s age or the years I’ve been doing it, but it has definitely taken a toll on my body. ... But I don’t want to quit. I still feel like I got a couple more years in me. I try to conserve myself as much as I can without doing as many crazy moves as I used to do when I was a lot younger. Some of those moves I can’t do anymore. Some I try to modify so I don’t have the risk of blowing out my knee or any other part of my body. It’s worked out pretty well.
Q:Is the torn ACL the worst injury?
A: There were actually five ACLs on the same knee. It’s a bummer, man. I don’t know if I wish I would’ve got half and half. Apparently my right knee is really good and my left knee is bad. After the last ACL tear on the left knee, I suffered a bicep tear on my right arm. There’s the scar right there. Battle wounds. This one (the bicep) unfortunately got complicated after the first surgery. I had to go in twice to get it redone.
Q:Have you ever gotten up high and had second thoughts about it?
A: Yes. My very first show with the WWE I had my wrestling match versus Chavo (Guerrero). . . . I had to climb up a cage on the outside and stand on top and dive into the inside of the ring. At the moment it didn’t hit me — I climbed so fast — until I tried to stand with nothing behind me and ring in front of me. And looking 15 to 17 feet down is when it really hit me. (Laughs.) I don’t like heights. I just did it. It happened so fast, I just dove off and it was over.
Q:Do you have an estimate as to how many masks are in your home?
A: Ahhh . . . I’m going to say anywhere from 250 to 300. It’s a good collection.
Q:Is there a story behind your mask designs?
A: My uncle came out with the first design. He had numerous designs every week. The reason was he was Rey Mysterio, mystery. He’d do all sorts of colors, play with the mask. One stood out, and it’s this one with the falcons on the side. Instead of the cross he had a crown representing the king, rey. I tweaked it around a little bit. I put the cross on it, but I left the falcons. The eyes and eyebrows were part of his design. What I do now is just rotate colors, switch it up.
Q:It’s convenient for dropping the character. Just unzip the mask and pull it off.
A: Oh yes, it’s incredible . . . to actually have a second life. We all have split personalities, we all wear masks at some point in our careers. I literally wear a mask. When I take it off I’m a father. I’m a husband. I like to come home, and I like to spend time with family, and I like to travel, and I like to have a good time. And I like to be a kid every now and giggle and play with my kids.
chron.com
Mysterio will have to rely on signature moves — the West Coast Pop and the 619 — if he’s going to best JBL (John “Bradshaw” Layfield) on Sunday at WrestleMania XXV. Mysterio gives up more than a foot and more than 100 pounds to the Intercontinental champion.
He stopped by Houston a week before WrestleMania to talk about his lucha roots, his masks and his worst injuries.
Q: Do you think you’re going home with the Intercontinental belt?
A:I hope so. If it does happen that will be a great birthday present for my son. He will be here along with my daughter.
Q: Do they have masks?
A: Yes they do. Both of them do. My daughter has a pink outfit. My son has a mask, too. I had them custom made by the same guy that does my outfits.
Q: So you don’t just go to the mask store and buy off the rack?
A:No. (Laughs.) No.
Q:You got started in wrestling as a teen, right?
A: It goes back almost 30 years. I have to say, the first time I stepped into the ring it was probably at the age of 4. That’s when I was hanging out with my uncle, my mom’s brother, Rey Mysterio Sr. It runs in the family, it’s stayed in the family.
Q: Were you a high-flying kid?
A:Yeah, yeah. For some reason I could never stop. We never had a trampoline, but I wished I did. We’d sneak into a friend’s pool and use their trampoline to practice backflips.
Q:Is all the jumping around harder at 35 than 25?
A: It is without a doubt. I don’t know if it’s age or the years I’ve been doing it, but it has definitely taken a toll on my body. ... But I don’t want to quit. I still feel like I got a couple more years in me. I try to conserve myself as much as I can without doing as many crazy moves as I used to do when I was a lot younger. Some of those moves I can’t do anymore. Some I try to modify so I don’t have the risk of blowing out my knee or any other part of my body. It’s worked out pretty well.
Q:Is the torn ACL the worst injury?
A: There were actually five ACLs on the same knee. It’s a bummer, man. I don’t know if I wish I would’ve got half and half. Apparently my right knee is really good and my left knee is bad. After the last ACL tear on the left knee, I suffered a bicep tear on my right arm. There’s the scar right there. Battle wounds. This one (the bicep) unfortunately got complicated after the first surgery. I had to go in twice to get it redone.
Q:Have you ever gotten up high and had second thoughts about it?
A: Yes. My very first show with the WWE I had my wrestling match versus Chavo (Guerrero). . . . I had to climb up a cage on the outside and stand on top and dive into the inside of the ring. At the moment it didn’t hit me — I climbed so fast — until I tried to stand with nothing behind me and ring in front of me. And looking 15 to 17 feet down is when it really hit me. (Laughs.) I don’t like heights. I just did it. It happened so fast, I just dove off and it was over.
Q:Do you have an estimate as to how many masks are in your home?
A: Ahhh . . . I’m going to say anywhere from 250 to 300. It’s a good collection.
Q:Is there a story behind your mask designs?
A: My uncle came out with the first design. He had numerous designs every week. The reason was he was Rey Mysterio, mystery. He’d do all sorts of colors, play with the mask. One stood out, and it’s this one with the falcons on the side. Instead of the cross he had a crown representing the king, rey. I tweaked it around a little bit. I put the cross on it, but I left the falcons. The eyes and eyebrows were part of his design. What I do now is just rotate colors, switch it up.
Q:It’s convenient for dropping the character. Just unzip the mask and pull it off.
A: Oh yes, it’s incredible . . . to actually have a second life. We all have split personalities, we all wear masks at some point in our careers. I literally wear a mask. When I take it off I’m a father. I’m a husband. I like to come home, and I like to spend time with family, and I like to travel, and I like to have a good time. And I like to be a kid every now and giggle and play with my kids.
chron.com