Following the career of Rey Mysterio the past 20 or so years, it’s sometimes seemed he’s rehabbed injuries as often as he’s wrestled. Chatting with Stephanie McMahon on the latest What’s Your Story?, Mysterio indicated he feels that physically even though his mind and heart hasn’t accepted his age (51). So while he wants to keep wrestling, he’s accepting the reality of the situation.
That reality is about more than just him, too:
“Most recently, I have been battling with, is it getting close to my
time to retire? I certainly don’t feel like I am. Like, my body is saying, ‘Okay, now it’s time,’ and I always like to listen to my body.
“I am enjoying the position of being AAA GM and seeing young rising stars come up in the game. But at the end of the day, it’s like, man, I really enjoy what I do on every level. Obviously, I enjoy wrestling a lot more than being behind the cameras. But I do understand that opportunities are very little, and there’s others that are going to come before me right now because it’s time to give the spotlight to other superstars, especially in the lucha libre world. So I am okay with that.
“I think as far as tapping out, never say never, but it can just pop up one day, just out of nowhere, and say, ‘Okay, now it’s time.’”
One of those young superstars has already called dibs on retiring Rey, and he is the logical choice. But Dominik Mysterio says he’s the only one who’s talking about retiring the Hall of Famer. And if anyone’s talking about it, they better check in with El Sucio de los Sucios, because he doesn’t get to end his deadbeat dad’s career, he will lose his $#!+…
On The Ariel Helwani Show just before SummerSlam, Dom said:
“I don’t think there was ever any talks for it, but I’ve been talking about it. I want him out of here. Now even with my sister coming in, there’s only room for so many Mysterios. There’s one pushing 60, and I think it’s time for him to kick rocks; that’s just how I see it…
“It has to be. I don’t see any other way for it. I genuinely don’t. It’s my birthright. I will lose my absolute shit if it’s not me. I have to do it; it’s the only way possible. I gotta take his mask, and I gotta take his name.”
If Rey can give us a few bangers a year — I’m greatly looking forward to his Intercontinental title match with Chad Gable whenever WWE books it — I’m not ready to say goodbye to a wrestler I’ve been enamored with since I first saw his mask vs. title classic against Eddie Guerrero at 1997’s WCW Halloween Havoc* (which I watched on DVD when I was reconnecting with pro graps in the early aughts, but that we can all now watch any time on the WWE Vault YouTube channel here).
When he is ready to hang ‘em up… probably when he gets closer to actually being 60? Dirty Dom would be the only logical choice as final opponent.
Right? Weigh in on this in the comments below.
