You may not know WWE star Dominik by his first identify, however his final identify is as well-known because it comes: Mysterio.
The son of the good luchador Rey Mysterio, Dominik started his WWE profession by defending his father’s identify and even gained a tag-team title alongside Rey – solely to make a shocking heel flip that culminated within the father-son duo preventing at WrestleMania this yr.
Now, the youthful Mysterio – beneath the ‘Soiled Dominik’ moniker – has joined The Judgment Day crew and is a rising star within the WWE beneath the tutelage of Australia’s iconic Rhea Ripley.
Stream Over 50 Sports activities Stay & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin Your Free Trial Right now >
Chatting with Fox Sports activities forward of Perth’s Elimination Chamber occasion in February, the WWE’s first in Australia since 2018, Dominik opened up on the ‘surreal’ combat along with his father and dealing with the ‘superior’ Ripley.
It’s laborious to think about what it’s wish to develop up with a globally famend father. Dominik was continuously across the WWE as a teen and was even frequently included in storylines – together with, memorably, a combat between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio for the custody of Dominik.
“I had all of the motion figures,” he laughs, dropping a who’s-who of wrestling legends as his idols together with Guerrero – whose shirt he’s sporting as we converse.
“I grew up watching all that stuff. And motion figures, man I had all of them. You identify them, I had them – whether or not it was the versatile ones, the enormous ones, the traditional motion figures, I had all of them.”
Did Dominik look as much as his iconic luchador father?
“I did once I was a child. However even once I was a child, consider it or not, I used to be extra of a Jeff Hardy fan than a Rey Mysterio fan.
“However simply rising up with him and realising what a legend he’s on this enterprise, after which now having the ability to take over that and telling him that I’m gonna be the legend on this enterprise, to hold the Mysterio identify on, it’s fairly loopy to see.”
Having performed soccer and American soccer rising up, it took till Dominik completed highschool that he says “I acquired the itch.”
From the second he started his profession – in an enormous Avenue Battle with the famous person Seth Collins no much less – there was loads of expectation on Dominik’s shoulders.
However the 26-year-old says he’s specializing in having fun with himself and never getting caught up within the strain that comes with carrying on the Mysterio legacy.
“I feel once I acquired into it, everybody else would inform me: ‘You may have large footwear to fill’, or ‘Man, you’re by no means going to fill these footwear’ or simply the identify Rey Mysterio and the Mysterio identify, what my dad has already accomplished for that identify.
“So on the subject of the strain, I don’t know. I really feel like I simply thrive in it. I’m on the market simply having enjoyable doing my very own factor. And simply sort of having fun with it.
“, the strain’s there. And I attempt not to consider it an excessive amount of, as a result of if I sit there and give it some thought, I really feel prefer it’s simply gonna eat me up.
“So I attempt not to consider it an excessive amount of as a result of I attempt to have a very good head on my shoulders… and simply maintain the crew rolling.”
That crew – Judgment Day – is headed by Australia’s personal Rhea Ripley, the Adelaide famous person who has change into the face of ladies’s WWE.
Requested about Ripley, Mysterio’s face lights up.
“Oh man, she’s superior! I say it on a regular basis, I’m very grateful for her. I don’t know if I’d be in the identical place that I’m now with out her.
“And simply what she’s accomplished to assist me out in my profession, and even helped me out backstage with matches and even promos and stuff. She’s simply so useful for me and all of the boys as effectively.
“Even when me and Damian (Priest) would do tag matches, she would deliver us bananas as a result of she’s like ‘I do know you boys haven’t eaten in the present day!’
“Simply little issues like that that she does for us, it’s actually cool to see.”
Mysterio, nonetheless a relative newcomer to the game, is embracing the chance to be taught from the Australian megastar, who can also be at the moment in Perth to advertise the February occasion.
“Regardless that we’re a pair months aside in age, she has years of expertise on me on this enterprise. I’m three and a half years in and she or he’s been on this for 10-plus years now and already acquired each championship in WWE attainable, she’s on high of the sport.
“So it’s like having the ability to simply sit again and be taught from her as effectively. Issues like being affected person, ready for the appropriate second, taking my time in sure conditions. (She’s) going on the market with promos serving to me, like she’ll actually regulate me to digital camera angles and transfer me so I could be in entrance of the digital camera extra. She’s simply tremendous useful.”
Requested how far he believes Ripley can go, Mysterio replies: “I couldn’t inform you, like truthfully there’s no restrict for her at this level. I really feel like she’s completed mainly every thing. She’s 27!
“The sky’s the restrict for her and it’s simply thrilling to be part of it. And I can’t wait to see what she does subsequent as a result of I imply, on the finish of the day she is the lady’s division of WWE.”
Ripley is already a bona-fide megastar, however Dominik is effectively on his approach to stardom himself. So meteoric has his rise been that Mysterio can hardly consider it.
“Actually no, this type of simply all occurred so quick for me. Even with the match with Seth for my debut, they didn’t even ask me, they requested my dad: ‘Do you assume he’s able to wrestle?’
“And my dad was like, ‘no, I don’t assume so’, however he’s like, ‘let me ask him’ – and when he requested me I used to be like ‘Yeah I’m prepared, like throw me in there!’
“So I feel it’s simply so loopy, being part of all of it and it’s an enormous blessing man… It’s loopy.”
Mysterio says he by no means anticipated the ugly household break up that noticed him go from preventing alongside his father (and successful a tag staff title as well) to going through Rey within the ring.
But it surely’s clear he’s having fun with embracing his darker aspect after making the heel flip.
“Oh man,” he says. “I assumed due to the Mysterio identify and being with my dad and even successful the tag titles, I assumed we have been simply gonna be collectively on a regular basis. But it surely simply wasn’t the case.
“After which I discovered that I did have somewhat little bit of a darker aspect, and I knew I had that somewhat bit as a result of (his sister) Aalyah would deliver it out of me now and again.”
At Wrestlemania 39 this yr, the youthful Mysterio arrived for that historic father-son showdown in one of many organisation’s all-time entrances: arriving handcuffed at the back of a jail van, flanked by cops on bikes.
“I can’t take any credit score for that! I don’t know methods to give credit score to, however the one who approached me about it was Triple H,” he says.
“After I acquired there, I’m not gonna lie I used to be a bit bummed out! As a result of I assumed I’m gonna get that WrestleMania image happening the ramp … However then within the different aspect of my thoughts I used to be like everybody does that and never everybody will get their very own entrance to WrestleMania in order that simply makes it a lot extra particular for me. It provides me goosebumps!”
What about preventing his father?
“It was actually cool to have the ability to do one thing that we had talked about probably doing years and years in the past. It’s not even like an concept that we had form of stone, it was simply sort of like a meals for thought kind of deal once I first began coaching 4 or 5 years in the past… it’s positively a surreal second.”
And as for getting out of his father’s lengthy shadow?
Dominik laughs: “I imply, I’ve completed extra in three years than he ever did in his first three years.”
It’s his first time in Australia, and he already can’t wait to be again for February’s occasion at Optus Stadium.
“We took off to see the stadium and we did the ziplining down there, a number of enjoyable! We’re going to go see some, I consider, quokkas later.
“I’m simply pumped to be right here, the meals’s been scrumptious. Apart from the those who I’ve met in person who have booed me, every thing’s been nice.”
Being booed on vacation? That’s half and parcel of being a wrestling heel.
“It was on the radio reveals, on the intros I did. It was all boos however I get it, I get it. They like to hate me!”
However Dominik can’t get sufficient.
“Oh man, I adore it! For us, so long as you’re listening to one thing it’s a very good factor, proper?
“In our case, you don’t hear something (else) once I’m on the market as a result of the boos are so loud!… But it surely’s simply such a blessing, it’s actually cool to see how the followers react.”
Mysterio has “no concept” how he can high that WrestleMania entrance when he takes to the stage in Perth. However he guarantees that he and Rhea Ripley will cook dinner up one thing ‘particular’ for Aussie followers.
“I hope so. , We all the time attempt to match our gear and do some specials… I’ll see if we’ve any cool concepts.”