Infamous Rey Mysterio Moment Led To WWE Star’s Career
An unfortunate moment from Rey Mysterio’s career had a lasting effect on an up-and-coming WWE star.
Rey Mysterio has had more than one iconic moment during his legendary career. Mysterio captured a huge win in the 2006 Royal Rumble that led to his emotional World Heavyweight Championship victory at WrestleMania 22.
In 2011, WWE was entering a Summer of Punk as CM Punk launched his pipe bomb into the company, causing carnage. At Money In The Bank, Punk defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship, ostensibly to take that title with him as he left the company.
With no official WWE Champion, a tournament took place to find a new champion. Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final of that tournament to become WWE Champion for the first and only time in his career. Unfortunately, Mysterio’s celebrations were cut short as John Cena demanded his rematch for the title on the same night and defeated Mysterio to win back the gold.
While that night has now become a meme-worthy footnote in Mysterio’s career, it spurred one star onto follow his dreams.
Rey Mysterio Inspired Aspiring WWE ID Star
Speaking on The CODA Brand, current WWE ID Champion Cappuccino Jones revealed he was introduced to wrestling through video games:
I got into wrestling when I was 11 years old through WWE All Stars. I was playing the demo at my cousin’s house. Fast forward a couple months, I was like, ‘You know what? That All Stars game I played was pretty good,’ so I got SmackDown vs Raw 2009.
I was slightly disappointed because they weren’t humongous and doing like dropkicks turned into backflips and all that, but you know what, we were still playing it. I was playing it at my best friend Derek’s house.
Jones then revealed that his first time watching Raw was the night Mysterio won – then lost – the WWE Title, but it was Rey’s victory that inspired him to become a WWE star:
First time ever watching Raw, monumental episode, the day after CM Punk won his first WWE Title at Money in the Bank and ran off.
I’m watching Rey Mysterio vs The Miz, this is the first match I’m seeing. I see Rey become WWE Champion, and I audibly said in that moment, ‘I’m going to be a WWE Superstar.’ [h/t WrestleTalk]