Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio, better known as Rey Misterio, Jr. or Rey Mysterio (born December 11, 1974 in San Diego, California, USA) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler currently performing for World Wrestling Entertainment in its SmackDown! brand.

He is a luchador as is his uncle, Rey Misterio, Sr. He debuted as a wrestler in 1991 in Tijuana, Mexico because he was too young to wrestle in the United States as no athletic commission would give him a license at his young age. There he feuded with another luchador, Psicosis (Psychosis) which carried over in to the States and lasted several years.

ECW/WCW career

In 1995 he and Psicosis went to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), making their first real impacts in American professional wrestling, outside of the WCW-promoted When Worlds Collide Pay Per View. Their feud stopped for a while after a Mexican Death Match in November 1995 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1996, he joined Psicosis (now Psychosis) in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), continuing their feud on and off for a few years. Rey would find success there, winning the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship on numerous occasions.

In 1999 he was involved in a feud with Kevin Nash which culminated with a Caballera vs. Mascara Match (Hair vs. Mask) which Rey lost. Now unmasked, he still found moderate success in WCW until it was sold to the WWF in 2001.

Rey then went back to Mexico to work for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, unmasked, being involved in some high profile matches.

WWE career

In 2002, Rey was then signed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but was asked to wear the mask again, which can get you fined and even your license suspended in lucha libre by the Box y Lucha Commission because once a wrestler loses his mask, he cannot regain it. However, donning the mask again wasn't Mysterio's decision. In deference to this tradition, when WWE produced the Rey Mysterio: 619 DVD, Rey did not wear his mask during segments shot in Mexico.

A popular performer and multiple-time WWE Cruiserweight champion, Rey has already made his mark in WWE. He is considered a great aerial wrestler and many also consider him a legend in the making. He has held the WCW/WWE Cruiserweight championship eight times, more than anyone else in history.

On February 20, 2005, Rey won his first WWE Tag-Team Championship along with long time friend, and former rival, Eddie Guerrero when they defeated Doug Basham and Danny Basham at the No Way Out pay per view.

However, in a surprising departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their titles at Wrestlemania 21 on April 3, 2005, but instead faced one another in a classic scientific match, with Rey getting the victory and seeds of a breakup and Guerrero heel turn being planted.

Finishing/Signature Moves

• West Coast Pop
• "Dropping The Dime" (a springboard leg-drop in w/c either the back of the neck or the face itself is the target)
• 619 - named for an area code in Rey's hometown of San Diego
• Springboards

References

Note: His family name is spelled "Guttierrez" on his main IMDb page. His IMDb bio renders it "Gutiérrez".

• WWE.com

External links

• Official Website