10 Things Fans Don't Know About Rey Mysterio's Life Outside WWE

Rey Mysterio is one of the veterans of the pro wrestling industry with over three decades of experience as an in-ring performer. He's competed across the globe for various promotions and captured numerous championships throughout his career. He rose to prominence owing to his time in WCW and WWE, and he reached the peak of his career when he defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.

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Those who have been following his career over the years would know about Mysterio's every move in the business. However, let's take a moment to take a gander at the masked wrestler's life outside WWE.

10 Started Wrestling At Age 8

Coming from a family of pro wrestlers, Mysterio had the business in his blood, and he chose to follow in the footsteps of his family members by becoming a pro wrestler.

He started training when he was only eight years old under the guidance of his uncle. He made his debut when he was around 14 years old and quickly made his way onto the major promotions, and the rest, they say, is history as Mysterio went on to create a legacy that cannot be matched by anyone.

9 He's Named After His Uncle

Mysterio's real name is Óscar Gutiérrez, and he went by the in-ring names La Lagartija Verde and Colibrí. As mentioned earlier, he was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr., and the latter played a major part in bringing up the Master of 619 into what he is today.

However, Rey Misterio Sr. gave him the name Rey Misterio Jr. in 1991, and the latter took it upon himself to honor his uncle's legacy and went on to make him proud by becoming one of the most decorated wrestlers in the history of the business.

8 His Family

Rey Mysterio's family is well-known among WWE fans, as he allowed them to be part of a major storyline back in 2005. Mysterio married his wife Angie in 1996, and the couple had their first child, a son named Dominik, in April 1997, who is currently a member of the Raw roster and the Judgment Day faction.

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Their daughter Aalyah was born in August 2001, and she also played a major role in Mysterio's feud against Seth Rollins in 2020 by starting a romantic angle with Rollins' disciple Murphy.

7 Meaning Behind His Tattoos

Rey Mysterio is known for the multiple tattoos he has on his body. He has the names of his children on his right and left biceps. He also has a tattoo dedicated to his wife and one with the initials EG in honor of his friend and the late legendary Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero.

He also has a tattoo of a rosary around his neck with a cross on his chest. He has another tattoo on his chest, which symbolizes his culture and upbringing, and the one on his back signifies the ups and downs he faced in his life. He also has the word 'Mexico' inked on his abs owing to his love for the city and the football team.

6 He's A Religious Person

Rey Mysterio is a devout Catholic and always makes the sign of the cross whenever he enters the ring for his matches. He used to carry around a rosary during his travel, and when he once forgot to bring it, he chose to get a tattoo of a rosary around his neck. He also has some words of prayer inked on the left side of his stomach.

He's held on to his beliefs since his childhood, and his devotion towards them and strict values have played a major part in his career and personal life as well.

5 Philanthropy

Rey Mysterio has always portrayed a straightforward babyface character throughout his career and he proved that he holds on to those values in his life outside the ring as well.

He started a fundraising campaign back in 2019 under the name Fight4Autism to help raise awareness for autism. Apart from educating people about the struggles of autistic persons, the campaign also raised money for organizations that work with people with that condition.

4 Worked As A Hollywood Stunt Double

The highlight of Rey Mysterio's entire in-ring career is his ability to perform high-flying moves to perfection and with such ease. The fans have always admired Mysterio's ability to move swiftly inside the ring and take to the skies whenever necessary to bring down his opponents.

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Apart from using his skills inside the ring, Mysterio also used them to become a Hollywood stunt double in the horror film Freddy vs. Jason. He played the stunt double for Freddy as the slasher character had to leap off some metal pipes in one scene.

3 Tommy Dreamer Thought He Was A Girl

Rey Mysterio signed with Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995 and performed for the company until March 1996. During that time, he was once riding in an elevator with booker Paul Heyman. Due to his short and slim stature and long locks, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer thought he was a girl when he glanced at him from a distance.

He almost found himself going on a date with Dreamer as the latter nearly approached Mysterio to ask him out, thinking he was a girl.

2 People Thought He Was Lying About His Age

Being a pro wrestler demands the performers to be on the road on a regular basis, and Mysterio was no exception. However, he reportedly landed in multiple inconveniences back in the 90s and early 2000s, stemming from his short and slim physique and innocent face.

People always confused him for an underage kid lying about his age whenever he tried to use his ID to book a hotel or enter a bar.

1 Rumors Of Dating Jennifer Aniston

Rey Mysterio remained faithful to his wife Angie since tying the knot with her back in 1996. They're going strong for over 25 years, but their marriage would've hit a rocky patch when Mysterio found himself in the middle of some rumors back in 1997.

In 1997, an article posted by the National Enquirer talked about a potential romantic relationship between Mysterio and actor Jennifer Aniston, who is well-known for playing Rachel Green in the sitcom Friends. Mysterio and Aniston were good friends at that time and were also fans of each other's work. However, nothing came out of that article as Mysterio and Aniston didn't confirm anything.