Rey Mysterio Says Dominik Needs to Step Up and Take It to the Next Level

Rey Mysterio says his son Dominik has earned where he is in WWE, but now it’s on him to take the next step. Speaking with Stephanie McMahon on What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon, Mysterio compared his own long road into wrestling with Dominik’s much quicker path, said he never expected Dominik to become a wrestler after seeing him lose interest as a kid, and explained the mindset he wants his son to have. He also joked about Dominik’s current look. You can check out his comments below:

On Dominik’s path into wrestling:

“Obviously, with Dom, he showed no interest in education, and I was the same way. I went to school because I had to go to school, and I had to graduate, or else they wouldn’t let me train wrestling. So Dom is like a spitting image of how I grew up, in the sense of not liking school that much. So later on, when Dom decides to break in, I’m like, ‘Okay, well, let’s see what you’ve got.’ He’s where he’s at now because he started thinking on his own and creating his own image. I just kind of opened the door, and he did all the work.

“So I can see a different evolution in Dom coming up. I think because we were both raised differently. I really had to bust my butt to get to where I’m at. I had to knock on doors sometimes, even kick them down, to get an opportunity. With Dom, I don’t know if it’s because he made it right away. He suffered maybe a year and a half training, traveling, doing this, going to Lance in Calgary, but the grind was very different.”

On not expecting Dominik to become a wrestler:

“I didn’t think so, because I saw him lose interest at probably about the age of 11 or 12 years old. He was only seven, going into eight, when we did the angle. It’s insane. Time has just passed by so fast.”

On wanting his kids to stay hungry:

“Different upbringing, and I did want the best for both of my kids. But you still want them to be hungry. And I believe that Dom has worked to get where he’s at now on his own after I just opened up the doors. Now he needs to take it to the next level, and whatever that level is, I don’t know. But he needs to step up.

“I was always about, ‘What am I going to do tonight before a match? I want to do a new move.’ That was just my way of thinking. Every time I would step out, I wanted the fans to remember something new. So I would go out there and try to do something new, and if it stuck, it stuck, and I would keep it in my arsenal. If not, I would throw it out and think of something new. I think that was a huge part of my success. I was always giving something different to the fans. If they went to go see me back to back, they knew that they weren’t going to get the same match from the night before.”

On today’s generation having easier access to WWE:

“I do feel that the time when I broke into the business is very different from the time now of people trying to break into the business. I think sometimes, when those bumps and walls you have to break down aren’t there, it makes you feel like you get things a little bit easier, so you didn’t sacrifice as much. And I can use Dom as an example, right? I think the generation of today has that accessibility to be part of WWE. They’re going to go through some struggles because you have to go to a camp. But God, do I wish I would have had a tryout when I was breaking in, and see if I would have made it. I probably wouldn’t have made it. But the fact that that’s open now gives them easier access to become a WWE Superstar, which is a good thing. It’s not a bad thing. Some people take that for granted, and some really respect being here. You have to respect and learn how this business has grown over the past 30 years, and really understand it and value it and appreciate it.”

On Dominik’s look:

“He can be a good kid, but… What about the hairdo and the mustache?”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.