WWE Hall Of Famer Reflects On Getting A Standing Ovation After Their Debut

WWE

A WWE Hall of Famer has reflected on getting a standing ovation after their debut.

In the summer of 1996, Rey Mysterio made his debut with WCW in a competitive match against Dean Malenko at the Great American Bash 1996 pay-per-view.

The young luchador made quite the impression on the fans and led to an amazing career that spanned his time with World Championship Wrestling into his even longer run with WWE that continues on today.

Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Mysterio reflected on his debut. Noting that he felt uncomfortable due to no one knowing who he was, Rey said:

“I remember walking into the building in Baltimore, and I felt so uncomfortable. I was walking into a locker room full of giants.”

“The Steiners, Big Show, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. It felt really awkward. I kept on hearing voices say, ‘Who’s that kid? What the hell is he doing in here?’ No one knew who I was. It felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Mysterio continued on to describe what Konnan said to him before his bout, saying:

“Right before my match, Konnan spoke with me. I still remember him saying, ‘No pressure, but you’re representing Mexico and you’re representing lucha libre.”

“You’re representing all the little guys. Now go out there and kick some ass.’ I was already nervous facing Dean, but that took it to a whole new level.”

Recalling how he and Dean Malenko clicked right away once getting into the ring with one another, Mysterio said:

“I’d been trying to study Dean, watching his matches. In the ring, we connected right away. It was immediate. From my understanding, Eddie spoke with Dean and told him a little bit about me.”

“That was extremely important. Dean could have easily buried me, but no. He took me under his wing and made me look like a million bucks I remember coming back after that opening match.”

“Everyone had been glued to the monitor, and we got a standing ovation from the boys. It’s still one of the greatest moments of my life. That was the moment I felt I’d made it.”

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• WCW
• rey mysterio
• Debut
• wwe

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