Rey Mysterio Thought He'd Debut In WWE Without His Mask

While he debuted in WCW as Rey Mysterio Jr., donning a mask more similar to that of his uncle, Rey Mysterio and several other luchadores were unfortunately unmasked during this tenure. With his face exposed and the Lucha Libre rules broken, it's particularly unique that Mysterio was allowed to debut in WWE with his mask and to continue wrestling with it until today.

"I went to OVW a week prior to my debut and I was trying there, and I forgot who came up to me, but they asked me if I knew what I was gonna wear," he recalled during an appearance on the "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon" podcast, adding that he gave a brief rundown of his gear, but the person was surprised he didn't mention wearing a mask. "'I'm not wrestling with the mask anymore.' 'Oh. No, no, no. Vince wants you with the mask back on.' 'Well... Nobody ever told me that? Even better.'"

Mysterio then recalled having a mask made for his debut, expressing how great it was for him to come back with the mask. The veteran then explained that he was taken aback by how the fans accepted him back despite him already being unmasked, noting how it was the first time in the history of Lucha Libre that this happened to anyone. 

In the past, Mysterio has commented on the unmasking storyline in WCW, criticizing the promotion's reasoning behind it and arguing that WCW had no idea how important the masks were to the Luchadores' legacies.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.