Dominik Mysterio has quickly become one of the more prominent names in WWE, and many believe that he's a future world champion. At the same time, he represents the future of the Mysterio name despite his differences with his father, and he consistently pays homage to the late-great Eddie Guerrero.
Guerrero had many close friends in the business, including Dominik's father, Rey Mysterio. Rey recently penned a letter to his late friend in the The Player's Tribune,telling him of all the things he's missed out on recently that he would have absolutely loved, like Dominik.
"When I say you would approve of who Dom has become, Eddie it's an understatement. You would love it," Mysterio wrote. "The wrestler he is now, it feels like a love letter to so many of the things that made YOU so special. He has the presentation down perfect: the sleazy (no offense) stache, the terrible (no offense) mullet, the ugly (no offense) jewelry and clothes."
Mysterio also compared how Dominik carries the same "s***-eating grin" as well as the ability to play off his opponents, like Guerrero often did. However, the one thing that stands out the most to Rey, which he considers a love letter toGuerrero, is that it seems that fans cheer harder for him the worse he behaves.
"As you know, it's harder to pull this off than it looks: To be a bastard (no offense) who the fans want to embrace, flaws and all ... because even at your worst, they can see something human at the center. But that's what Dom has been able to achieve," he wrote. "You were always a bad liar. And I know you're reading this, and you're beaming with pride, and your heart is very full. So is mine."
Fans have jokingly called Dominik Mysterio the "son" of EddieGuerrero since his early days in WWE, in a callback to the Ladder Custody match between him and Rey Mysterio. WWE leaned into this, and Dominik has been emulating Guerrero in many ways that even his father finds funny. "I wish you were around to see Dom. Your very own son!!!!" he wrote. "All the different ways that the story we told at SummerSlam in 2005 has stayed meaningful."
Mysterio then recalled the feud and how they managed to convince little Dominik to take part in the angle at eight years old."He obviously had two important questions. One, 'Am I getting paid?' And two, 'Can I miss school?' Once we answered yes to both, he was in," he recalled in the letter.
Mysterio recalled one infamous moment in the feud, when Guerrero flipped out backstage."You came backstage, and at first you were going off like a firecracker. F*** this, F*** that, S***, P***, you were pretty much shouting every swear word imaginable (and unimaginable.....) as you stormed through the tunnel." Guerrero then noticed that Dominik was standing backstage and was scared by "Latino Heat's" outburst, according toMysterio, but as soon as he noticed every bit of anger he felt faded away, and he approached the 8-year-old with love.
"You went right over to him, hung your big-ass sweaty arm around his shoulder, and were like, 'You OK, mi hijo??? You OK??? Everything good, man, I promise. You did GREAT out there!!!!' I've never seen Dom so happy. No lie that might be my favorite memory of you, from all our years together," Mysterio admitted.
Tragically, Eddie Guerrero died on November 13, 2005, only three months after his feud with Rey Mysterio concluded. Guerrero was almost universally loved, and even today, 20 years later, Mysterio still mourns the loss of his friend.
"I wish so bad that you could be here to see Dom's own wrestling career take flight. Honestly ... it wasn't the smoothest flying at first," Mysterio admitted. "He debuted in WWE about five years ago (or came back, if you count the custody match) and 'Rey Mysterio's baby boy' was still very much the character he was playing. No mask (TOO handsome!!!), but other than that he was the same 'clean-cut babyface' type I've been for most of my career. And he held his own!!"
Mysterio went on to write that Dominik Mysterio's first match ever was at SummerSlam 2020 against Seth Rollins, who he describes as one of the best guys on the roster. He noted that Dominik surprised many people that night and started to earn the audience's respect, but there were still some things he had to learn before becoming a major name.
"And I can already picture you reading this, WeeWeeto, way up in those clouds, and you're doing that pose where you've got your elbows in and your palms open and you're giving me that f***ing smirk-shrug, because you know what I'm about to say," he wrote. "Dominik wasn't fully clicking as 'Rey Mysterio's baby boy'......... so he did what I'm 100% sure you would've told him to do. He turned heel, and basically became 'Eddie Guerrero's demon boy.' And that changed everything."
