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Rey Mysterio recently reminisced about his first WWE match as his 20th anniversary with the company approaches.
The Master of the 619 made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002 episode of SmackDown, taking on and defeating his long-time TV rival Chavo Guerrero. On the same night, he famously leapt from the top of a steel cage to defend Edge and John Cena from the Un-Americans.
WWE is celebrating the month of July 2022 as the ’Month of Mysterio' in honor of the masked luchador's 20-year anniversary in the company.
Rey, along with his son Dominic, recently appeared on WWE's The Bump, where he shared how he felt during his first match and how he looks back on the bout today:
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"My wife was looking at that match, the first one I had with WWE. And man it brought back some really good memories. I remember telling her I was so excited, and right now I'm looking at it and I was like 'I remember being nervous right after I hit the 619.' Like just the atmosphere there that night was incredible. And just leading up to my debut on WWE was unbelievable," said Rey Mysterio. [14:09 - 14:33]
The former WWE Champion's first feud in the promotion was against Kurt Angle. The two faced each other at SummerSlam 2002 in a fast-paced match that Kurt won.
Rey Mysterio hasn't been with WWE for all of the last 20 years
Although WWE is celebrating this month as Rey Mysterio's 20-year anniversary with the company, the veteran wrestler hasn't been part of the Stamford-based promotion for all of that time.
In February 2015, Rey's 13-year stint with the company ended when his contract expired. He then spent the next three years wrestling all around the world. He made appearances in AAA in Mexico, in Ring of Honor (ROH), and in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), not to mention countless independent promotions across the globe.
He even appeared at the pay-per-view that is credited for setting the foundation for All Elite Wrestling, September 2018's "All In". He wrestled in the main event of the show, teaming with Rey Fenix and Bandido to take on The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi in a six-man tag team match.
Rey Mysterio would return to WWE at the 2018 Royal Rumble and make sporadic appearances for the company before signing a contract in September that year.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit WWE's The Bump and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
