WWE Backstage (May 5th, 2020) - 6 Takeaways from this week's episode

#3 Latin history in wrestling

Rey Mysterio

Since it was Cinco de Mayo, the show couldn't proceed without an appearance from the legend himself, Rey Mysterio. The talented star recounted the history of his people in the business as well as his own experiences. In WCW, he claimed that "it was an incredible time for us. We were branching out, getting an opportunity for the first time to be seen worldwide, and make a huge impact on wrestling worldwide."

Because of the exposure in WCW, Mysterio claims that it "gave WWE a reason to bring in Latin Superstars." The former World Champ listed his main influences, saying that his "uncle was always my biggest inspiration" and that he "also grew up watching El Hijo del Santo, Negro Casas, and Dr. Wagner." Mysterio also felt that "the time I grew up with was a beautiful time in Lucha Libre."

Mysterio also said "I didn't think I'd have this type of success in Mexico" because "I was always told I was too small and too skinny. I was just a kid that had a dream that wanted to eventually step inside a Lucha Libre ring and perform in front of a large audience. It was hard but not impossible."

With such a talented group of current WWE stars that trace their roots to Mexico, Mysterio plays a big part in their development. He claimed that "the one thing that stands out that is very important in WWE is the fact that you have to be able to speak and dominate both languages. If you only speak Spanish, you will not succeed." The main reason for this is because "Vince likes to get his characters over and the only way to do this is to communicate with fans. You can't just push English aside."