Rey Mysterio On Almost Joining Impact Wrestling, The Legends Who Gave Him A Standing Ovation After His WCW Tryout Match

During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rey Mysterio talked about nearly joining Impact Wrestling, early WCW memories, and more. Here are the highlights:

Almost working with Impact Wrestling:

“I was actually in conversations a while back with Impact about doing some shows. To be honest with you, it’s not that I don’t want to go work for them, it’s just like I didn’t have it in my game plan. I also didn’t have Lucha Underground in my game plan before it was created. If the circumstances were right, I wouldn’t mind going. I’m not interested in signing a contractual deal, but I would love to do some shows. People want to see diversity in their opponents and fans want to see their dream matches. If people want to see a match-up, let’s make it happen.”

Security not letting him back in the building after wrestling a tryout match for WCW in 1996:

“Actually, I had to leave the building and security wouldn’t let me back in. People still tell me I have a babyface, and I was 21 at the time, so I looked like a 12-year-old back then. I recall explaining to the security guards, ‘No, no, it’s OK, I wrestle,’ and they looked at me and laughed. So I continued to say that I was a wrestler, and they finally asked me for a credential. I didn’t have any credentials, this was a tryout. Finally, security was cool enough to find out who I was and let me back in the building, but that happened several times after that, too. I learned my lesson after the fourth time, and I started carrying a WCW badge everywhere with me.”

The reception he received after his tryout match with Dean Malenko:

“I have the utmost respect for his guiding me, giving me the knowledge, and he made me look like a million bucks that night. Konnan still tells this story and said he’d seen it twice before, from when Dean and I walked into the locker room after the match. You had Macho Man, Flair, the Steiners, and they were all waiting by this little stairway near an alley that led to the locker room when they received Dean and I with a standing ovation. I asked myself, ‘Did that really just happen?’”

For the full interview, click here.