Former WWE referee Mike Chioda recently reflected on Rey Mysterio’s most memorable matches and moments during an episode of his Monday Mailbag podcast. Chioda highlighted Mysterio’s incredible ability to deliver compelling matches against larger opponents, such as Kane and The Undertaker.
“There’s a ton of matches. I always love when Rey worked big guys like Kane and Undertaker. He had phenomenal matches with these guys. Small guy, big guy, you know, and it’s just, there was so many times near the end of the false finishes that we had them off the seats because they thought Rey was going to go over. Those were the matches that I liked the most when Rey was always working somebody bigger with the Kane’s and The Undertaker’s and other guys.” He also mentioned matches with Eddie Guerrero and Benoit as “fantastic.”
However, not all of Mysterio’s matches lived up to their potential. Chioda recounted a particularly disappointing experience at WrestleMania 35 in New Jersey, where Mysterio faced Samoa Joe. The match, originally planned for 15 minutes, was drastically cut to under three minutes due to time constraints.
“The worst match I’ve done with Rey, which it sucked because me and him were very close and sh*t went down horrible at WrestleMania in New Jersey. He had to face Samoa Joe,” Chioda explained. He described how Mysterio had invested significantly in a special costume for the event: “I know Rey got this badass costume. This Japanese dude from Japan and this other guy from Mexico make his gear, and these guys are so good at making his gear, and he spends so much money on his gear. I’m talking like 15 grand, you know. He flies these guys in, he gets their hotel, and he puts his gear together every year.”
Chioda explained the chaotic last-minute changes, “the match went down from 15 to 12 or something, and then 12 to something like nine or eight. And when I got in the ring, and Rey Mysterio was just about on his entrance, they said you gotta go home. As soon as Rey and Joe gets in the ring, you gotta go home. You have two minutes.”
The abrupt changes left both Mysterio and Chioda frustrated. “I mean, I know they’re going to still get a big paycheck and all that, but sometimes, you know, money ain’t there. It’s your pride.””
Despite the setback, Chioda praised Mysterio’s resilience and dedication to his craft, a testament to the Hall of Famer’s legacy in professional wrestling.
