Only five years ago, Dominik Mysterio began training for pro wrestling and was quickly thrust into a full-time role alongside his father Rey Mysterio.
Soon after his ascension to being a regular talent, Dominik joined The Judgment Day, headlining premium live events and becoming a pivotal part of weekly WWE programming. Mysterio capped off his rise by competing in a singles match against his father at WrestleMania and subsequently winning the NXT North American Championship this summer.
At 26 years old, Mysterio’s career is still in its infancy. He has found success with a title and receives an overwhelming reaction every time in the ring, and fellow Judgment Day member Finn Balor believes in his stablemate’s abilities due to everything he has done so far.
He discussed with Peter Rosenberg on the Ringer Wrestling Show how Mysterio and the other Judgment Day members have impressed him (h/t Fightful for transcription).
“All three. I thought they were good, I didn’t know they were that good. Damian, I knew had it in him, he just maybe didn’t realize himself or he needed that extra kick up the ass to get going, and I feel the last couple of months, especially since winning Money in The Bank, he’s really stepped it up a gear. Rhea, I think everyone knew was a superstar from the day she walked in the door, it was just a matter of time. For me, the biggest surprise was Dominik. He’s kind of completely stepped out and probably exceeded any expectation that anyone had for his entire career, in one year. Last weekend was the one-year anniversary since he joined Judgment Day. I feel he was kind of given a warm reception when he came in because he was the son of a Hall of Famer, the son of Rey Mysterio, he was accepted because he was the blood of Rey Mysterio. ‘We appreciate you’re doing this and because we love your dad so much, we’re going to cheer for you.’ Once he stepped out from under that tree and started fending for himself, he’s been a completely different animal. Not only the growth he’s shown outside of the ring, his promos, his character work, but his growth inside of the ring has been absolutely monumental for someone who has had very little training, no NXT experience, most of his training has been done on the job, on live TV, this kid is the future of the business in my opinion.”
It’s high praise from Balor, a veteran of the industry for over 20 years who has worked in New Japan Pro Wrestling and various independent pro wrestling companies. He has witnessed Mysterio’s growth firsthand, which has been achieved essentially through a crash course of training on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and at premium live events. With more big matches and marquee spots, positive developments should be ahead for his WWE story.