10 Famous Wrestling Gimmicks That Were Actually Inherited
1. Rey Mysterio
When people think of masked wrestlers, one of the first names to spring to mind is often Rey Mysterio. A legend of the mat, Mysterio as played by Óscar Gutiérrez is one of the most recognisable personalities in the wrestling industry; however, he isn’t the first man to portray the Mysterio gimmick.
In actual fact, the Rey Mysterio we know today is the nephew of the original Rey Misterio, played by Miguel Ángel López Díaz. Achieving fame in Mexico throughout the '70s and '80s, Rey Misterio achieved much success south of the border and even appeared in WCW at Starrcade 1990, teaming with Konnan as part of the Pat O'Connor Memorial International Cup.
When the modern day Rey Mysterio debuted in WCW, he continued the legacy of his uncle by donning the mask and billing himself as Rey Mysterio Jr. However, when Rey debuted in WWE, he dropped the “Jr” and was simply known as Rey Mysterio - a moniker he keeps to this day.
Rey Mysterio’s cousin, Miguel Aarón López Hernández, looks set to continue the Mysterio legacy into the future and is currently billing himself as El Hijo de Rey Misterio, which translates as “The Son of the King of Mystery”.