10 Wrestlers Who Were Great By 25

Training under his uncle, Rey Misterio Sr., the 14 year old Rey Mysterio (then Rey Misterio Jr.) debuted in a Mexican church and quickly began rivalries with long term foes Psicosis and Juventud Guerrera. After a promising 3 year run in AAA, Mysterio crossed the border and joined ECW for a brief but important run.

Mysterio’s uber agile mastery of the lucha libre style caused American jaws to fall to the floor and he was quickly snatched up by WCW. A centrepiece of their cruiserweight division, Mysterio tore the house down with numerous talents including Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko. Mysterio’s agility, flexibility and creativity were second to none and his astonishing work made him an instant fan favourite.

Mysterio’s WCW would ultimately be damaged by his frivolous feud with Kevin Nash and subsequent unmasking. What could not be denied, however, was the monumental impact Mysterio’s inventive performances proved to have on US wrestling in the years after. In just his early 20s, Mysterio inspired an entire generation of wrestlers to come and bolstered a style wildly popular to this day.