Rey Mysterio's debut in WCW ushered in a new era of professional wrestling, the likes of which were only beginning to be felt as Eric Bischoff molded NItro into the show he wanted it to be. ,Mysterio had caught Bischoff's eye during his time in Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling and was a guy Bischoff thought could be the centerpiece of his budding cruiserweight division. He was lightning quick, had a dazzling moveset and a unique look, all the necessary ingredients for a huge success story. And for the most part, that is exactly what Mysterio was early in his WCW career. He knocked off Dean Malenko to capture the Cruiserweight Championship in one of his first matches with the company and single-handedly made it cool for a company to invest time and energy into the division. Unfortunately, those above him on the proverbial totem pole were none too pleased with being consistently overshadowed by a much smaller, more dynamic competitor and he, like No. 19 entrant on this list Chris Jericho, had to be chopped back down to size. No matter how much he improved, no matter how many instant classics he wrestled (particularly his Halloween Havoc beauty against Eddie Guerrero in 1997), it was never enough for him to be able to overcome the political B.S. that unfolded behind the scenes. He literally tore his own body apart for the entertainment of the fans and on the promise that he could achieve great success if he worked hard. With guys like Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at the top of the card, that was merely a pipe dream. Still, Mysterio stuck around until the bitter end, working through various knee surgeries and having his mask taken from him by management but never allowing it to hamper the quality of his work. Until the day WCW closed its doors, Mysterio teamed with Billy Kidman in a rivalry with Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper over the newly created Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
