From the moment he made his debut on the July 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was treated like a far bigger star than he ever was in World Championship Wrestling, the Ted Turner-owned company that employed him from 1996 until its demise in 2001. The look, including the mask, and the dynamic offense set the world-famous luchador apart from any other star on the roster and Vince McMahon almost immediately recognized the value of promoting him as wrestling's biggest little man. The last image the fans remember of Mysterio's first night on the WWE roster was him sailing from the top of a steel cage and onto Christian and Chris Jericho, who had been double-teaming Edge. It was a star-making first impression and set Mysterio on track for the greatest success of his critically acclaimed career. Almost immediately, he was thrown into the mix with the likes of Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Los Guerreros and Edge as part of the so-called "SmackDown Six." Every week, that collection of Superstars would battle in some of the finest televised matches WWE had ever produced. When not competing with or against those stars, he would battle it out with Jamie Noble or Tajiri over the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Truly a Superstar capable of working a plethora of styles, against a myriad of performers, Mysterio earned a reputation as one of the greatest workers of his generation based on how well he gelled with his fellow competitors' differing styles, sizes and abilities. In 2006, Mysterio proved all doubters wrong when he captured the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 and proceeded to defend it for three months before dropping it to King Booker at the Great American Bash. Even if his title reign failed be of the quality of his previous work, thanks to poor booking and his role as tackling dummy for Great Khali and Big Show, Mysterio remained one of the MVPs of the SmackDown brand. Injuries often caused him to miss ring time but it also aided in keeping him fresh as he was never really allowed the opportunity to overstay his welcome. Whether he was fighting for the top prize in the industry or the Cruiserweight title, against Kurt Angle or Luther Reigns, Mysterio was a star McMahon could count on to carry the mantle for the b-show.
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.
