Felix Upton on April 12, 2023
Rey Mysterio is a WWE Hall of Famer with a ton of respect throughout the pro wrestling world. The legendary luchador has also been through quite a few tribulations during his time in the business, some that fans might not even realize.
While speaking on the Impaulsive podcast, Rey Mysterio was able to open up about his battles with addiction. It turns out that Mysterio dealt with a painkiller addiction that could have taken over his entire life. Thankfully, he was able to get a handle on things.
“So during my big run in WWE and after so many surgeries, I got hooked on painkillers for a very long time. My wife caught me one time. We were on vacation. She saw that I was just out of it completely, so she gave me an ultimatum. She goes, ‘So when we get back home, you can either take your pills or you can take your family. You choose.’
That really opened me up and it made me a stronger person because I remember getting back home to San Diego, I flew to TV, and the next day, I spoke to Vince. I told him, ‘Boss I need to check myself in. I’m gonna need some time off.’ He was cool with it. He was like, ‘It takes a f*cking man to man up to what you’re doing.’ That was a big life changer for me and a different perspective of life and the appreciation of family and the support of my wife. It’s crazy.
She’s been there from day one. She went to my first match. It was bad, and to be able to recognize it, and check yourself in, and put everything aside and move on with your life to a positive note, it was crazy. I really enjoyed that phase of my life because I learned so much of what not to do. I was there for 30 days. I haven’t told that story before. Another thing that was really big to me was that my kids were young. Dominik was maybe 10 years old, 12? My daughter was very young. I was really bad prior, but once I eliminated all that toxic mindset, clean.”
Rey Mysterio was able to get himself to rehab, and he had another surgery three years later. Sadly, that surgery was “probably the worst one of all,” but he had a great support system around him during the entire process.
“After I went to rehab, probably three years later, I ended up getting another surgery, and it was probably the worst one of all. I remember I was in mad pain. I tore my ACL. I sprained my MCL. They said pretty much my knee was dangling by one thread. So it was pretty bad. I remember I wrestled in San Diego that night and we were the main event. I was wrestling Alberto Del Rio.”
“In the first two minutes of the match, I felt that snap. I was like, ‘Ah, sh*t. I’m f*cked up. Like, no, let’s go home. That’s it. I was like, ‘No, no, no, let’s keep going. We kept rolling, but then afterwards, I probably damaged it more in the 10 to 12 minutes that I stayed in the ring. I had the surgery.”
“I came home and the doctor gave me painkillers. I took one, and throughout the night, because they had to drill two holes, my knee, I remember it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt from the surgeries that I’ve had in the past. I would tell my wife, ‘No, I’m not gonna take anything. I’m not gonna take anything.’ and I controlled my pain as much as I could until she said, ‘I can’t stand watching like that.’ So it was pretty bad. I remember I was balling out with this. She actually had them so she controlled everything, but I didn’t want to take them.”
Rey Mysterio was able to kick the dark cloud of addiction hanging over him. Thankfully, he has people around him who are ride or die that wouldn’t allow him to fall into such a deep pit of problems. He also has the fortitude to stop and not go back down that treacherous path.
Right now, Rey Mysterio is in the middle of a dream feud against his own son. Only time will tell where this turns out, perhaps a mask vs hair match is in their future, but WWE fans will be glued to their televisions as it plays out.
What’s your take on Rey Mysterio’s career? Is he legit the GOAT? Sound off in the comments!
April 12, 2023 10:25 am
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