1) Rey Mysterio Jr. & Konnan vs. La Parka & Psicosis - ECW Hardcore TV - October 28, 1995
This is the first match on the set, but it isn't shown in full. They show various highlights from the match which were very entertaining. I would have loved to have seen the whole match because it looked awesome. At the beginning it said there was a one hour time limit, so I'm guessing this one went long and they had to cut it down to a highlight package for it to be able to fit on this set. Despite it not being shown in full, what's shown is very fun to watch.
2) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera - 2/3 Falls Match - ECW Extreme Bash 1996
Now this is the good stuff! Mysterio and Guerrera had an illustrious feud that spanned several companies including AAA, ECW, and WCW. They always put on outstanding matches so I'm glad one of their bouts was included on this set, especially this one from ECW. This was an awesome match that featured a great mix of high flying, technical wrestling, and ECW style brawling. The first two falls were more high flying and technically based. Both men hit some insane manuevers including Guerrera cutting a backflip off the ropes into the crowd on Mysterio. The third fall featured alot of brawling as the bout ventured into the crowd when Mysterio hit a high flying manuever on Guerrera into the audience. The fight spilled to the outside of the arena where Guerrera powerbombed Mysterio onto a car, but Rey recovered and delivered a hurricanrana to Guerrera off the car onto the cement! The action went back into the ring where they put together a breathtaking ending sequence in which Mysterio somehow reversed out of Guerrera's top rope powerbomb attempt into a hurricanrana for the pinfall! Fantastic bout! It wasn't over after the final pinfall however. The two men used chairs during the match, but the crowd had been chanting for tables so Mysterio set one up outside, but never got to use it so after the bout, Mysterio stood on the table and powerbombed Guerrera through it! Awesome!
Match rating - 9/10
At this point in the presentation, Rey and Matt discussed his time in ECW. They talked about Paul Heyman talking to Rey at an AAA show and getting him to wrestle for ECW. Rey noted how fun wrestling in ECW was and how much leeway Paul gave them. The next topic was Rey's legendary feud with Juventud Guerrera, which leads to the next match on the set.
3) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera - WCW Pro Wrestling - November 3, 1996
After seeing these two compete in an amazing 2/3 Falls match in ECW, this match was just a disappointment. They only got like five minutes or so to work with so it wasn't much of a match. It was kinda fun while it lasted, but their ECW bout earlier on the set was obviously much better. Pretty much a squash here with Rey getting the victory in a short match.
Match rating - 2/10
4) Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero - WCW Saturday Night - January 11, 1997
Just like the previous match with Juventud, this didn't last long enough to mean anything as it was just a basic quick tv match. This was fun to watch and lasted a bit longer than the match with Juvented so I'll bump the rating up one more notch.
Match rating - 3/10
Rey and Matt discussed Eddie Guerrero's influence on Rey's in-ring style and how they met at this point in the DVD which leads to the next match up.
5) Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero - WCW Nitro - September 8, 1997
This bout was held just a few weeks prior to the classic these two would have at WCW's Halloween Havoc PPV. This wasn't as good as that match, but it certainly told of what was to come between these two in WCW. Very good match here, their chemistry is great to watch. It was a TV bout however so it wasn't given a whole lot of time, but they still managed to string together a solid match with some close near falls.
Match rating - 7/10
6) Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho - WCW Nitro
Fun bout here between long-time rivals Jericho and Mysterio. It's the match you would expect from these two although it wasn't a classic because of the time constraints as it was a television encounter. Good while it lasted.
Match rating - 5/10
At this point in the presentation, Rey talked about his first time meeting Chris Jericho which is a hilarious story as Jericho thought Rey was a kid when he was hanging out with another wrestler. Rey then went on to discuss how he comes up with the designs for his mask and the meaning behind them.
7) Rey Mysterio Jr, Super Calo, & Hector Garza vs. Psychosis, La Parka, & Silver King - WCW Saturday Night - January 17, 1998
This was a decent six man tag. Some fun high flying action here, but it's nothing as awesome as some other six man tag's I've seen. Particularly some in WCW, but despite that it's a pretty decent match, not bad by any means.
Match rating - 6/10
8) Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman vs. Eddie Guerrero & Juventud Guerrera - WCW Nitro - December 28, 1998
Quality tag team action here. Both teams worked extremely well together and put on a great display of superb tag team wrestling. There were alot of double team manuevers used here such as double front flips over the top rope by Kidman & Mysterio and Guerrero holding up Mysterio while Guerrera hit a crossbody off the top rope. Great tag team match!
Match rating - 8/10
The next topic of the interview with Rey was the time period when WWE bought WCW. Rey discussed the birth of his daughter, going to wrestle in CMLL, and then getting signed by WWE.
9) Rey Mysterio & Edge vs. Chavo & Eddie Guerrero - Smackdown - October 24, 2002
Another fantastic tag team match here loaded with action. Mysterio did his typical highflying manuevers, but Edge did some of his own including a head scissors which was odd to see him do, but very impressive. Chavo, Eddie, and Rey had been working together for years prior to this bout so the chemistry was there for them and Edge fit right in. Four outstanding wrestlers in one match and the result was a great tag team bout!
Match rating - 8/10
10) Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman vs. Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas - Venegance 2003
Here we find the former WCW Tag Team Champions Mysterio & Billy Kidman teaming up in WWE to try and win the WWE Tag Team Titles from the World's Greatest Tag Team Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. I expected this to be really good because of the names involved and it ended up being even more awesome than I expected. The chemistry that both teams have individiually working together showed. All four guys delivered in every way. The most amazing maneuver in the match had to be when Kidman hit an insane shooting star press off the middle of the top rope to the outside. So crazy! Beyond all the highflying action from Mysterio & Kidman, there was some impressive mat work from Benjamin who worked over the back of Kidman with multiple submissions after Haas & Benjamin hit a huge double team move on him off the top rope. So many jaw dropping moments and near falls, this match was outstanding! Mysterio would go on to say that this is his favorite tag team match that he's ever competed in and I can see why.
Match rating - 9/10
11) Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle - Smackdown - October 28th, 2004
Before the match, Rey and Matt Striker discussed the chemistry that Angle and Mysterio have. Mysterio said that Kurt always brought out the best in Rey's technical skills and that was the case here. Alot of submissions in this match which was a nice change of pace. Angle worked over the ribs of Mysterio with various holds such as a reverse bearhug and a leg scissors across the stomach. Mysterio fought back however and hit Angle with a fury of high octane moves. I've seen Angle and Mysterio have better matches than this, but this was still a really good match none the less.
Match rating - 7.5/10
12) Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam vs. Eddie Guerrero & Booker T - Smackdown - December 30, 2004
Mysterio has been a part of many successful tag teams throughout his career and his team with RVD is one of my favorites. They always brought an unorthodox style to the ring and it meshed will here with Guerrero & Booker T. This was a solid tag team match a clever ending as Eddie tried to make the ref think that Rey hit him with the championship belt, but he ended up getting caught. Hilarious stuff.
Match rating - 7/10
13) Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero - WrestleMania 21
Before this match was shown, Rey talked about how his mask gave him trouble during this match as the button came undone and he couldn't get it to button back. Despite that, Guerrero and Mysterio put on an awesome match. Personally I like this match just as much or more than their WCW classic at Halloween Havoc. Just a tremendous match as one would expect from these two. Even more amazing to think about the circumstances Rey was under considering his mask kept trying to slide off, but he still managed to create an outstanding match.
Match rating - 9/10
14) Rey Mysterio & Batista vs. MNM - Smackdown - December 16th, 2005
This match was an action packed 15 minutes worth of quality tag team action. Mercury and Mysterio started the match off with a technical exchange, but the match soon turned into a Nitro & Mercury isolating Rey Mysterio. They worked phenomenally well by keeping Mysterio away from Batista, but eventually Rey got the momentum back in his favor and began hitting some big moves such as reverse hurricanrana off the top rope. Then Batista got the hot tag and the crowd exploded! This was a great tag team match and wonderful addition to the set as we get to see Mysterio & Batista win the tag titles as sort of a tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero.
Match rating - 8.5/10
15) Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton - No Way Out 2006
This match was pretty dull. Orton played the heel perfectly, but aside from that there isn't anything all too interesting about this match. The story is there, but the in-ring action just didn't back it up. I'm making this bout sound horrible, but it's a decent match, althought it didn't live up to the expectations I had for it.
Match rating - 5/10
16) Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero - SummerSlam 2007
These two told a wonderful story here. Chavo injured Mysterio and put him out of action with a knee injury and this was Mysterio's return match. From the get go, Chavo targeted the knee and continued to throughout the match. Mysterio however would find a way to battle back and after three attempts, FINALLY hit Chavo with a 619. This was a solid match, but the storytelling is what stood out here. And for that reason, I'm bumping this one up a notch.
Match rating - 7/10
17) Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay - Stretcher Match - Cyber Sunday 2007
Fun little opening match to the PPV here. I was skeptical about it at first because of the contrast in styles, but they worked pretty well together. It started off kind of dull, but they were able to string together a nice finishing sequence with some unique spots such as Mysterio cutting a flip out of the ring onto Finlay on the stretcher. Solid match.
Match rating - 6/10
18) Rey Mysterio vs. Kane - No Mercy 2008
Decent match here. The ending made it all seem pointless because it ended in a DQ after Kane nailed Mysterio with a chair in mid-air on the outside. So not anything special here. Just put on here to showcase a match where Mysterio put his mask on the line.
19) Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho - Judgement Day 2009
Jericho and Mysterio had a fantastic series of matches in 2009 and this is one of them. Just a really good match between two long-time competitors. The story in this particular bout was basically stated before the match as Jericho vowed to win and NOT get hit with a 619 during the match. From the opening bell, Mysterio went for the 619 and missed. The two went back and forth for a good 15 minutes in which Jericho avoided the 619 on several occasions, but the end came when Mysterio hit a modified 619 after Jericho bounced his head off the second turnbuckle. Really good match.
Match rating - 7/10
20) Rey Mysterio vs. John Morrison - Smackdown - Intercontinental Championship Match -September 4, 2009
This is the definition of a forgotten classic. I didn't watch WWE much during 2008-2010 so I had never seen this match and it ended up blowing me away. Mysterio and Morrison packed alot into this 20 minute contest for the Intercontinental title. The match featured some technical displays, submissions, crazy highflying moves, and some insane counters such as Mysterio hitting the West Coast Pop only for Morrison to duck and hit a springboard kick to Mysterio. You had hurricanas off the apron, a crossbody attempt from Mysterio that turned into a dropkick to the gut from Morrison, a starship pain attempt in which Morrison landed on his feet - this was just awesome. The nearfalls and amazing action had the crowd chanting "This is awesome!" I agree, this was awesome. One of the best matches in Smackdown history and one of the best matches on this set.
Match rating - 9.5/10
21) Rey Mysterio vs. Batista - Smackdown - December 18th, 2009
The winner of this match would go on to face The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship the following week. Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect because of the vast size difference, but Batista and Rey worked very well together here. This was a solid 15 minute contest and a great television main event. Much better than I anticipated.
Match rating - 7/10
22) Rey Mysterio vs. Shawn Michaels - Smackdown - January 10, 2010
With this being right before the Royal Rumble PPV, I didn't expect these guys to go all out here and they didn't. So this wasn't the classic it could've been, but it was fun while it lasted and I can understand not putting it all out there a few days before a PPV. Nice first time encounter between HBK and Mysterio here that ended in a DQ after Batista interfered. Then Undertaker came out and chokeslammed both HBK & Rey which was a good seg way to the next match on the set.
Match rating - 6/10
23) Rey Mysterio vs. The Undertaker - Royal Rumble 2010 - World Heavyweight Championship Match
Once again we find Mysterio in a match where is the much smaller competitor. But as usual Mysterio finds a way to get some good offense in. This was a hard fought match and it showed as Undertaker got a bloodied nose in the early going. There were some good exchanges here as well as some unique reversals. Good match, but nothing extra ordinary.
Match rating - 6.5/10
24) Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler - Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match - Smackdown - February 5, 2010
I was really excited for this one. Ziggler is just brilliant and it was nice to see him clash with Mysterio. These guys had some great exchanges, but just like the HBK match earlier in this set - this one ended just as it was getting good. Mysterio wins with a roll up of sorts. Decent encounter, but if it would have went longer it could have been a classic. Still a good TV match though.
Match rating - 6/10
25) Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk - Over The Limit 2010
I really enjoyed the few between these two. Punk is a great storyteller and both men are fantastic in the ring so they always put on good matches. This was no exception. Mysterio and Punk worked together on the Indies in 2001-2002 before Rey got signed by WWE so these two have experience together and it showed. They had some unique counters for each other's moves and you could tell they knew each other's offense well. Really good match, but yet again Rey wins via a roll up. That seems to be a trend here ha.
Match rating - 7.5/10
26) Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk vs. Jack Swagger vs. Big Show - Fatal 4 Way 2010
Fatal four way matches are always fun and this one was no different. Lots of cool combo moves here such as Swagger suplexing Punk & Mysterio at the same time and Mysterio doing a 619 around the ring post onto Show which was followed up by Punk springboarding off the top rope onto Show on the outside. Kane came down and put Punk in a casket, but that didn't stop the match bc there were No DQ's. Mysterio gets the abrupt victory and becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion. I remember being aggravated with the way this match played out because of how lackluster it made Swagger's title reign look, but this match was a good fit for the DVD because it shows Mysterio winning the title. Fun little match.
Match rating - 5.5/10
27) Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio - Smackdown - October 18, 2010
These two always had good chemistry together so this was a solid match. The story going in was cool as well. It was Mysterio's return match against the undefeated Del Rio so the crowd was pretty into it. Not much else to say besides this was a good TV match.
Match rating - 6.5/10
28) Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes - Intercontinenal Championship Match - WrestleMania 27
As an avid fan of both men, I was excited for this match and they certainly didn't disappoint. I haven't sat down and watched this particular WrestleMania, but I don't see many matches on the card that look like they could have been better than this match. This was just a fantastic match and I loved every second of it. From the story which was Rhodes wearing the plastic mask because of Rey injuring him a year ago and how it sent him on a downward spiral. This was a great rivalry and these two worked so well together. Awesome match and great way to close this DVD!
Match rating - 8/10
Overall thoughts: The first thing I'd like to say is that Matt Striker did a phenomenal job interviewing Rey throughout this DVD. You could tell he had a passion for the wrestling business and was truly interested in everything Rey was saying. Lots of informative and interesting topics were discussed. As for the matches, they were all entertaining. You get some lost classics such as the 2/3 Falls Match vs Juventud from ECW and the Smackdown match vs John Morrison along with some well known awesome encounters such as Mysterio/Guerrero at WM21. The tag team matches from early in Rey's WWE career were all outstanding as well. So those were the highlights of the set. There are a fair amount of basic TV matches though that do get a bit repetitive at times, but that's a minor complaint. As a whole, I enjoyed this DVD. I'd recommend checking it out. It's not loaded with classics, but you'll be entertained.
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