My uncle was a second father to me. I spent most of my childhood with him.
Rey Mysterio
It just goes to show, if you remain focused and you have a dream and you have a desire to do something, then no matter what gets in your way, you can never lose hope. It's possible.
I'm enjoying life at my fullest. Sometimes you realize that money isn't everything.
I think titles are important to your career. Whether you reign as champion for a long time or just have it for the time being, to be part of a company and be their champion is always good to have on your resume.
I would never intend to hurt anyone I'm in the ring with. It's entertainment, it's a performance, it's a sport.
We never had a trampoline, but I wished I did. We'd sneak into a friend's pool and use their trampoline to practice backflips.
When you're in WWE, it's a part of that contract signing, that grind. You're on-call 24-7. That's why you become the star that you are.
That's one of the reasons why I left WWE: not to feel tied up or pressured into fulfilling a certain number of work dates throughout the week or month - because of my injuries.
A lot of people have doubted me because of my size. They think someone like me doesn't deserve to be in the main event, but I think if they knew me, and knew what I've been through in my career, they would respect me.
When you're young, you don't really think about what's going on. At least, in my case, I was always so hooked on being so innovative and didn't worry about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to focus on today and make it better. I was like that every day. I just made sure that every night I was at my best, at the best level I could be.
My main reason for leaving WWE was to heal up my body - to give it a rest - and to spend time with my wife and my kids.
I think, most definitely, my style has been changing throughout the years, and that's because of the injuries that I've had, the multiple surgeries on my left knee.
Reading has helped motivate me to become a spokesperson for programs like the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. It has motivated me to become more involved in my community and to keep learning new things.
As you get older, your body doesn't hold up as much.
For me, the people who doubt me only fuel me to prove them wrong. I want to prove to them that I am better than they think I am and that I deserve to be on top and I deserve to be World Heavyweight Champion.
I don't regret any steps that I take in life.
I've never had any prima donna attitude against me. It's always been very respectful.
When writing 'Behind the Mask,' I opened up on every level. Hopefully, even the more knowledgeable fans, who really know me, will be surprised when they read it.
I don't want to be the kind of wrestler that has to do it because he needs the money.
I actually use Randy Orton as an example to my son because he wants to start training in January. My son is a big kid - he's 6'1", 205 - and I insist that he must watch and learn from Randy's style.
On my left forearm, I've got a gothic cross with a tombstone in the center with the initials 'E' and 'G' for my friend, the late Eddie Guerrero.
It was a big man's sport at one time. Maybe I had something to do with breaking that barrier and having WWE open up their eyes so they can sign younger, lighter talent.
Evan Bourne is just like me. Hopefully, he can pick out his offensive moves, because he's got so many, and he's so incredible to watch. I just hope he takes the advice of all of us who have been around a little bit longer and he can tone it down. That way, he can last a lot longer.
When anyone talks about lucha libre and that style of wrestling, the first person they think of is Mil Mascaras. The other man the true wrestling fan will think of is El Santo. These were the names that came to me when I was growing up.
Being part of WWE is beautiful. You're on the biggest stage of them all. You're living well; you're making good money, and the only flipside to that is that you're on the grind, and you've got to be committed. You've got to make sure to understand what being on the grind is.
No matter how much cardio you do - running or biking or whatever - it's never the same as being in the ring.
My favorite place to read is next to the pond in my backyard.
I am excited by the opportunity to join such an extraordinary group of athletes and be a part of the 'Lucha Underground' family.
WrestleMania is a week of activities and family-oriented fun, and then there is the special night at the end of it where you can see history being made.
I feel like, with how medicine is evolving, something will be out there soon that can help you heal from arthritis. That might be what helps my longevity and pushes me to keep performing.
Even when I was a young kid, I always told my uncle that, when I became a wrestler, I wanted to be Rey Mysterio, Jr. and I wanted to wear the mask. I always pictured myself wearing a mask. I dreamed about it for so long. I wanted to be one of those luchadores who wore the mask, the cape, and the fancy outfits.
I have to say, the first time I stepped into the ring, it was probably at the age of 4. That's when I was hanging out with my uncle, my mom's brother, Rey Mysterio Sr. It runs in the family; it's stayed in the family.
Mascaras' physique, in terms of symmetry and size, and his style in the ring really made him stand out. He really did live up to his name 'The Man of 1,000 Masks.' I think he had 1,000 masks and more. You would really never see him wear the same outfit twice... He was always very, very colorful.
I've got a Kanji symbol on my shoulder; it's for my son and means 'strength and power.' I have my son and daughter's names, Dominik and Aalyah, written on the inside of the left and right biceps, too.
After so many surgeries, I had to modify my game. I know what I can and can't do in order to keep performing for a long period of time.
My elementary school teachers were big on pushing kids to read. If you read a certain amount of books, they would provide you with incentives, sort of like what we are doing with the WrestleMania Reading Challenge.
Dark matches are usually off-camera. Sometimes you don't even wrestle in front of the crowd, you wrestle in front of the agents - but my first match with WCW was on a pay-per-view.
There is a lot of things out here that sometimes you don't realize because you're inside the circle, but once you're out, there's a lot of things that pop up, and you'd be surprised.
I've always wanted to do some kind of merchandising/clothing line/action figures because I know the fan base that I have are very loyal and dedicated, and they've always loved the action figures and other merchandise.
I do recall at one point being part of WWE and other guys taking the risk of stepping away, and a lot of guys don't do it because of the fear that it's not going to be the same.
Competition is always good, but I truly believe that 'Lucha Underground' has nothing to do with WWE or their programming. We are completely different, you know. And, in a way, we have more to offer.
I always think to myself that if I was able to transition from lucha libre style to American style, then I can always go back. You never lose your roots.
There's definitely no hard feelings with WWE. I'm very thankful to them for the opportunity that was given to me.
I'll never get my chest tatted up, and I'm not big on tattoos on the legs. I'm running out of space on my body; I'd like to get more but I haven't figured out where I'll put them or what I want to get.
I am always updating and coming up with something fresh, whether it's a colour, a trend, or a design, as my uncle always taught me to be unique and different.
It was just so cool to put on my uncle's masks and wrestle with him. I knew that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a part of this world.
Soccer runs in my blood.
I am excited to join Combate Americas on NBC UNIVERSO, and look forward to building this incredible MMA sports brand and supporting the extremely talented athletes on its growing roster.
Growing up in wrestling, I would see my uncle put on his mask before he walked into auditoriums. The kids would run up to him and ask for autographs and pictures, and seeing him lacing up his boots in the locker room and putting on his mask before heading to the ring, that was all so real to me. That was the modern day superhero to me.
My knee bends only to a 60 degree angle. Normally, like on my right leg, my heel can touch my glute if I just pull my leg back. On my left side, there's still a big percentage missing. That has made me change my style in the ring.
