As long as there is professional wrestling, there will be a debate over who is the greatest wrestler of all time.
Arguments can genuinely be made for countless people, including Bruno Samartino, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and John Cena.
However, professional wrestling legend Bret Hart seems to have an answer for who he thinks is one of the greatest. And he’s currently on the WWE roster.
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In an appearance on “Casual Conversations with The Classic” with The Wrestling Classic Justin, The Hitman weighed in on an active wrestler who would be his dream opponent.
“If I could pick one guy it would be Rey Mysterio,” Hart said. “I always forget Rey Mysterio, but I think Rey Mysterio is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
“Like, he’s right up there as the best there is, best there was, best there ever will be. He’s really good. He is really special. Nobody can do what Rey Mysterio does.”
Despite his innovative style, Mysterio is often an overlooked wrestler when it comes to conversations about the “greatest of all time.”
After spending time training and wrestling in Mexico, Mysterio signed with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He would soon join World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as a member of its Cruiserweight Division alongside Eddie Guerrero, Juventud Guerrero, Psicosis, Ultimate Dragon, and Dean Malenko.
In WCW, Mysterio was a five-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion and a four-time tag team champion.
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When WCW was sold to WWE in 2001, Mysterio wrestled on the independent circuit before joining WWE in 2002.
Mysterio’s early time in WWE was defined by his relationship with Eddie Guerrero. They would often fight as a tag team and eventually feud with one another.
One of Mysterio and Guerrero’s most memorable storylines surrounded the custody of Dominik Mysterio, which was decided in a ladder match at SummerSlam 2005.
After Guerrero’s tragic death, Mysterio would be catapulted into the main event scene after winning the 2006 Royal Rumble from the No. 2 position, then setting the record for most time spent in the match (62 minutes). Mysterio would go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.
Mysterio would win many more titles in his first stint with WWE before his contract expired on Feb. 26, 2015. He would return to the independent circuit and join iconic promotions like Lucha Underground and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
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In 2018, Mysterio returned to WWE as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble. However, his new tenure has been defined by his relationship with a now grown-up Dominik Mysterio.
So far in WWE, Mysterio has been a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time WWE Champion, a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a three-time WWE United States Champion, a three-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and a five-time tag team champion.
Mysterio was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023 alongside The Great Muta, Stacy Keibler, and Andy Kaufman.
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