As of late, Rey Mysterio, the covered luchador, shared his considerations on his exposure by WCW in the last part of the '90s during his appearance on Logan Paul's "Impulsive" web recording. He stated that he was uneasy in the absence of his mask and that he believed WCW had missed a significant opportunity for merchandise by unmasking him.
"Back then, I protected my face," Mysterio stated. I permanently moved away from the group when we traveled together so they wouldn't recognize me, and you never saw me without a mask. "WCW was the only time I wrestled without a mask," he continued.
I was not at all at ease. I did not wish to experience that phase. That is why I returned with my cover when I joined WWE." In WCW, Mysterio and Konnan lost a Hair vs. Mask match to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at SuperBrawl IX in February 1999 as part of a storyline.
While previous WCW President Eric Bischoff legitimized the choice to expose Mysterio, expressing that it was made to work on his association with the crowd, Mysterio has stood up against it, repeating that he was dependably attractive with the veil.
Interestingly, WWE perceived the worth of Mysterio's cover as a product thing and pushed him in like manner. According to Jim Ross on his podcast a few years ago, Mysterio's mask has been a popular WWE merchandise item for nearly two decades.
His size was never an issue for Vince McMahon, who viewed him as a top-tier guy based on his merchandise sales.
WCW Unmasking of Ray Mysterio: A Career Boost or Mistake?
However, some fans and experts contend that Mysterio's "Giant Killer" campaign against larger opponents like Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton was aided by his unmasking in WCW.
Mysterio recognizes that his exposing misfired on WCW yet gave WWE pointers on how not to use his abilities. "As it were, that could have opened the eyes of WWE to ultimately say, 'Goodness, we've never had a little ability like Rey, yet we should bring him over sometime in the not-so-distant future,'" Mysterio said.
Mysterio never wrestled in WWE without his mask, but he briefly removed it during heated rivalries and matches, like his match with Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules in 2009 and his feud with The Miz in 2022. Regardless, Mysterio's veil remains a critical piece of his image and one of the most well-known luchadors on the planet.