Pro Wresling Illustrated 500

2000 Rank 4

Top Five Moments Of The Year:
  1. 1. With Billy Kidman defeated Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko for the WCW World tag team title on March 29. 
  2. 2. Defeated Billy Kidman for the WCW cruiserweight title on March 15. 
  3. 3. Defeated Psicosis for the cruiserweight title on April 26.
  4. 4. Clearly pinned Kevin Nash one night after being forced to unmask at SuperBrawl.
  5. 5. With Swoll, won a rap vs. country elimination match at Bash at the Beach.
He Said It:
"It has certainly been a year of ups and downs. When I lost that match where I was forced to take off my mask. I thought my career would never be the same. Yet I've been able to turn that negative into a positive. I am the WCW cruiserweight champion again and I even won the World tag team title with Billy Kidman. Now, after three years, I'm back in the top 10 of the 'PWI 500.' All things happen for a reason, I guess. Without the mask, I am able to be myself. I'm no longer a man of mystery. I'm glad I still have my fans to support me. They have been there for me during the good and bad times."

Path To The Top 10:
101st in 1995; 18th in 1996; 7th in 1997; 29th in 1998; 107th in 1999.

Where He's Headed:
Over the past year, Misterio has proved two things. First, he can live and thrive without his mask. Second, he is more than just a great cruiserweight. He not only soundly defeated WCW super heavyweights like Bam Bam Bigelow, Scott Norton, and Kevin Nash, but also had Ric Flair beaten for the World title before Flair was disqualified, and he paired up with another cruiserweight, Billy Kidman, and won the WCW World tag team title. As he comes closer to completing his first decade in professional wrestling, Misterio continues to mature and grow as a wrestler. We suspect he'll continue to show he can compete with the best heavyweights in the sport.

1999 Rank 107


1998 Rank 27

With all due respect, we're not saying Misterio is small, but he makes Syxx look like The Giant ... But what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in ornate masks ... Okay, heart ... Was one of the first to come forward when the NWO declared war on WCW ... He was relatively new at the time ... Heck, even some veterans can't even commit to this ... Still the official javelin of the New World Order ... Was propelled into a WCW sound truck by the Outsiders ... And, boy did it make a sound ... Thankfully, they didn't lick the top of his head or he would have probably stuck ... Paramedics had to remove his mask ... Someone was screaming "No" when his face was revealed ... Yes, it was Misterio ... Had the courage to challenge Kevin Nash ... Didn't win ... But he came close ... Okay, he didn't come close, but guts like that are hard to come by ... Second-generation star ... His uncle, not his father, was Rey Misterio Sr. ... So, how does Dad feel about that, Rey? ... That's like taking you father's first name and your maternal grandfather's second name ... Never mind ... Former cruiserweight champion ... Unlikely to move up to the heavyweight ranks ... Determination will only get you so far before you feel a chokeslam or power bomb ... Doesn't stick to just one mask ... Has an assortment ... Seems to have one for each day of the millennium ... Competed for years in Triple A ... Broke in when he was just a tike of 17 years old ... Believe it or not, he was even smaller then ... Lives by the tried and true legend of Lucha Libre ... Will not be seen without his trusty hood ... Has a waterproof one for swimming and showering ... Even has one without eyesholes for sleeping ... His girlfriend couldn't recognize him in a police lineup ... Put it this way, Halloween is never a problem in the Misterio house ... So we're exaggerating a little ... Recently galvanized all the Mexican wrestlers in WCW against Konnan ... Those that had not yet signed with Sonny Ono ... Konnan turned against his longtime friend and injured his leg ... Rey challenged him while still on crutches ... Maybe the mask was on too tight that day ... Fans cheer the perennial underdog ... That's the only strength Rey needs.

1997 Rank 7

This astonishingly agile and awesomely athletic sensation is one of the most talked-about stars in the sport ... Everywhere, that is, except on WCW broadcasts ... When Misterio is performing death-defying maneuvers in and out of the ring, WCW broadcasters are usually talking about the NWO or the next pay-per-view ... It's a terrible disservice to this amazing star ... Maybe part of the broadcasters' problem is that Misterio's repertoire changes so frequently, they just don't know what to say! ... And saying "Another amazing death-defying maneuver!" time and time and time again can get repetitive ... But there's nothing boring about seeing this star in action ... He's bringing respect--and an incredibly high work ethic--to the WCW cruiserweight division ... Was voted pound-for-pound the best wrestler in the sport in the 1996 "PWI Poll," and there's no question that he is ... He's also one of the most enthusiastic wrestlers in the sport ... Is willing to take on any challenge anywhere, anytime ... We'd love to see him in action against some of the big men in the NWO ... Seeing Misterio in action against Hulk Hogan or The Giant or Kevin Nash would be like watching a jet fighter buzzing around the head of King Kong! ... King Kong could swat at the plane, but never make any impact ... And imagine what the fighter could do! ... Forget the back-stage baseball bat assault ... We're talking about a fair fight ... And don't think all the smart money would go on the big men, either ... As cruiserweight champion, is setting a pace for the division that makes it difficult for others to follow ... Of course, it's vital that WCW starts giving the division its due ... Certainly the fans are loving it ... Who doesn't enjoy watching Misterio stretch his skills against the like of Chris Benoit or Dean Malenko? ... We could watch those matches all day long! ... Misterio's other major battle in the immediate future is purely physical ... Those ultra-high risk maneuvers are spectacular ... But they're also an invitation for a wheelchair ... Telling Misterio to be careful is like telling Hulk Hogan to keep his ego in check ... Still, there must be a fine line between daring and recklessness ... We hope Misterio can find it ... And toe it.