Rey Mysterio Unveils His Personal WWE Mount Rushmore

It's always eye-opening to discover who influenced some of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. 

For anyone in the WWE Universe who has been wondering which competitors have influenced the iconic and groundbreaking career of the current United States Champion Rey Mysterio, today is your lucky day. 

Who is on Rey Mysterio's WWE Mount Rushmore?

WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio has clashed with many popular Superstars over the years. Photo: WWE

During a recent appearance on the MMA Hour podcast, Rey Mysterio was asked a question that has been asked to many WWE Superstars lately: Which wrestlers make up Mysterio's personal Mount Rushmore? It was a question aimed at uncovering the most influential wrestlers in Mysterio's illustrious career – and the current United States Champion didn't shy away from being honest in his response. 

"I have to throw Eddie [Guerrero] in there because without Eddie, this whole growth of lucha libre would probably be different," Mysterio confessed. "You know, even when Mil Mascaras was part of WWE, it was big, but it didn't expand and I wish it would have. So Eddie kind of just opened the doors for all of us." 

Mil Mascaras – a WWE Hall of Fame luchador – was one of the pioneers of introducing Mexican-style pro wrestling to an American audience. Mascaras famously competed in the 1997 Royal Rumble match, but his brief WWE career can only be considered a disappointment. However, Mysterio's inclusion of Eddie Guerrero in his WWE Mount Rushmore makes perfect sense, as Guerrero, along with Mysterio, helped propel light heavyweight wrestling to new heights in the United States.

"So I said Hogan, Flair, Eddie, and if I personally have to throw another one – I love The Rock and I love Stone Cold – but I would throw Kurt Angle in there too," revealed Mysterio.

So there you have it, WWE Universe: Rey Mysterio's personal WWE Mount Rushmore includes Eddie Guerrero, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Kurt Angle. Unsurprisingly, Mysterio's version of Mount Rushmore differs significantly from Hogan's.

Throughout the 90s and 2000s, Rey Mysterio was intrinsically linked to the late great Eddie Guerrero. The cruiserweight division of mid-90s WCW was filled with an impressive roster of wrestlers who were inspired by the Mexican lucha libre in-ring style, but Mysterio and Guerrero stood out in a crowded field to consistently put on jaw-dropping matches – often against each other. 

Matches like the above classic at Halloween Havoc 1997 and their thrilling encounter at WrestleMania 21 defined both Superstars' careers. It didn't matter which promotion they wrestled for or what decade they performed in – a physics-defying Rey Mysterio versus Eddie Guerrero match was always on the table. 

Like many current WWE Superstars, Rey Mysterio acknowledges who put professional wrestling on the mainstream map – and made it "cool" – decades ago. That was Hulk Hogan. Without him, WWE wouldn't be where it is today. Although the WWE Universe may have differing thoughts on Hogan's life outside the ring, nobody can deny that Hulk Hogan's in-ring resume is what legends are made of.

Although Mysterio and Hogan only crossed paths a few times in the late 90s when both were competing in WCW, it's fitting that the Hulkster makes Mysterio's personal WWE Mount Rushmore. Without Hogan, you can argue that Rey Mysterio wouldn't exist as we know him! 

Like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair also didn't cross paths with Rey Mysterio often throughout their careers – but that doesn't make Flair's impact on Mysterio any less influential. The Nature Boy's contributions to pro wrestling are well-documented, as he was the yin to Hulk Hogan's yang throughout the 80s and 90s. If Hulk Hogan represented the larger-than-life spectacle that professional wrestling aimed to be, Ric Flair represented the athletic, tactical, sport-based underpinnings that fans grew to love over the years. 

You don't have to have countless matches against a man to recognize the impact they made on the wrestling industry, and that's why we're not surprised Rey Mysterio revealed Ric Flair has a prominent spot on his personal Mount Rushmore.

If Eddie Guerrero is the wrestler who was linked to Rey Mysterio throughout their respective WCW runs, Kurt Angle is the WWE Superstar whom Mysterio had the most classic matches with when he arrived in WWE! Rey Mysterio came to WWE with the reputation of being one of the most fantastic cruiserweight wrestlers in the world – but after getting in the ring with Kurt Angle on multiple occasions, the WWE Universe quickly realized that Mysterio was far too talented to be pigeonholed as a cruiserweight!

Mysterio's rivalry with Angle catapulted his pro wrestling career to new heights, ultimately putting him in a position to win the WWE Championship on multiple occasions – something that seemed impossible when he was competing against luchadors in WCW. Kurt Angle being an integral part of Mysterio's WWE Mount Rushmore makes perfect sense; one can argue that without Angle, Rey Mysterio would never break through the metaphorical glass ceiling in WWE.

So what's next for Rey Mysterio? 

Well, if Logan Paul has his way, the United States Championship could be changing hands sooner than later. But Rey Mysterio will cross that bridge when he gets to it.

You can tune in to Peacock to watch WWE's Crown Jewel on November 4 and Survivor Series on November 25. In the meantime, catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock.