Unmasking the real Mysterio

MANILA, Philippines - Behind the mysterious mask and the short, muscular frame with heavy tattoos is a man with a soft heart.

Yes, wrestling superstar Rey Mysterio, who’s in town for a quick promotional tour, has a soft side, and he showed it during a one-on-one interview with The STAR yesterday.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion and tag team champion in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), is a devoted Roman Catholic.

He is a family man. He has the names of his children, Dominik, who’s 15, and Aalyah, who’s 11, tattooed on his biceps, and one for his wife, Angie.

In a 15-minute span, the 37-year-old wrestler took a series of questions, talking about the continuing popularity of his sport, and how skinny he was during his school years.

He also said he admired Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao even though in 2006 he climbed the ring carrying Erik Morales’ belt in a third fight with the Filipino boxing icon.

He said he keeps an “orderly” collection of 500 masks at home, and that it’s his daughter who loves to try them on.

Mysterio, who is Oscar Gutierrez outside the ring, likened himself to Pacquiao because he also loves fighting bigger guys, and always trying to knock them out.

“Yeah,” he said of the comparison.

“It just gives me a gallon of adrenalin knowing that people want to see me knocking out the big guy. Even more than that is that they know I can do it.

“It’s definitely my type of a fight when I’m fighting bigger guys. It’s always like David and Goliath. And sometimes I wonder how did I make it this far,” he said.

Mysterio stands just a shade taller than 5’6” and had gone up to face wrestlers standing close to seven feet. It doesn’t bother him at all.

“I’ve seen Manny Pacquiao push hard and take down bigger opponents. But Morales is a good friend of mine and he asked me if I could be up in his corner and carry his belt. Backstage though I ran up to Manny and there was a brief handshake and a hi,” he said.

Mysterio, in a black shirt, dark jeans, and black Chuck Taylors, wore his colorful mask during the interview inside a small function room with no more than eight persons around.

He was prepared for any question thrown at him, but not as much for the last one. He was asked for his thoughts on the recent Colorado shooting that left a dozen dead and scores hurt.

Mysterio pulled himself back against his chair and took a deep breath.

“I was very shocked when I heard that. It’s very sad to hear that people can hurt other people like that,” he said of the terrible shooting incident during the premiere of Batman’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“It was such a happy and exciting day for the people,” he said as he recalled watching the movie “The Avengers” with his son, a brother and a nephew. 

“The movie started just around midnight and there was just so much hype and it was incredible. I was playing video games at home with my son, and I told him to pause it for a while.

“I asked him if he remembered when we watched ‘The Avengers’ and the theater was also packed then. I told my son it could have been us. We go out for a good time and it ends up in tragedy.”

He said his son took his questions seriously and both of them thought hard about it.

“My son really felt sad. That’s how bad it is. Are we going to walk through metal detectors now just to enjoy a movie? It was very shocking,” said Mysterio.

“My prayers go out to the families of the victims, and their loved ones and those who survived the incident and had been traumatized for life,” said the wrestler known for his aerial acts and diving headbutts.

He would have gone on and on, but the buzzer sounded on the interview.

Just a couple of minutes later, he came out of the room, and with his publicist and his bodyguard headed straight to the elevator.

He wore no mask, but a black fedora – and a gentle smile.