Dominik Mysterio has become a regular feature of Monday Night Raw, but things almost played out very differently.
The young star made his in-ring debut at SummerSlam 2020 against Seth Rollins in a match that was not only his first with WWE but the first of his entire career. From there the star began to team with Rey Mysterio and the pair became the first father-and-son team to hold WWE tag team gold.
Dominik eventually turned on his father and aligned with the Judgment Day, his career moving to a whole new level.
However, this wasn’t always the plan. Mysterio has revealed that there was talk of him competing in NXT before moving up to the main roster, the more traditional pathway for young WWE Superstars.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained that sending Mysterio to NXT would have been a mistake.
“[Dominik’s] not like Rey Mysterio (his father), but he’s like Rey Mysterio at the same time, if you understand what I mean. He’s so much taller, but his athleticism, his timing, the grace, the flawlessness, he does everything. He does everything good.
I was listening to him talk and he was saying that the original plan was to start him out in the ‘NXT’ program and I think that would have been a mistake. I really do. I think they’ve slipped on a banana peel and they got a bona fide star that they’re going to be able to work with for the next 15 years.”
Has Dominik Mysterio Ever Wrestled In NXT?
On the July 11th episode of NXT, Dominik Mysterio headed to NXT along with the rest of Judgment Day. On the show, Mysterio challenged North American Champion Wes Lee to a match on July 18th. The match will be the star’s first with WWE’s developmental brand.
H/t to Wrestling Inc