AFTER THE MASK: Mysterio's Run in the Spring of '99

Here on The Big Bang May 6, I sometimes like to take a differing opinion to topics that the majority of wrestling fans, especially during World Championship Wrestling’s heyday, would not agree with. In fact, I believe that, even with newer wrestling fanatics, they would also disagree with this one. So, I will be the lone stalwart making this statement:

I WAS, AM, AND FOREVER WILL BE FOR REY MYSTERIO, JR LOSING HIS MASK AT SUPERBRAWL ON FEBRUARY 21, 1999.

Seriously.

Look, I can understand why many people hated it at the time. Mysterio, one of the greatest Cruiserweights of all time, losing his “identity” with the mask and no longer “standing out” as much. WCW losing a major merchandise opportunity by selling the Lucha Libre masks didn’t help things either. Many believe it was a major miss during a time period in the promotion when the ship slowly began to lose steam.

But I disagree entirely. This storyline was long term building. It was really helping establish Mysterio as an absolute rebel.

In truth, it all really began when Mysterio was forced to join the Latino World Order at the end of 1998, due to losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio HATED being a part of the group; so much so, he was teaming with Billy Kidman while in the LWO against them.

However, his mood changed at the start of 1999. Following a life-threatening car accident, Guerrero was no longer on television. Then, after the LWO was attacked on the January 7, 1999 Thunder by the rejuvenated and unified New World Order, new WCW President Ric Flair brought the faction out to the ring on the following Nitro on January 11 and orchestrated an agreement with the remaining members, disbanding the group. Mysterio, dismayed on how easily his factionmates ended things, actually left the ring without taking off the LWO colors.

Over the next several weeks, the nWo Wolfpac began bullying Mysterio, in particular Lex Luger and Kevin Nash. Konnan, who was in battle with the duo, due to being excommunicated from the group, as well as being Rey Jr’s mentor throughout his career, made the save and began a crusade to stop the Wolfpac.

For SuperBrawl on February 21, 1999, it was announced that Luger and Nash would face off with Konnan and Mysterio in a tag team encounter. If “the Total Package” and “Big Sexy” won, Mysterio would have to lose his mask. However, if they lost, Miss Elizabeth, who had become Luger’s valet, would have to shave her head. 

Mysterio actually got an one-ups-manship on Luger a few days prior on the go-home Thunder, attacking him in the parking lot and slamming a car door on Luger’s left arm. (In truth, Luger tore his tricep in a match with Konnan at the January 30, 1999 live event at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.)  However, at SuperBrawl, Nash brought out Luger’s replacement - SCOTT HALL. The Outsiders were reunited and looking for revenge.

Despite an epic showing from Mysterio, including knocking out Nash with a moonsault, Elizabeth and Luger’s distractions were much-too-much, allowing for Hall to enter the ring illegally and leveling Rey with an Outsider's Edge, putting Nash on top, and getting the three count for the victory.

After the match, Mysterio, dejected as Hell, with help from Konnan, lived up to the stipulation of the match and unmasked. Surprisingly, Rey got a pop from the female audience. Dude was, truthfully, handsome under the hood. Also, Mysterio was only 24 years old at this stage in his career, and looked legitimately youthful. Shortly thereafter, he left the ring, walking up the ramp, hands on hips, disappointed.

However, the next stage of his career was about to begin. And it was a good one.

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The next night on Nitro, “Big Sexy”, “the Total Package”, and Elizabeth made their way down the ramp and to the ring. Nash continued his disrespect towards Mysterio, putting his mask on the top of his head, and just making disparaging comments towards him. According to Nash, Mysterio requested a matchup between them. Nash, being seven feet tall and completely outsizing the 5 '5 Cruiserweight, was humored by this and called him out.

For the first time on Nitro, the unmasked Rey Mysterio, Jr came out to the ring. Dressed up in camouflage gear, including baggy pants and an entrance vest, Rey was touching upon his “No Limit Soldier” side, which Nash even referenced. (That story will be told another time.)

Mysterio refused to back down, and a match began. The Cruiserweight instantly used his speed to his advantage, flying all around the ring and taking down the seven-footer, even giving him a “Ruff Ryder” in the corner. Quickly though, the power Nash overtook Rey, laying out and leveling Rey. Finally, Nash went for his Jackknife Powerbomb.

Still fueled by anger from the night before, Mysterio, once powered up, began pounding on the head of “Big Sexy”. Losing his equilibrium, Nash fell over, with Mysterio on top. Referee Randy Anderson made the three count, counting the pin for Rey Jr! MYSTERIO JUST BEAT NASH!

As Mysterio hustled up the ramp, Mike Tenay on commentary made a loud, yet profound statement: “REY MYSTERIO IS A GIANT KILLER!” It was even more wild hearing that, considering that Nash was calling himself that after powerbombing and dropping the Giant on his head a year earlier at Souled Out 1998.

For losing the mask just one night earlier, Rey was instantly propelled into the next level of WCW.

Over the next two weeks, Mysterio continued being a “Giant Killer”. On the March 1, 1999 Nitro, following turning down Nash’s invitation to join the NWO Wolfpac, he defeated Bam Bam Bigelow. Then, following a tag team win on the March 4 Thunder with Booker T against Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell, Mysterio, via a sneaky low blow behind the referee’s back, pinned NWO Hollywood member Scott Norton.

Absolutely frustrated, Nash got WCW management to make a rematch between the pair at WCW Uncensored on March 14.

Despite Mysterio’s absolute best efforts on pay-per-view, thanks to interference from Lex Luger, tripping him up after slipping out from “Big Sexy’s” grasp, Nash delivered an emphatic Jackknife to Mysterio, picking up the much needed victory. It actually did a lot for Mysterio despite the loss, taking two incredible Heavyweights to defeat the younger, out for revenge Cruiserweight.

The next night on Nitro, the WCW Championship Committee decided to put Mysterio in a Cruiserweight Championship match against Kidman. The native from Allentown, PA was absolutely dominant as titleholder, beating men like Psychosis, Chavo Guerrero, and even former ECW Triple Crown winner Mikey Whipwreck throughout his reign. Although they were allies, Kidman knew that beating Rey Jr straight up would put him over the top as one of the greatest Cruiserweight Champions of all time.

The match was absolutely electric. Both men laid it ALL out there for the fans and themselves. WCW fans, which gets no credit for its absolute electric atmosphere, especially during “the beginning of the end” era in the Spring of 1999, were on their feet this entire contest.

Finally, just as Kidman gained control, he began his ascent towards the top rope, looking for his Shooting Star Press. Mysterio, quick as a cat, caught him at the pass. In one of the most incredible moves I had ever seen as a viewer, Rey delivered a wheelbarrow bulldog OFF THE TURNBUCKLES!

Kidman was out cold from the impact. Three slaps of the mat later from the referee, and Rey Mysterio Jr became Cruiserweight Champion for the fourth time!

Although dejected as anything, Kidman instantly showed respect, shaking the hand and hugging Mysterio. This was truly one of WCW’s most underrated matches from 1999.

The next week on Nitro at Club Le Vala in Panama City Beach, FL, Mysterio had his first ever chance at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Ric Flair, who had turned into a rulebreaker following his win against “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan in a barbed wire steel cage match at Uncensored, put a plethora of names into a bowl, in which the winner would receive a championship match against the President later on in the night. Flair drew the name of EL DANDY (Who are you to doubt El Dandy?), but due to an injury suffered earlier in the night in an eight-man tag team match, Dandy was unable to perform. Instead, Dandy handed his opportunity off to Mysterio. JJ Dillon from the Championship Committee accepted the transfer and the WCW President lost his mind.

In the first ever WCW World Championship vs Cruiserweight Champion match in WCW history, Mysterio came within an eyelash of winning the gold. However, thanks to Arn Anderson pulling the referee out of the ring, Flair was disqualified. Even though Mysterio ended the night by putting “the Nature Boy” in the pool, in WCW Spring Break tradition, fans were dejected, almost witnessing Rey Jr as a double champion. He also made an enemy out of Flair and the Four Horsemen.

The March 29, 1999 Nitro from the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was monumental for a boatload of reasons. First, it was the last night with the original WCW logo in place. Second, Kevin Sullivan, WCW’s head booker, had a medical emergency backstage, nearly dying after collapsing backstage. Third, Bret “Hit Man” Hart “quit” WCW, thanks to the infamous Goldberg spear into the steel plate incident.

The final one was an absolute classic of a match. President Flair, still holding animosity towards Mysterio, decided to put Mysterio in an interesting dichotomy, placing him alongside his competitive rival Kidman in a match for the WCW World Tag Team Titles against fellow Horsemen members Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko. So many questions were put into play. Would Mysterio and Kidman get along, as tensions still ran high following the 3/15/99 Nitro? Could Benoit and Malenko gain revenge for Flair following last week? Would Rey Jr end up a double champion?

If you guessed #3, you’d be correct.

Both teams, as they were prone to do, wrestled a magnificent battle. Just as Benoit and Malenko were about to win, Raven and Perry Saturn, who had just reunited as a tandem after a long rivalry in 1998, including the disbanding of the Flock, made their way towards the ring. As the referee was distracted with Benoit and Kidman brawling as the non-legal men, Malenko hooked Rey up in his patented Texas Cloverleaf. Raven entered the ring and delivered an Evenflow to “the Iceman”. Mysterio took full advantage, crawling on top of a prone Malenko, getting a three-count, and becoming a double champion!

REY MYSTERIO JR WAS WCW CRUISERWEIGHT AND TAG TEAM CHAMPION!

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Rey Mysterio Jr would be a busy man over the next few weeks. Throughout April, Mysterio would be defending both the WCW Tag Team Titles and Cruiserweight Championships.

Following a successful Tag Team Title defense against Saturn and Raven on the April 5, 1999 Nitro (the first with the “spaceship” WCW logo), Mysterio walked into Spring Stampede on the 11th to defend his Cruiserweight Championship in a return match against Kidman.

In another classic, Mysterio would retain the Cruiserweight gold. Eight days later, during a four-way battle on Nitro, Mysterio would LOSE the Cruiserweight Title to Psychosis in a match that also included Juventeud Guerrera and the phenom BLITZKRIEG. One week later, Rey would win the title back from Psychosis on the April 26 Nitro, becoming a double champion AGAIN.