Happy Birthday Champ - Rey Mysterio's Wrestling Career Has Spanned Five Decades

Today is the 50th birthday of a true wrestling legend, Rey Mysterio, whose illustrious career has spanned five decades. It’s amazing that at 50, Rey is still performing in the ring, and the difference between the younger and older Rey is not that big.

Rey Mysterio, born Óscar Gutiérrez on December 11, 1974, started wrestling at a young age, debuting in Mexico in the late 1980s. He is famous for his high-flying moves and exciting persona. He has won so many championships, it’s hard to keep track.

Here’s a look at his career over the years:

1989: Rey started wrestling at 14 on the independent circuit.
1992: He joined Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA).
1996: He moved to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and helped make lucha libre popular in the U.S.
2002: Rey debuted in WWE.
2015: He left WWE to wrestle in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Lucha Underground, and AAA.
2018: He returned to WWE.
2023: Rey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Happy 50th birthday to the iconic Rey Mysterio. pic.twitter.com/WgPn7oRXZd
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) December 11, 2024

At 50, most wrestlers retire because their bodies can’t handle the physical demands anymore, but the Latino World Order’s leader is different. It’s expected he will soon have a longer wrestling career than Sting.

What’s amazing is that even after five decades in wrestling, Rey hasn’t changed much. He still looks the same as he did 10-15 years ago, and no one knows how he manages to maintain this youthful look.

Carmel Hayes teases Rey Mysterio’s SmackDown return

On a recent WWE SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes teased Rey Mysterio’s return. Even though Mysterio is on WWE RAW now, his time on SmackDown is still remembered.

Nick Aldis told Carmelo Hayes that he would face a “special” opponent next. Fans are wondering who it could be, and Hayes asked Aldis on social media if it’s the leader of the Latino World Order.