When Dominik Mysterio took the ring on the go-home edition of RAW before Backlash, he was booed to a degree that would make MJF blush.
Standing alongside his best friends The Judgement Day, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and Rhea Ripley, Mysterio attempted to talk some smack on the lWo ahead of Backlash, but his efforts were largely in vain, as the crowd in Texas booed Rey's son to an incredible degree, with even WWE's post-production staff unable to fully pull down their volume. Needless to say, this was an incredible moment for more reasons than one; it signified that the WWE Universe can legitimately impact the pacing of the show, pinning down their object of scorn like he was stuck in the Lebell Lock, but it also proved that, intentionally or not, Triple H has created an all-time great heel.
Discussing Mysterio's innate ability to rub people the wrong way on the Haus Of Wrestling podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long put the California native over in a big way, comparing his in-ring mastery of the mic to his “mother” Vickie Guerrero, who was borderline nuclear on the mic in her prime.
“I’ll tell you what I was really impressed with, Dominik Mysterio,” Long said via Fightful. “Brother, he’s got more heat than anybody, and that’s how you do it. That’s real heat because it took me all the way back to the Vickie Guerrero days because you remember Vickie, as soon as she opened her mouth, they started booing. They wouldn’t even let her talk, and the same thing hit Dominik last night. He’s got the real heat there.”
For fans who only know Guerrero for her run in AEW, you might not realize just how viciously hated Eddie's widow was in WWE a decade ago, with the manager in question soaking it up and playing off of it to an exceptional degree. Being around all-time pros like Guerrero, and especially his father, Rey, Long figures, is a big reason why Dom was able to find a storyline that worked for him and made it stick during his first year as a singles star as a member of The Judgement Day.
“Dominik has got such a great father, Rey Mysterio, somebody that knows this business in and out and able to talk to him and train him the right way and show him exactly how this really works,” Mysterio added. “The next thing that [brings him] heat is because you’re telling the story that deals with the family. Nobody wants to see a son mistreat his father, nobody wants to see a father mistreat their son. So, when you involve family in it, you’re telling a real story there.”
Will Dominik be able to stand on his own when Rey is no longer a part of his storyline, which appears to be the path Paul “Triple H” Levesque wants to travel after Backlash? Only time will tell, but before fans get too far down that rabbit hole, Judgement Day has to first take care of business against The lWo.
Damian Priest is proud to see Dominik Mysterio get out of his father's shadow.
Discussing the Mysterio Family on After The Bell with Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick, Priest noted just how proud he is to see Dominik step out of Rey's shadow and really become the sort of singles star who can get every audience member in an arena off their feet.
“[Dominik] was in his dad's shadow when they were together. And then when he first joined the Judgment Day was still, kind of… He was in his shadow. Not anymore. He's his own star on his own where he doesn't need anybody's help,” Priest said via F4W. “He brings a whole different level of – well, level of heat, for sure – but his style, his demeanor, it gives us the opportunity to feed off of something that's different and create something special. He's helped us just as much as we've helped him. He's very important to The Judgment Day now. I don't know what The Judgement Day is like without him now. Without Dom, I say we're not as strong, I don't think we're as popular.
“As a friend, a brother, as a co-worker, I am extremely proud of him. I have the best seat in the house to watch him do his thing. It's special, I love it. ”
Will Dominik Mysterio ever truly be able to step out of Rey's small-yet-expansive shadow? Only time will tell, but after being viewed as a nepotism hire with no real talent, Dom Dom has found a way to make his WWE career his own, which not every performer can say with a straight face.
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