Dominik Mysterio may portray wrestling's most despised villain on television, but behind the scenes, "Dirty Dom" still gets starstruck when legends of the industry sing his praises.
In a revealing interview with The Wrestling Classic, the current Intercontinental Champion opened up about his reaction to John Cena's recent comments on the Pat McAfee Show, where the 17-time world champion identified Mysterio as the future of WWE.
Cena's Unexpected Endorsement
I think that was super dope of him to do that," Mysterio admitted, momentarily dropping his heel persona.
"John doesn't have to do any of that stuff. John doesn't have to - he's John Cena. He's the biggest, if not the biggest movie star in the world, along with the biggest wrestler currently in the world.
The significance of Cena's endorsement isn't lost on Mysterio, who confessed to being a lifelong fan of the "Doctor of Thuganomics" long before sharing the ring with him.
I've known that dude since I was a kid," Dominik revealed. "I love the doctor of thuganomics. I played his album when I was in school. Before I jumped in the showers, I always got to listen to music or have a speaker on. I'd play his CD. It was signed for me. I was a Cenomark, you know?
From Fan to Colleague
Mysterio's journey with Cena began professionally when live crowds returned after the pandemic.
He was the guy that was there for me with the tag matches giving me advice as a good guy. We both were baby faces at that time. I was tagging with John Cena and Rey Mysterio against Roman and the Usos.
This early mentorship evolved as Dominik's career progressed.
The fact that Cena was able to see me from that beginning to then a couple months later when he came back - a year or two later when he came back, I was a bad guy then and I got to wrestle him in a dark match. So he's seen me through this whole process and what I've gone through.
For Dominik, having witnessed his transformation from rookie to champion makes Cena's words particularly meaningful.
For him to say those words about me, it's really special," he said.
Global Ambassador Status
Beyond the support from wrestling royalty, Mysterio's rising status within WWE is further evidenced by his selection as one of the company's ambassadors for their crucial Indian market.
Alongside Women's World Champion Liv Morgan, Dominik recently completed a whirlwind promotional tour in Mumbai.
It was so life-changing for me, going out there and seeing India and just seeing how big and massive WWE actually is out there," Mysterio explained. "The impact that we were having - just going out there and doing all this social stuff - it was honestly super surreal.
Despite being in India for only two days, the pair created extensive content, participating in Bollywood-themed photoshoots, cultural activities, and media appearances.
We were nonstop from 6:00 in the morning till 7:00 p.m. at night," Dominik recalled. "The fact that we were the chosen ones to go out there just goes to show you the power that me and Liv have.
As Mysterio continues to forge his own path separate from his famous father's legacy, the support from established legends like Cena provides both validation and motivation. F