Performer Analysis: Rey Mysterio

1) Innovation- 10/10
This category is made for Rey. He became the figurehead for the revolutionary Lucha Libre movement into the United States wrestling scene. It started in ECW, but didn't really take off until he was brought in with WCW and showcased so well. Rey's even revolutionary for Lucha Libred; his body size and daring heart broke new ground in the style and his innovation is continued to be felt there today.

2) Conditioning- 8/10
Who am I to accuse Rey of being on drugs or painkillers? All I can do is see the evidence and after watching this large Rey set of matches, he's noticeably bigger all around in WWE. But other than that, he is in very good shape. His frame gives him leeway to be able to pull off more amazing maneuvers but it also makes him more susceptible to injuries, especially in the last 6 or 7 years of his career. But, he has great stamina and has often worked long matches with exceptional speed and agility.

3) Workrate- 10/10
Rey is an awesome opponent for anyone. There are a handful of guys over the years who just can't gel with rey's style, but mostly Rey just has it talent enough to blend in well with most other workers. He's mostly a defensive guy who can sell extremely well even despite his wearing a mask and can bump with the best of them. His move set, while certainly not as impressive as it was in his early days, is still quite creative and innovative for a main eventer. Rey's a giving worker and that's why I'm sure you wouldn't have any problem finding people who would want to work with him.

4) Psychology- 7/10
As I said, despite wearing a mask, Rey is quite adapt at showing pain or joy or any range of emotion through his mask. He's a champ on selling offense, and making you believe he is being pulverized. He also knows how to rally a big comeback despite his lack of microphone charisma, he's extremely charismatic in his performance. He can give you the kind of beatdown that people can really get behind and I think that's his biggest strength.

5) Int/Promos- 5/10
Rey isn't really the promo guy; I mean he does his fair share of them, but I've always likened his mic skill as that of a little boy, who isn't the tough guy telling you all the stuff he's going to do to you but more like a kid trying to tell off a bully. They almost have their own little charm and kind of work on that level because obviously there's enough tough guys around and with Rey's size it would be completely absurd for him to behave like that.

6) Gimmick/Role- 8/10
Rey has a strong built in character- a Lucha Libre superstar that has transcened the genre to excel in the big time. I believe he is one of only a few masked performers to ever win the World Championship (I"m including Kane and Mankind in that.) His name was passed down from his uncle to him and it has a strong connotation. It used to have a lot to do with being mysterious and never knowing what he will do, but his character has evolved so much since then, it's hard to really describe him other than what I already have. I have to shave off a few points for Rey never having tried his hand at being a heel, but something tells me it wouldn't go over too well. Some guys are just always loved by the fans no matter what they do.

7) Fans- 10/10
People love Rey Rey and they always have. People love an underdog and Rey has always been the epitome of that. He's a big hit with kids, now the new basis of their marketing campaign towards that target audience. He strikes a chord with everyone because he's the little guy that can win, the engine that could and he plays the role to the hilt because it's almost a mirror image of his battle in real life of being a small athlete and still making it.

8) Basics- 7/10
This category is a different animal all together because Rey was trained in Mexico, which if you look at your basics of wrestling, your bumps, your rope running, your lockups, all of that stuff, along with your headlocks and transitions and your strikes, punches, kicks, etc. it should all be basically the same, but with Lucha Libre there's a whole different style. I'm guessing arm drags and hiptosses and headscissors are all engrained into your basic training. The cool thing about Lucha Libre is the falls system which pretty much makes it to where you don't have an ego because you're probably jobbing at least once a match even if you don't lose that much. But, Rey's basics are in tact; he runs the ropes like a pro, knows a decent amount (and displays it) of your basic scientific manuevers, has good kicks, so-so punches and can transition like a mofo so good score for him on this one.

9) Feud/Opp.- 7/10
Rey has gotten the chance to take on some of the industry's top names ever since traveling to America because he is such a unique performer so that's a big boost to him in this one. He's also wrestled the best in Mexico over the years so it's the best of both worlds, so he has a great mix of opponents he's gotten to wrestle; he's also had some famous programs, most notably with Psicosis, Juvi Guerrera, the late (and great) Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and Dean Malenko. Rey still has a lot of time left in his career to build that resume to even greater standards.

10)Gutcheck- 10/10
To be 140 pounds and be called (translated to English from Spanish) "The Hummingbird", to becoming WWE champion at their biggest show of the year is a major, major accomplishment. To be a man in a mask with none to very few mic skills in the biggest entertainment show in the business and still be the main man for at least 6 months is a big, big accomplishment. And I guarantee you no one would have ever believed Rey could have achieved that much success, probably not even Rey himself. But he did, and you have to have heart and perserverence to have made that dream a reality. This is a big man's business, a strong man's business, a politician's business and Rey Mysterio is none of those things; he's just that great of a performer and a very unique athlete that will always stand out in the anals of pro wrestling history.

Total: 82
Ranking: Legend
PO: Thumbs Middle