WWE legend Rey Mysterio is opening up about the mental pressure he’s dealt with throughout his decades-long wrestling career — revealing that stepping into the ring as a teenager forced him to grow up far faster than most people his age.
Mysterio spoke about his experiences during a panel discussion that also featured WWE personality Big E. The discussion, which focused on mental health and resilience, was later uploaded to YouTube by Adrian Hernandez of Unruly. During the conversation, Mysterio reflected on how starting his wrestling journey at just 14 years old shaped the way he learned to handle pressure and adversity. He explained that entering a locker room filled with grown adults while still a teenager required him to mature quickly and develop strong mental discipline very early in life.
“Guys, my name is Rey Mysterio. I wrestled for WWE, been wrestling for over 30 years. Started wrestling at a very young age at the age of 14. So being a kid in a man’s sport was always very difficult, but hope and mental strength is something that has been a part of my life from day one, pretty much having to grow up and acting older and maturing much faster than other kids my age.”
Mysterio also spoke about how he manages mental stress today, revealing that he relies on a strict morning routine to help him stay focused and balanced. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, he tends to keep many of his emotions internalized, which makes finding healthy outlets for stress especially important. He described how his daily routine includes prayer, a cold plunge, and exercise — all of which help him clear his mind before starting the day.
“Well, I realize that with age your brain does start messing with you, your mind making you think other things that you probably don’t want to think. I’m the type of person that I like to — I’m very introvert. I don’t open up to a lot of people and a lot of those feelings I store inside. So that could be your case. You can be the opposite of that and like to open up to other people. And I just realized that for me what works is I have a routine that I go through every morning. As soon as I wake up the first thing that I do is I have a little prayer book. I read my prayer book. I say my prayer for the day. Jump in my cold plunge — it’s about 39 degrees — I stay there for about three minutes. I get out, I start warming up, then I head over to the gym. And that kind of releases that negative energy or those train of thoughts that sometimes I don’t want to think.”
He added that physical activity plays a major role in helping him work through stress and negative thoughts that build up over time.
“The gym releases a lot of my stress and a lot of my negative thoughts, a lot of the issues that I’m going through in the moment.”
Mysterio also addressed the emotional side of being a public figure in professional wrestling. Even when dealing with personal struggles behind the scenes, he explained that wrestlers often still have to present themselves positively when interacting with fans.
“Overall I think the hardest thing is when you’re going through mental toughness and in my case I have to put on the mask and now I have to go meet fans. Being able to separate that can be very difficult.”
Despite that challenge, Mysterio said that meeting fans can sometimes help lift his mood and take away the pressure he might be feeling.
“But for me being around fans flips the switch and makes me feel welcome in that space. It kind of takes away that pressure that I’ve been feeling. But of course as soon as that mask comes off I go back to the issue that I’m dealing with at the time.”
After more than three decades in the wrestling business, Mysterio’s comments offered a rare look into the mental challenges that can come with performing in front of millions of fans while still dealing with personal struggles away from the spotlight.
What do you think about Rey Mysterio opening up about the mental pressure of wrestling and the routine he uses to stay balanced? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.