Even if you're only vaguely familiar with pro wrestling, chances are you've heard of WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. He's had an incredible in-ring career; after making his debut as a professional wrestler in 1989, he joined WCW in 1996 before signing with WWE in 2002.
He'd already found success in WCW's Cruiserweight division but was booked as a top star in WWE, winning the world title three times (other accolades include a Royal Rumble win and multiple Intercontinental, United States, and Tag Team title reigns).
Mysterio left WWE in 2015 and worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Lucha Underground, and AAA before returning to the company in 2018 where he's since been joined by his son, Dominik Mysterio.
Over the years, the former WWE Champion has worn many comic book-inspired ring attires, including those based on Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Black Panther, and - rather appropriately - Mysterio.
However, he's had to slow down on wearing those after WWE received cease and desist letters from Marvel! Talking to Adrian Hernandez (via TheRingReport.com), Mysterio explained why he had to move on from superheroes.
"WWE had to shut me down for a minute because I was getting too exaggerated. It’s my logo. I’m just using their colors and maybe a Captain America star here and the gloves, but I don’t change anything. With this outfit, I have a dope idea I want to put into work, and I’m hoping I’m able to bust it out. Overall, it’s always been an inspiration."
"When I did the first one, I was in AAA. I did a Superman outfit. I used to wear tights and trunks over the tights, and the logo on the trunks had the Superman logo with the [S] and the colors. I just wore a red cape. People got what I was trying to do. I did Batman, Spider-Man, and I carried that with me to WWE until they told me, 'Hey, maybe you’ve got to stop a little bit because we’re getting cease and desist letters.'"
Many WWE Superstars have pulled inspiration from Marvel over the years, including Seth Rollins' Thanos-inspired ring gear. It's a little surprising to hear the comic book publisher had an issue with wrestlers paying homage to its characters, but they may have crossed a legal line.
Elsewhere in the interview, the 50-year-old Mysterio confirmed he hopes to follow in John Cena's footsteps by announcing his retirement match in advance.
"I would love to make an announcement. I would love for the fans who have grown up watching me and supported my career from day one, of which there are still many around, to be able to say, 'This is the last time I'm going to get to see him perform. I want to go take a look.' I want to give the opportunity to those fans that have been loyal from day one. Prior to that, I would think, 'I'm just going to retire one day,' but it's a hard thing to do when you start thinking about it."
"I know that time is a lot closer than it was yesterday. I have to prep myself up mentally. I do that slowly, especially now that Cena is doing his last run. I'm kind of looking at him and trying to get that understanding of what it feels like. He's going into Hollywood and doing his thing, he has a great thing going on. For me, I've always loved and only done wrestling. Once I leave wrestling, I think about what I'm going to do next."
You can watch the full interview below.