Rey Mysterio has had longevity in the ring that is unmatched by most throughout wrestling history. Mysterio started wrestling in Mexico when he was barely a teenager and has performed on the biggest stages during his career.
At the age of 47, Mysterio might be closer to the end of his career than he is the beginning, but he's his longevity, even through injuries has been possible thanks to adjusting his in-ring style and stem cell therapy.
"They’ve been feeling really good," Mysterio told Kevin Wong of Complex when asked about his knees. "I started this treatment, which I’ve been doing since roughly around 2012, with stem cells. I did a very large treatment on my full body in 2019 in Colombia. And that has been my fountain of youth. It’s been helping me tremendously. Obviously, my knee has been my worst problem throughout my career. Thank God and knock on wood, my back and my neck have always been stable. I’ve had two torn biceps, one on each arm. I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. But this stem cell treatment has given me more years of longevity, more years to be able to do what I love and share special moments with my son in the ring. It’s given me the opportunity to keep doing what I do best."
Mysterio is still known for his high-flying style, but he takes less risks now compared to his younger years.
"I’ve learned throughout the years how to adapt and make things exciting for my fans, so I can still be Rey Mysterio but not putting so much pressure on my body. I go back and watch a lot of old videos just trying to study how I ended up with so many knee surgeries, especially on the left one, because my right one is surgery-free. But I’ve learned to adjust, how to make things exciting. I don’t do things that I know are going to hurt me, but I can still do things that keep fans up on their feet. Anything that I do where I land on my knees, or use a springboard motion to jump or hop, will eventually wear on me. Any move where I have to push off or land flat on my feet will affect my knees eventually. I’ve gotten away from all of those things and keep it exciting in my own way," he said.
Mysterio is set to team with his son Dominik at WrestleMania 38 against The Miz & Logan Paul.
Mysterio is also on the cover of WWE 2K22, which is available now for those that pre-ordered the Deluxe edition and is available everywhere on March 11. You can find Fightful's playthrough of WWE 2K22 on our Twitch channel.
