Dominik Mysterio on Relationship with 'Mami' and The Judgment Day, Prison Life, More

Wrestling prodigy Dominik Mysterio has long worked toward being a successful Superstar in WWE but could have never imagined the adversity he would have to endure along the way.

Doubts of whether he could live up to the Mysterio family's greatness echoed in his mind. The pressure of proving he was main roster material despite never having an extended run in NXT weighed heavily on him.

The 25-year-old was tasked with following in his father's footsteps and carrying on that iconic legacy while also establishing his own identity.

Through his many trials and tribulations, it was on Christmas 2022 that Dominik had his biggest life-altering experience to date: spending a night–or more accurately, a few hours–in prison.

This came following a heated altercation he had with his parents at his childhood home. Rhea Ripley⁠—best known to Dom as "Mami"⁠—got physical with Rey's wife, Angie, culminating in police being called to the scene and Dominik being escorted off in handcuffs.

Ex-con Dom emerged from that cell a new man, ready to exact revenge on his "deadbeat dad" for the many missed birthdays, lack of proper guidance and subpar parenting skills.

This was despite his desperate pleas to Ripley from the patrol car about bailing him out as soon as possible due to his concerns he wouldn't make it behind bars. His one allowed phone call was made to his confidants in The Judgment Day, specifically Mami.

He was soon spared from suffering any further emotional trauma, though only he can speak to what he witnessed while incarcerated.

Aside from their SmackDown scuffle last week while promoting NASCAR's Clash at the Coliseum event, Dominik has had no contact with either of his parents since the events that transpired Christmas night.

"He hasn't reached out, but I'll tell you who has: Mami, Finn [Bálor] and Damian [Priest]," Dominik told Bleacher Report during the Royal Rumble weekend. "They've been by my side the whole time. They've got my back."

The former SmackDown tag team champion was previously at odds with The Judgment Day over the summer. That was before he realized he had much more to gain from aligning with them than sticking by his own flesh and blood and, in his mind, fighting his father's battles for him.

Dominik betrayed Rey in shocking fashion at Clash at the Castle last September and hasn't looked back. Only he and Ripley would argue that they have blossomed a beautiful relationship since then.

"Maybe after she choked me unconscious, I thought, 'You know what? I think things may be able to work here. I think she's the one to help me out,'" he said about when their chemistry clicked for him. "I think our anniversary would be the first day she beat me up. But I don't know. I'm not going to answer questions that are going to get me trouble."

Dom and Ripley, 26, don't find themselves too far apart in age but have very few shared interests. A typical night out for the two consists of him basically going along with whatever she wants to do, which isn't drastically different from their dynamic on Raw.

"She doesn't like to do much and neither do I, so we just stay indoors," Dom said. "She puts on some really scary movies and listens to really loud music. I don't like the scary movies, but she's pretty scary, so it all depends on what she puts on, whether it be a slasher or a horror. It's pretty intense."

Dominik said Van Helsing, a 2004 Hugh Jackman-led stinker with a whopping 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, is his favorite movie of all time.

Having never seen a single second of 1994 classic The Shawshank Redemption, he turned to his memories of 1993's Blood In Blood Out starring Damian Chapa to get him through his time in the clink.

"It was a traumatic experience, but after I got my phone call and realized I had to stay strong for Mami, it was good," Dom said. "I had to do what I had to do."

The prison-hardened criminal wouldn't reveal the minute details of the sentence he served, but it did open his eyes to the importance of having backup and never letting your guard down regardless of the circumstance.

"I think one of the most important lessons I learned was to always have your crew. That's why you see Damian Priest over there," Dominik said, confidently gesturing to his Judgment Day stablemate on the other side of the media junket with a smug smile. "I've always got to have somebody around. A couple of other things I learned in prison that I'll save."

In addition to acting as an inspiration for all misunderstood millennials with checkered pasts and continuing to make life miserable for his father, Dominik has his sights set on righting the wrong from Raw's 30th anniversary episode and capturing the Raw Tag Team Championship.

"I think it's time for The Judgment Day to get our hands on some gold," he said. "We didn't lose to the tag team champions, we lost to Sami Zayn and Jey Uso. So, I think we deserve a rematch and we'll definitely get one because Adam Pearce likes to go out and make all these crazy matches. I think with a little pressure from Mami, we can make something happen."

For the record, Dom has as much disdain for his mother as he does for Rey. After all, she was the one who had him arrested in the first place. If he doesn't take care of Angie himself, he promises Ripley will.

"My mom called the cops on me and she hit Mami Rhea, so at this point, she's on the hit list." he said. "If she steps to me, I'm going to have Rhea step to her and we've seen who Rhea steps to. I would love to see my mom step to her and get body-slammed."

Needless to say, Dom doesn't intend on making amends with either of his parents any time soon, if ever. His disgusting behavior has made him both reprehensible and the most hated heel on the entire WWE roster.

After ruining the Mysterios' Thanksgiving and Christmas, it would only stand to reason that Dominik would have something sinister planned for Valentine's Day this Tuesday.as well.

When asked about the possibility, he noted that he prefers to spend the quality time with his Mami and not waste another holiday on people who don't deserve his presence.

"I think Valentine's Day would be more special if it was just me and Mami," Dominik said. "There's no need... I mean, there's always a need to ruin my parents' Christmas, Thanksgiving, other holidays, Fourth of July, everything. But I think February 14 I'll leave it special for just me and Mami."

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.