Dom Mysterio Talks SummerSlam, Eddie Guerrero, WWE Unreal and More in B/R Interview

WWE's SummerSlam premium live event has been a monumental occasion for the Mysterio Family for over two decades.

In 2002, Rey Mysterio made his WWE pay-per-view debut at SummerSlam against Kurt Angle in an instant classic. Three years later, he faced the late, great Eddie Guerrero in a ladder match with custody of his son, Dominik, on the line.

Fast-forward to 2020, and Dominik Mysterio made his WWE in-ring debut at SummerSlam in a tag-team match alongside his father. After severing ties with the elder Mysterio and evolving into "Dirty Dom," the 28-year-old pulled off a major heel turn at last year's event when he betrayed Rhea Ripley and began his relationship with Liv Morgan.

Still, this year's SummerSlam supersedes all of those moments for Dom Mysterio, as he successfully defended his WWE Intercontinental Championship against the legendary AJ Styles on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in front of a crowd of 60,561.

"It's definitely at the top for me, especially because my family and myself have a rich history when it comes to SummerSlam," Mysterio told Bleacher Report. "SummerSlam's definitely been a special place for the Mysterio Family, but it's nice that the correct Mysterio and the greatest Mysterio of all time is taking over the mantle now. I don't want to call myself any names, but I've heard 'Mr. SummerSlam' here and there."

Nearly 20 years to the day that his father climbed the ladder to defeat Guerrero and retain his custody, Mysterio and Styles paid homage to that iconic 2005 match, which had completed one of the most intense storylines in WWE history.

Mysterio made his entrance wearing the same mask his dad wore two decades ago, and Styles wore the same gear that Guerrero wore, entering the stadium in a lowrider. Several moments were dedicated to Guerrero's trademark antics, down to the finish when Mysterio unzipped his boot to escape Styles' Calf Crusher submission before hitting him with the boot and delivering a picture-perfect Frog Splash for the win.

"I try to do my best to always keep Eddie's memory alive, especially with everything that I do, but last night was just special," Mysterio said. "I had no idea that AJ was gonna come out with that style of gear so it definitely caught me off guard, but little did he know that my gear was not an homage but a slap in the face to my dad's gear in '05 from SummerSlam, only to show that I'm the better one of the Mysterios and I'm doing it better than he ever did."

Sunday's match marked Mysterio's first title defense since his recent rib injury and just his fourth since winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 41 in April. Rarely defending the title is atypical for someone who's supposed to be known as the workhorse champion, but Mysterio prefers to keep it that way.

"I know it is known as the working man's title, but at the end of the day, whatever is best for Dirty Dom is what I'm going to do," he said. "Whatever is best for the I.C. title is what I'm going to do, and if that means defending it every week, I'll defend it every week. If that means defending it every other month, I'll do it every other month. It honestly just depends on who I think deserves a title shot, and if I don't think anyone deserves a title shot, hell, I won't defend it for a year if I have to."

In addition to his duties as Intercontinental Champion on Monday Night Raw, which can be streamed live on Netflix every week, Mysterio is set to make his in-ring debut for WWE's sister promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at its flagship event Triplemanía XXXIII on Aug. 16 when he challenges AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo in a Fatal-4-Way title match that also includes Dragon Lee and El Grande Americano.

Mysterio praised the partnership between WWE and AAA for introducing wrestlers to new audiences.

"I think it's an amazing opportunity, not only for Superstars like me, but Superstars from AAA that can come up to WWE, whether it's Raw, SmackDown, Worlds Collide, PLEs, just to show off their talent," he said. "Guys like Mr. Iguana, Psycho Clown, Pagano, all those guys down there. ... I think it's a great deal for both ends as far as being able to share talent and go back and forth."

Being tasked with a dual role between WWE and AAA is a sign of how much WWE trusts Mysterio, and he's relishing his moment in the spotlight across the two different brands.

"I always said I just wanted to set my footprint on AAA and create history there, which I already did, being the only Mysterio to ever challenge for the Mega Campeonato, and debuting and main-eventing on the same night for AAA," he said. "It's just unheard of, and if I do win the title, I don't feel like I need to do anything else."

Mysterio's commitment to his character is a rarity for wrestlers in the current era, where social media makes it easier for them to show their true personalities. Keeping kayfabe alive in this way is particularly eye-opening, especially following the recent release of the Netflix reality series WWE Unreal, which pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the wrestling business.

Veteran wrestlers have questioned whether it's beneficial to share so much behind-the-scenes content, and despite being a member of the new generation, Mysterio indicated that he shares a similar outlook.

"I'm very old-school," he said. "But at the end of the day, I understand the concept of business, and I understand what's needed to happen for our industry to evolve and grow. But when it comes to my personal feelings and comments on it, I plead the fifth."

Still, Mysterio will play a big part in shaping the future of WWE. Just five years into his career, he's worked his way up to being one of the best heels in all of pro wrestling, and he feels he can reach even greater heights in his next chapter.

"I'm a day-by-day kind of guy, I don't like to jump too far ahead with what I'm gonna do just because I'm so busy with what's currently going on. But I definitely see myself being with the company for a long, long time," he said. "I'm as homegrown as it gets when it comes to WWE talent, and I want to be around for a long time, and if that means in the next five years becoming a world champion, getting some more gold, whatever it takes. Just know that Dirty Dom's gonna be around."