Style recognizes style in the wrestling business
When AJ Styles talks, people usually shut up and listen. The guy has worked everywhere from the Tokyo Dome to the Impact Zone, picking up world titles and broken necks in equal measure. When the Phenomenal One weighs in on who reigns supreme in the lucha libre world, it carries weight.
Styles recently laid out his take on the greatest luchador to ever lace up a pair of boots, planting his flag firmly in the corner of Rey Mysterio. It is a massive endorsement, essentially cementing Mysterio as the absolute pinnacle of that style. You can find the full breakdown of his comments here, but the core sentiment is clear: nobody has done it better or longer than Rey.
The longevity argument is the only one that matters
Look, the debate over the greatest of all time usually devolves into a bunch of nerds arguing about star ratings on message boards. But Styles is looking at the reality of the grind. Mysterio has been taking high-angle bumps since the ECW days, and he is still pulling off 619s on national television in 2026.
We are talking about a guy who revolutionized how the entire industry views cruiserweights. Before Rey, Vince McMahon treated guys under 200 pounds like jobbers waiting to be squashed by a steroid-fueled freak. Mysterio forced the front office to open up the main event scene to guys who actually had to use their agility to survive.
AJ points out that Rey didn't just survive; he carried companies on his back while literally falling apart physically. The man has had more knee and shoulder surgeries than most people have had hot meals. That grit is the difference between a flash in the pan and an actual legend.
Why this matters for the current roster
People love to talk about the athleticism of the new blood, but AJ calling out Rey is a subtle dig at how quickly talent is discarded these days. We see guys pushed to the moon and then forgotten after one bad TV rating. Meanwhile, Mysterio remains a focal point because he connects with the crowd in a way that data analysts can't quantify.
If you need proof that the back-to-basics approach works, look at how Rey handles a simple sunset flip or a springboard crossbody. He doesn't need 40 flips to get a reaction. He hits a move, he sells the impact, and the crowd goes bananas because they actually believe he might lose.
I have my own reservations about how WWE has handled Mysterio's later years, though. Sometimes the nostalgia act gets tired, and throwing him into tag programs that go nowhere feels like a waste of his final prime years. Watching a guy of his pedigree lose in three-minute segments on SmackDown is a absolute crime against wrestling booking.
Still, when a guy who has been on top for as long as AJ gets misty-eyed about his peers, we should listen. Rey is the gold standard for anyone small enough to get thrown around but smart enough to stay upright. The industry needs to appreciate that legacy before he finally decides to hang up the mask for real.
