"All the big guys were almost laughing" - Sting and other WCW legends' reaction to Rey Mysterio before his debut revealed

Dean Malenko was recently a guest on Talk Is Jericho, hosted by AEW star Chris Jericho. During the interview, Malenko recalled the story of Rey Mysterio's WCW debut.

Rey Mysterio was a sensation in WCW's famous Cruiserweight division, winning five Cruiserweight Championships. He also won multiple tag team titles in his run with the promotion.

Speaking of Rey Mysterio's WCW debut, Malenko recalled how Rey walked into the locker room at the Great American Bash pay-per-view looking "12 years old." Malenko revealed how Sting and some of the other WCW stars were almost laughing. However, the reaction after Mysterio's match was very different. When Rey Mysterio came backstage after his match, the locker room, including Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, gave him a standing ovation:

"We’re in Baltimore. It was the Great American Bash. Rey just thought he was having a tryout match and just a match. He had no clue whatsoever that he was on a PPV until after the fact, and I remember walking in the locker room and Sting, Lex [Luger] and all the big guys were almost laughing like, you got to be kidding me. This kid got a driver’s license?

"He’s like 12 years old. He’s 100 pounds. In their head, he’s gonna embarrass them. [Kevin] Nash was there, and [Scott] Hall was there. They were on the stage, and when he came back through, it was probably the first and maybe only time I’ve ever seen a locker room stand up and give a guy a standing ovation." H/T: WrestlingINC

Rey Mysterio in WWE

After establishing himself as one of the best cruiserweights in the world during his time in WCW, Rey Mysterio signed with WWE in 2002 and went on to cement himself as a pro wrestling legend.

Rey Mysterio is a grand slam winner in WWE and his run in the company includes three world title reigns as well as multiple reigns as Intercontinental Champion, US Champion and Tag Team Champion.

Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik are currently signed to the SmackDown brand.