Dominik Mysterio has embraced his role in WWE
For the past couple of years the biggest heel in professional wrestling has been Dominik Mysterio. Before he became the most hated man in all of wrestling, he much like many other second generation wrestlers begin with or are associated with their parent. Following the footsteps of a WWE Hall of Famer is no easy journey by any means. Especially, when they're still actively wrestling on a regular basis like Rey Mysterio.
Things began with quite the storybook beginning. Traveling back to Backlash 2001, Dom and his father Rey won the Smackdown Tag Team titles and became the first father-son team to do so in WWE history. It was a historic moment that lasted for two months before they lost the title to The Usos at Money In The Bank 2021.
The heel turn of the century was initiated by many determining factors. Dom was tired of living in Rey's shadow, and had the opportunity to build his own character with The Judgement Day. Week after week of antagonizing Dom to join the faction, eventually it clicked for Dom that he wanted to create his own path in the company.
Dominik Mysterio embraces his new role in WWE
Dom's decision to join The Judgment Day ended up being an absolute genius idea in so many different ways. In the beginning stages of the faction, something just wasn't clicking. The mission statement Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Finn Balor laid out for their reasoning for forming the faction was always about being underutilized talent that wanted to elevate themselves. Which in some ways, they had a legitimate case.
Ripley was already a former NXT Women's Champion, and Raw Women's Champion. Balor had already won the WWE Universal title, Intercontinental title, United States title, two-time NXT Champion, and many other accolades. And Priest had already won the NXT North American title, and United States title. Then you've got Dominik Mysterio, who has every reason to feel the same and has yet to accomplish anything without his father in the business. Feuding with his Hall-of-Fame father was the perfect way to get him in the spotlight and also make him one of the most hated men in wrestling. In hindsight, his legendary entrance at WrestleMania 39 was the creation of "Dirty Dom."
Ultimately, it was a decision that boosted The Judgment Day to an entirely new level and led them to dominate not only Monday Night Raw but for a while the entire wrestling world in terms of storytelling elements. It helped elevate others around him while simultaneously elevating himself. Before we could blink, it got to the point where Dom couldn't even cut a promo on the microphone without the crowd boos overpowering anything he was attempting to say. So much so, that it became a thing -- the second Dom entrance music hits, the crowd boos him. The moment he grabs a mic, they boo even louder.
The beauty of it all is how you capitalize off of this. Well, as we have seen Ripley became a babyface, and that's clearly not going to work alongside Dom who is the biggest heel. So, another blessing in disguise having Dominik "cheat" on Ripley and leave her for Liv Morgan to help her take Ripley's Women's World Championship fuels Dom's heel heat even more.
Through the past few weeks, it appears a new direction is coming with Dominik trying to become more of a leader of the faction. It's honestly shocking that throughout all of this success with building him as the top heel in wrestling over the past couple of years the only title he's held is the NXT North American Championship. Don't be surprised one day if Dirty Dom becomes the World Heavyweight Champion, as he rightfully deserves with his work as a heel. Due to him embracing this role, he has taken his career to an entirely new level that hasn't even reached its full potential.