Rey Mysterio recently revealed that his daughter, Aalyah, might have a natural talent for wrestling after observing her first training session at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Mysterio shared his impressions following Aalyah’s initial experience in the ring, highlighting her surprising ability despite being new to the sport.
Aalyah, who has appeared on WWE television alongside her father and brother Dominik, began training at the WWE Performance Center and at The Dungeon, a school run by TJ Wilson and Nattie, in September. Rey Mysterio discussed these developments during an interview on the podcast What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes.
Introducing Aalyah to the WWE Performance Center Experience
Before Rey was cleared from a recent injury, he visited the Performance Center in Orlando and brought Aalyah along after she insisted on stepping into the wrestling ring. Mysterio had initially told her she could try wrestling only after she graduated college. She completed her degree in human biology from UCSD in June, and immediately asked when they would go to the center.
Rey recalled,
“Right before I got cleared from my injury, I went up to the PC in Orlando. And my daughter has been asking me, ‘Dad, I wanna go in the ring… I wanna jump in the ring, I just wanna see what it feels like.’ [I was] like, ‘I’ll do it when you graduate.’ So she graduated in June from UCSD, human biology. And she goes, ‘Okay, I’m graduated, when you gonna take me? When you gonna take me.’ I said, ‘I’m actually gonna head up to the PC, so I’ll book our flights and you can go up there with me.’”
Once they arrived, Aalyah demonstrated an impressive affinity for the ring despite having no formal training. Rey described her movements and instincts as instinctive and focused.
“So Angie, Aaliyah and myself flew up. She went in there on a Wednesday with me. And I was like, ‘There’s no way. This is your first time stepping in the ring?’ She had a connection with — just, positioning, hitting the ropes. I’m like, ‘That is scary crazy’… She just went in there with me to feel what it was like. To feel the mat, to feel the ropes. I am afraid she might be [a natural] if she decides to take that path.”
?Rey Mysterio, Wrestler
Training at The Dungeon with TJ Wilson and Nattie
After their session at the Performance Center, Aalyah also trained at The Dungeon, a wrestling school operated by TJ Wilson and Nattie. Rey noted that she participated in the training willingly and enjoyed the experience.
“Later on that day, we went to TJ and Nattie’s school, the TDungeon. And she did a little bit there too. And when we finished and the day was over, she was like, ‘I really enjoyed it, this is pretty fun.’ I was like, ‘Okay, okay, okay.’”
?Rey Mysterio, Wrestler
Next Steps for Aalyah’s Wrestling Journey
Looking ahead, Rey expressed both excitement and concern about Aalyah’s potential future in wrestling. He explained that the next stage would involve her committing to a full week of rigorous training to test her interest and endurance in this physically demanding profession.
“I said, ‘Okay. The next step would be, let’s see if you can go through a full week of training. And if you can do that and you like it afterwards, then maybe it’s something you might want to think about.’ So yes, I’m actually trying to get her out there pretty soon. So she can just feel what it’s like to train everyday. Wake up, work out all day, sleep, back, same thing. Yeah, that’s insane. Like, I’ve thought about that, and it scares me, but it also excites me.”
?Rey Mysterio, Wrestler
Rey Mysterio’s cautious yet hopeful perspective underscores the balance of pride and worry many parents face when their children consider following in their footsteps, especially in demanding careers like professional wrestling. If Aalyah continues to pursue this path, her exposure to top-tier training environments such as the WWE Performance Center and The Dungeon will be key in shaping her future in the industry.
