Marks the 30th anniversary of Rey Mysterio’s WCW debut on June 16, 1996, highlighting his Cruiserweight title match against Dean Malenko at Great American Bash.
Dave Meltzer’s contemporary review praised Mysterio’s versatility in a non-Mexican style match and noted how WCW insiders shifted from skepticism about his small size to raving about his performance.
The post features a promotional graphic and links to the 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter archives, underscoring the match’s role in launching Mysterio’s influential U.S. career.

Rey Mysterio debuted for WCW 30 years ago today.

He wrestled Dean Malenko for the Cruiserweight title at Great American Bash 96.

Dave Meltzer wrote of Mysterio's performance in the match:

"Misterio Jr. showed he was versatile enough as a worker that he be put in a position… pic.twitter.com/h8jsNeUbLA

— Wrestling Observer (@WONF4W) June 16, 2026