Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have heaped praise on Dominik Mysterio, with Anderson revealing that he identified him as a future world champion four years ago during their run together with The Judgment Day, and that Mysterio’s ability to take advice and immediately apply it set him apart from virtually every other young performer on the roster.
Speaking on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Anderson reflected on when his belief in Mysterio’s potential truly crystallized. “Dominik is, I’ve said it even back then, you know, when he first started, I wasn’t sure when he was a baby face and he was just getting moving,” Anderson said. “But then when we worked with him in The Judgment Day, we got on the road with him. We were doing live events with him, and it was like immediately then. That was man, I can’t believe it now, that’s four years ago. I said, dude, Dom’s a future World Champion, and there’s no way he’s not going to be.”
Anderson said the reason for his conviction came down to Mysterio’s attitude and work ethic backstage. “He’s too good. He’s too smart. He’s too respectful. He listens. He takes advice and actually does it,” Anderson said. “He doesn’t just take the advice and just have it go one ear out the other. He actually listens and changes and does what he’s told and puts to practice what he hears. It’s amazing to watch Dom and what he’s turned into.”
Gallows focused specifically on Mysterio’s heel turn and the ease with which he adapted to being despised by audiences.
“Dom’s a pro-wrestling sponge,” Gallows said. “The beautiful thing about him was watching that heel turn. You don’t know how people are going to be when they’re young and they’re getting booed, but talk about somebody who learned to bask in the heat, live the heat, get more heat, have unbelievable, can’t-talk-on-the-microphone level booing and heat. It’s incredible, man. Kudos to him.”
Anderson also touched on Finn Balor’s departure from The Judgment Day, saying he wishes it had happened sooner so the two could have worked together more extensively in a different capacity.
“I wish Finn could have left the Judgment Day earlier and I wish we could have had a really fun run together at some point,” Anderson said. “Finn’s a top, top, tippy top guy, and this is his moment. I hope he gets a chance to be World Heavyweight Champion, and he gets to be heel Finn Balor at the top.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit TMZ’s Inside The Ring with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
