Dominik Mysterio Explains Why He Prefers Working Heel

The second half of 2022 saw Dominik Mysterio undergo a major character change after he turned on his father and Edge at Clash at the Castle, and since then the rising star has not looked back. Mysterio has been a key member of The Judgment Day, establishing a winning partnership with Rhea Ripley and recently taking on a tough prisoner gimmick, and he admitted to "Keepin' It 100" that he "did feel a lot more comfortable" playing a heel character than his previous babyface run. 

From the moment Mysterio debuted in WWE, the company positioned him as a babyface, working alongside his legendary father as a tag team. Throughout that period he found some success, particularly when they held the "WWE SmackDown" Tag Team Championship, but he felt like he was playing an "over-exaggerated version" of himself at that point.

"Because I am very laid back and very calm, and I just felt like I had to match my dad's energy so it was always smiling because they were like, 'dude you've got a good smile, smile more,'" he said. "I felt like I had more options and more variety to play with as a heel." While his recent run alongside Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Ripley is the first time that fans have seen him working as a heel, he worked on being the bad guy long before debuting in WWE. "When I was training before I debuted when I would do matches I would always be the bad guy, I would always be the heel working the babyface in training," he said. "So, it kind of just became a bit more natural and comfortable for me."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Keepin' It 100" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.