Rey Mysterio Did Not Invent The 619 Finisher, Tiger Mask Did
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While the 619 finishing move has become synonymous with Rey Mysterio throughout the luchador's WWE career, he didn't actually create it himself, and instead adopted it from the original Tiger Mask.
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No, while Mysterio has certainly taken the move to levels it had previously never seen, he wasn't the man who first brought it into professional wrestling. Tiger Mask had been using a slightly different variation of it in the 1980s in Japan, and Mysterio didn't completely adopt the finisher until he made the move to WWE in the early 2000s.
His time in ECW and WCW saw Rey using a number of other finishing moves, but once he signed with WWE, he decided to use the move, and it has been synonymous with him ever since.
Tiger Mask Used The Move During His Time In Japan
The original Tiger Mask is one of the most influential high-flyers in the history of professional wrestling. Adopting the Tiger Mask gimmick from a Japanese manga series, he wrestled all over the world as the character, including a stint in WWF when he became the WWF Junior Heavyweight Champion.
It was during his time in Japan, though, that he created a variation of the move that would later become known to millions of fans worldwide. Originally, the move saw Tiger Mask pull off a dive fakeout spot on his opponents, and Mysterio admitted that he first saw the move when he was using it in Japan during the 1980s, but it wasn't until he saw it used in person, by someone else that he decided he wanted to use it himself.
Seeing Super Astro Use It In Person Convinced Rey To Adopt It
While it was initially Tiger Mask who created the move, and that was how Mysterio was first introduced to it, it wasn't until he saw Super Astro, a Mexican Luchadore, using it that he decided to use a modified version of it himself.
Astro was one of Mysterio's favorite wrestlers at the time, and would regularly team up with his uncle, Rey Mysterio Sr. in Mexico.
After seeing the finisher used in person, Rey came up with the idea to slightly modify it, and instead of faking out the dive, he forced his opponent onto the ropes and used the momentum he gathered to swing around and kick them. Once he tested his new signature move, he realized it worked perfectly and has kept it as a part of his arsenal ever since.
It Is Named 619 As A Reference To Rey's Hometown Area Code
Every good finishing move has to have an exciting name. The Tombstone Piledriver, the RKO, and the Pedigree are just a few examples of incredible moves that became even more impressive when christened with such superb titles, and Mysterio knew he needed to come up with something special as well as ensure his new move left a legacy. The name 619 has almost become as famous as the move itself at this point, with the combination of numbers forming a rather unique title, but Rey came up with the name as a way of paying tribute to his roots.
Mysterio was born and raised in San Diego, California, and 619 was the area code for the area in which he grew up. It was a tribute to his home, and the upbringing he received, and showed he had no intention of ever forgetting where he came from.
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In later years, Mysterio has even modified the 619 further, incorporating son Dominik into the move, making a double-team variation of it. Once the former World Champion retires, he'll leave behind a magnificent legacy, and introducing the world to his version of the 619 will be one of his greatest accolades.
