Add as a preferred source on Google Dominik Mysterio went through one of the lowest points of his life before beginning the training that eventually led him to WWE.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Mysterio said he had no direction in school and was overweight. He was also neglecting his health when Marie Juliette encouraged him to leave San Diego and pursue a career in pro wrestling.
His comments expanded on what he said in November 2025. Mysterio revealed that he weighed about 260 pounds and initially did not want to take the opportunity, which required moving to Tampa for six months.
“I was just at a point in my life where I was unhealthy. I wasn’t being safe with the things that I was doing as far as taking care of my body. I was going to school but I wasn’t really doing anything. I was just in a very low point in my life.
She has been with me since I was 14, so with her encouraging me and letting me know when the opportunity presented itself to try and wrestle… I didn’t wanna do it because I didn’t wanna leave her.
She was like, ‘You’ve gotta go. If you don’t go, what else are you gonna do?’ She’s like, ‘You’re gonna kill yourself here overeating and just not being healthy.’ She’s like, ‘You need to go and do this for yourself.’
Overall, I wanted to do it and I wanted to do something with my life. But I was afraid to leave her because I didn’t want her to leave me.
I was like, ‘I don’t wanna go.’ And she was like, ‘I’ll be here when you come back.’ As soon as I heard that, I was like, ‘Okay. If you can promise me that you’ll be here when I come back, I’ll go, I’ll take care of us, I promise you.’”
Mysterio was not referring to a suicide attempt, but to the possible consequences of continuing to overeat and neglect his health.
That decision took him to Tampa, where he began training with Jay Lethal, and later to Calgary, where he trained with Lance Storm before making his in-ring debut against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2020.