‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio on Street Fighter, The Undertaker & Hollywood

‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio is here to talk Street Fighter. But first, there is the vitally important taqueria order debrief to run through.

As I am introduced to the former WWE Intercontinental and AAA Mega Champion, I begin with the most important question of all, having spotted a recent upload on his Instagram story to a taqueria in his hometown of San Diego; What was the order?

“It was amazing. It was a California burrito from Ortiz’s Taco Shop. They’re the best,” Mysterio divulges with an almost nostalgic smile spread across a face that has received thousands of smacks over the last few years.

“I’ve been going there since I was 14. One of my best friends, shout out Christian, he lives here in Point Loma, and we’ve been going to that taco shop since we were, like, 14 years old, so it’s cool to go back now, almost 15 years later, me being 30 now, gonna be 30, and still going to there, it’s kind of crazy, but it’s good. I always go when I come home.”

‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio is a Street Fightin’ Man in New WWE 2K x Capcom Collab

I bring up the surreality of Mysterio turning 30, given the immaturity of his on-screen persona and, of course, the fact his custody was once battled over in a ladder match between his father, Rey Mysterio and the late, great Eddie Guerrero. ‘Dirty’ Dom has grown up on our television screens across the last two decades as an actual child and as a chicken tender, Mami obsessed man child.

When I mention how he still seems 21 to me, the Judgement Day veteran laughs, “I definitely don’t feel 21” which is understandable, as when he was 21, Mysterio was being hauled arse-over-face by Brock Lesnar, during The Beast’s rivalry with Dom’s father, Rey.

“That one was just a good old-fashioned ass beating,” Mysterio grimaces when remembering the destruction brought upon him by the former WWE and UFC Heavyweight Champion, “so it is what it is. But the kendo beating that I got from Seth when I was tied up on the ropes, I think a lot of people forget about that, too. I was lashed, I want to say 30 to 40 times with the kendo stick. So people forget about that, too, and it’s like, that was not a fun experience. Pandemic era. I’m playing it back in my head now, and it’s just terrible. It was such a s***ty feeling.”

What is a much better feeling is being included as a featured character in the new WWE 2K26 X Street Fighter Elite Pack. 2K and Capcom announced their first ever crossover collaboration in October, with WWE superstars embracing the roles of Street Fighter’s most celebrated warriors. In the case of ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio, this means being bestowed the iconic crimson gi of Ken.

Opposite Dom’s Ken is his father Rey’s Ryu. Within the realm of Street Fighter, the pair are rivals and brothers-in-arms. Best friends separated by a fierce level of competition. It is relayed to Dom that the pair’s wiki bios read that Ryu “is a disciplined wanderer focused purely on self-mastery, while Ken was a brash, wealthy American sent to learn humility.”

A grin emerges on Mysterio’s face, recognising his characteristics as I put it to him that it seems quite an accurate depiction of his own on-screen character.

“That’s pretty accurate” he laughs as he explains his relationship with Ken as a fan of the long-running beat ‘em up franchise.

“Ken would be last one in the chamber, I can’t lose, Ken’s coming out. You know what I mean? Ken was a guy that I had mastered, and knew all the moves, and knew the combos and stuff. So, I always loved the way Blanca looked, so I always tried to master Blanca, but I would always get my ass beat with him.

“Whenever it came down to it, best two out of three, I’d lose the first one. If I’m down, I’m like, hey, time out. Bring it in Ken. And then we handle business.”

Dom did hasten to add though that, even though Ken would make the cut for a Judgement Day membership, “we would just have to change the red gi to a black and purple gi.”

Hollywood Future?

And what of the big screen? At the time of our interview, Street Fighter the movie had just hit theatres, featuring a pair of ‘Dirty’ Dom’s locker room rivals, Cody Rhodes (playing Guile) and Roman Reigns (playing Akuma). When I ask Mysterio who reigns supreme in the video game’s silver screen glow-up, the former Mega Campeón answers with a response that will prove perverse to any cinephiles reading this.

“So, it came out Friday, I had a wedding Saturday that I was in. Sunday, I had to travel to San Diego, and today’s Monday Night Raw, so I haven’t had a chance to see it yet.

“Because I’m a sicko. When movies come out and stuff, I’ll go on X and look up the spoilers, because I don’t care. Because I can’t show up to the movies and something happens and people start clapping. I hate that s**t. So, I go and ruin the spoilers for myself, so that way people don’t ruin it for me.

“So, I saw that Cody and Roman already had a little, you know, face-to-face or something-something in the movie, so I’m gonna have to check it out.”

It feels extremely on brand for the junior Mysterio to willingly read spoilers for major motion pictures. A characteristic that defines an absolute heel.

But what of Hollywood? Stablemate and on-screen love interest Liv Morgan, the current, reigning Women’s World Champion, has taken her skills to the big screen with the upcoming ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ from director Takashi Miike. As a weekly mainstay on Netflix, there is plenty of potential for ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio to have his name in marquee lights away from the squared circle.

But is it a horizontal shift from one form of entertainment to another that the soon to be 30-year-old wishes to make?

“I mean, sure, why not?” Dom muses, “You know, I’ve always said that wrestling is my priority. There’s a lot of things I’d like to get done here with the WWE before I step into whatever it is. Hollywood, I guess. But I don’t know. Who knows what’s in store for me in the future. Right now, I definitely would like to, like I said, take care of some things here in WWE. But we’ll see what the future holds.”

“The Undertaker didn’t think I gave a st”**

The future is an interesting place for Dominik Mysterio. In the business as an in-ring performer since 2020, he has been prominently positioned on WWE’s main roster ever since.

After his Intercontinental Title victory at WrestleMania 41, it was expected a WWE or World Heavyweight Championship push would be in his near future. World Title gold has found its way around the junior Mysterio’s waist in the form of AAA’s Mega Championship. But on Raw and SmackDown, World Title opportunities have not been on the radar of a prodigy tipped to help lead WWE into the next generation, alongside the likes of Bron Breakker, Oba Femi and Trick Williams.

As it happens, advice received from WWE Chief Operating Officer and 14-time World Champion Triple H and AAA’s Head of Creative The Undertaker, could shape Mysterio’s future in ways many of us may not have anticipated.

“The Undertaker mentioned on his podcast that he didn’t think I gave a s**t at first,” Dom reflects, “But he just realised that I was pretty chill, and I just go with the flow which is cool to hear from him. At the end of the day, I grew up watching both Triple H and The Undertaker, so it’s super cool for me to be in that position where I can take advice from both of them and continue to learn from both ends, and be able to continue to grow in this business.

“I’ve received a lot of advice from them, to be honest, but as of late, from both of them, it’s just been, just to get more gritty with things, you know? Just, teaching me how to be more heelish, which is really cool, because, you know, they’re two of the best to ever do it.”

He may have been reimagined as a hero in 2K’s Street Fighter collaboration with Capcom, but remaining a villain is bread and butter for ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio. Whether that’s in the ring, on the big screen or in the virtual world. A heel to the end.

WWE® 2K26 X Street Fighter Elite Pack is available now. The pack introduces five new characters inspired by Mattel Elite Collection WWE X Street Fighter figures, each with unique signature moves and cosmetic parts. The WWE 2K26 X Street Fighter Elite Pack is available as a standalone purchase and is not included in any existing bundles or premium editions of the game.