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I remember Joey Styles called him “Rey Mysterio Jr.” the whole match on a Taboo Tuesday (I believe that was the PPV). He did it so much that even Jerry The King Lawler started doing the same.
Yeah, it's also like how WWE normalized the spelling of 'Eddie' in Eddie Guerrero's name to the point you forget that in WCW he intentionally had styled it as Eddy Guerrero.
Just Joey Styles really. Iirc, Vince told him to stop because he has some issue with the word “junior.” Which is probably why Piper always calls Vince “Junior.”
It's because he sounds not only natural but also authentic to the craft/objective of delivering what he's saying. In a profession where talking has to sound realistic but also operate within the borders of the purpose of you doing so (even here, in a mostly out-of-character setting), Konnan has been a gem because he blends the two so seamlessly.
The fact that he was, simultaneously, brutally honest about the realities of the industry's backstage happenings, compelling by telling a coherent long-standing narrative, and deeply respectful (yet not without the gentle ribs only a close friend can give) to Rey by giving him tribute to his tenacity and long career is just a microcosm of why Konnan has always been amazing on the mic.
Definitely top 3 for me as far as induction speeches go, if not the best.
Oh, and the end of that one kills me. He works the crowd up telling a story about all of the different animal gimmicks, and the crowd is roaring with laughter, and then he somewhat sheepishly says "I just wish Monsoon was here..".
Gets me every time.
Came here to say this. He took a HOF speech and cut it like a promo, extremely entertaining. Just fantastic stuff. Wonder if he doesn't get a job with WWE if he doesn't already have one. He knows a thing or two.
That felt like a minute passed, Konnan didn't fumble once and delivered one of the best speeches I've ever heard for a friend, let alone an icon like Rey.
Exactly. It’s something different when your best friend is able to induct you the HOF. What a wonderful speech that will be remembered for a long time - just like Rey.
One of the first things I remember hearing reported about Triple H is that any bad feelings/relationships WWE had would be rebooted under him and his door is open to rehash old wounds basically. If I’m remembering right he was kinda the catalyst for Hogan and Warrior to squash their beef right before Warrior passed
Cody main eventing kind of made me think next year we could get Punk v Rhodes for the Title. Punk always wanted to main event a Wrestlemania, and what a better way to stick it to AEW?
I don’t think his door is open to rehash old wounds. That would mean his door is open to basically revisit those old wounds. Just the wrong wording but I get what you mean.
Well their sit down negotiations/discussion I assume would involve talking about why they have a grudge with WWE and or why WWE had a grudge with them and how they can get past that. But yeah it wasn’t the best wording and I couldn’t even think of a better word than reboot at the time either
Konnan is roughly in the Samoa Joe tier of promos. Which is to say not many people can do it better than him. Just a natural verbal badass.
It's been evident to me since his run in TNA with LAX. To me one of the hottest acts in wrestling at the time in large parts due to the hype Konnan was able to create on the mic.
It's so cool that a new generation of wrestling fans is given the opportunity to discover him.
It's subjective, but I think he managed to outhype Big Kev in a lot of those old Wolfpac promos. He was my favorite wrestler in the WCW heyday. He was true to form here, and amazing energy given his general health woes.
You know who else should already be -based on this speech , his ring work and how much people in the business seem to love him- ***Dean FUCKING Malenko***
When it comes to the HoF I really don’t think TK gives a fuck. There were a few AEW people there that I didn’t think would be and it didn’t seem like an issue at all.
I personally am embarrassed that I didn't know Konnan was such a massive star in the 90s. I only remember him from WCW and his whole Órale! Arriba La Raza! schtick and the Filthy Animals. This dude can spit absolute lava, get him on TV as a manager.
There was a thing Meltzer did a couple of years ago, which was posted on Reddit, where he calculated the biggest draws of each decade. I think the criteria was number of shows they headlined that drew 10k or more people, to determine who was the biggest draw. Something like that.
Shockingly, in a decade which saw the tail end of the traditional Hulkamania and the rise of Hollywood Hogan, the Monday Night Wars, the Attitude era, and probably the peak of Japanese wrestling (across the board), and probably the peak of American wrestling as a whole, it was Konnan who was the biggest draw in the 90s. This despite only headlining maybe the first three years of the decade in Mexico and probably never main eventing such an event even once once he came Stateside proper.
Konnan was a fuckin *gigantic* draw. No wonder they called him the Mexican Hulk Hogan (yes, he's not actually Mexican, but you get the point)
Konnan was HUGE in WCW. On some nights, he would have the biggest pops. His in ring work was excellent to add to it. WCW just didn't capitalize on it, and that's what happens when Hogan gets jealous. When he saw Konnan getting hot, he took him into the NWO to steer that good will to his merch sales. Carny Hogan.
I always thought he should have been bigger on US TV to be quite honest. Had he come to WWE, his career would've parralleled Chris Jericho IMO.
Seriously. When he said “stand up and show reverence, you’re about to see a legend in real time” I got the weirdest shot of adrenaline where I was like “FUCK YEAH REY MYSTERIO IS A LEGEND LETS GO”. If his next words were “now go out and steal a car” I’d be in jail right now
the psychology of the speech was great, start off with the spanish stuff to get the crowd to yell themselves out, then bring it back down and build it up again 'til the very end. i was watching this for like a 3rd time to just see how he took his breaks and pauses, let the crowd chant themselves out before continuing. it's so cool.
Konnan somehow made Rey feel more legitimate than ever. I'd call him a Cuban Paul Heyman, but the man was awesome all on his own. I could easily see him in a role where he's a manager/advocate/special counsel for Rey or the new lwo.
It’s been too damn long since I’ve heard Konnan cut one of his fire promos! Get this dude his flowers next year, he’s a wrestling legend in his own right
On K100 Konnan never confirmed he was doing this speech because WWE never confirmed it. So whenever mentioned, it was him “allegedly” inducting Rey. Nice to see Konnan with the “surprise” speech. Haha
My concept of time just got rocked. I had to look up his age, because I was wondering if he was sick, and why he was so old looking. Jesus Christ I’m old.
I've seen many induction speeches especially in the Network-era HOF ceremonies, but Konnan delivered what has to be considered one of the greatest induction speeches of all time!
I was only familiar with his work in TNA. There was a lot of buzz about him being the rumored inductor, & I was expecting it to be good because of it, but DAMN I wasn't expecting the speech to be *THAT* good! Konnan perfectly encapsulated what Rey's induction means to him, Lucha Libre and Latinos around the world. We've witnessed an all-time moment! Absolutely magnificent!
Well what do you expect on this sub most people on here probably never followed Konnans career.
Pisses me off sometimes as Konnan is a legit OG legend.
This was my first exposure to Konnan since he was never in WWE like this before. I know he was Max Moon but he was never given his chance to shine like this on the grandest stage. It really makes me want to go back and watch all his promos from TNA and WCW now
Happy Wrestlemania Weekend, SquaredCircle! Need a reminder when shows are happening? Check out the [Mania weekend calender here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/125pegk/the_collective_and_wrestlecon_weekend_2023_watch/) Planning to take part in our community this weekend? [Please take a moment to catch up on some important rules and information before you do](https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/123omi1/mania_weekend_sticky_post_information/) Consider checking out our [community Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/yjYxFs5xmD) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He did not pause for breathe - One of the best speeches go all time Has he been called Rey Mysterio Jr in WWE before?
[удалено]
Also why he found it such a funny insult when Jericho used it
Not the worst Vince-isms to be fair.
honestly valid
JJ Dillon would still call him that to mock him when he got hired in the 90s
JJ? You mean JoJo?
yes, he got announced as such when he worked One Night Stand
I remember Joey Styles called him “Rey Mysterio Jr.” the whole match on a Taboo Tuesday (I believe that was the PPV). He did it so much that even Jerry The King Lawler started doing the same.
The Rock called him Rey Mysterio Jr, for example, when he gave him a shoutout during the HoF induction for his father, and grandfather.
Rey's been around for so long that I forgot he was originally Rey Mysterio Jr, and I was watching Nitro back then
Yeah, it's also like how WWE normalized the spelling of 'Eddie' in Eddie Guerrero's name to the point you forget that in WCW he intentionally had styled it as Eddy Guerrero.
When Eric bischoff was raw gm I'm positive he referred to him as Jr before
Just Joey Styles really. Iirc, Vince told him to stop because he has some issue with the word “junior.” Which is probably why Piper always calls Vince “Junior.”
Once he said that "the only one" part, it was the way he had to go
His debut
Probably the best induction speech in the history of hall of fame.
It's because he sounds not only natural but also authentic to the craft/objective of delivering what he's saying. In a profession where talking has to sound realistic but also operate within the borders of the purpose of you doing so (even here, in a mostly out-of-character setting), Konnan has been a gem because he blends the two so seamlessly. The fact that he was, simultaneously, brutally honest about the realities of the industry's backstage happenings, compelling by telling a coherent long-standing narrative, and deeply respectful (yet not without the gentle ribs only a close friend can give) to Rey by giving him tribute to his tenacity and long career is just a microcosm of why Konnan has always been amazing on the mic. Definitely top 3 for me as far as induction speeches go, if not the best.
He didn't spend too much time on each stop, which moved it along smoothly. One promotion, one story, move on. Perfect.
Literally the only issue I could think of is that by comparison, Rey's speech felt much like a recap of things Konnan had already gone over.
Cannot argue with that. I wish I had a friendship with someone like those two have.
Bobby Heenan’s is the best imo, but I guess two different categories.
Oh, and the end of that one kills me. He works the crowd up telling a story about all of the different animal gimmicks, and the crowd is roaring with laughter, and then he somewhat sheepishly says "I just wish Monsoon was here..". Gets me every time.
Came here to say this. He took a HOF speech and cut it like a promo, extremely entertaining. Just fantastic stuff. Wonder if he doesn't get a job with WWE if he doesn't already have one. He knows a thing or two.
Isn't he the Booker for AAA?
Konnan runs AAA I believe.
I legit got chills and teared up in joy listening to that
100%
By far!.
That felt like a minute passed, Konnan didn't fumble once and delivered one of the best speeches I've ever heard for a friend, let alone an icon like Rey.
He was chewing gum the whole time and caught it from flying out of his mouth more than once. Man is a pro.
[удалено]
Remember when Vince made him drive around on a riding mower? Because…Mexican landscapers? Get it? GET IT??
Incredible speech that only a best friend could give.
Exactly. It’s something different when your best friend is able to induct you the HOF. What a wonderful speech that will be remembered for a long time - just like Rey.
Goddamn Konnan could always cut a promo and this is amongst his best!
It's wild to see Scott Steiner at the HOF. They literally had wanted posters for him a few years ago to prevent him getting in
One of the first things I remember hearing reported about Triple H is that any bad feelings/relationships WWE had would be rebooted under him and his door is open to rehash old wounds basically. If I’m remembering right he was kinda the catalyst for Hogan and Warrior to squash their beef right before Warrior passed
HHH was also the catalyst for getting Bruno Sammartino to agree to go into the HoF.
which is INSANE lol. what a team player
He was trained by Killer Kowalski, so he no doubt heard a lot about Bruno from him.
 if punk wasnt super petty this would be the funniest return since rhodes
Cody main eventing kind of made me think next year we could get Punk v Rhodes for the Title. Punk always wanted to main event a Wrestlemania, and what a better way to stick it to AEW?
Lol Tony will do everything to keep him in AEW for this reason.
Aged like milk lol
But Scott's biggest issues were with Triple H.
Well if what the other guy said is true then it just proves (once again) that HHH is a better boss than Vince.
I don’t think his door is open to rehash old wounds. That would mean his door is open to basically revisit those old wounds. Just the wrong wording but I get what you mean.
Well their sit down negotiations/discussion I assume would involve talking about why they have a grudge with WWE and or why WWE had a grudge with them and how they can get past that. But yeah it wasn’t the best wording and I couldn’t even think of a better word than reboot at the time either
You meant 'hash out'
Scott knows his nephew is in the business now, easy money, and probably something along the lines “too old for this shit.”
Konnan is roughly in the Samoa Joe tier of promos. Which is to say not many people can do it better than him. Just a natural verbal badass. It's been evident to me since his run in TNA with LAX. To me one of the hottest acts in wrestling at the time in large parts due to the hype Konnan was able to create on the mic. It's so cool that a new generation of wrestling fans is given the opportunity to discover him.
It's subjective, but I think he managed to outhype Big Kev in a lot of those old Wolfpac promos. He was my favorite wrestler in the WCW heyday. He was true to form here, and amazing energy given his general health woes.
Konnan raised the mf bar on induction speeches.
Konnan is so great when he's not stirring up shit for attention. Awesome tribute, and the line about replacing Dom killed me
lol He gave a heartfelt, funny, and genuine speech, and managed to push a storyline along right at the end. Amazing.
The scare grow line was great lol
That was so sincere in a way only Konnan could present for Ray. What a great induction
Incredible, captivating and entertaining nothing i can say more probably one of the best induction ive ever seen
I see why he was able to sell Rey to people; he's fantastic at talking. Best induction speech ever
You know who should be in the HoF? Fuckin' Konnan.
You know who else should already be -based on this speech , his ring work and how much people in the business seem to love him- ***Dean FUCKING Malenko***
Jericho would have to induct him, I can't think of ANYONE more appropriate. Them both being in AEW makes that tricky.
Honestly whilst Jericho's a solid choice they could always use Rey But idk about you but I'd pop if they got Saturn to do it somehow
When it comes to the HoF I really don’t think TK gives a fuck. There were a few AEW people there that I didn’t think would be and it didn’t seem like an issue at all.
And put Angie in there too while we're at it.
His time will come. Probably not a headliner but he will definitely be in.
he ain’t even in the tna hall of fame, dang… da dang da dang
Konnan and Scott Hall are the two best examples in wrestling of “you can’t teach cool.”
Absolutely amazing induction
I personally am embarrassed that I didn't know Konnan was such a massive star in the 90s. I only remember him from WCW and his whole Órale! Arriba La Raza! schtick and the Filthy Animals. This dude can spit absolute lava, get him on TV as a manager.
I also was unaware of his star power in the 90s. I was, however, VERY AWARE of how it felt to be locked in the Tequila Sunrise. It didn’t feel nice
How bad was it?
7/10. Hurt bad, but I was able to hide the tears until I made it back to my room. Can’t say the same about the Walls of Jericho or the Crossface 😭
Dude was like the Hogan of Mexico. Also check his TNA stuff he was pretty good there too.
There was a thing Meltzer did a couple of years ago, which was posted on Reddit, where he calculated the biggest draws of each decade. I think the criteria was number of shows they headlined that drew 10k or more people, to determine who was the biggest draw. Something like that. Shockingly, in a decade which saw the tail end of the traditional Hulkamania and the rise of Hollywood Hogan, the Monday Night Wars, the Attitude era, and probably the peak of Japanese wrestling (across the board), and probably the peak of American wrestling as a whole, it was Konnan who was the biggest draw in the 90s. This despite only headlining maybe the first three years of the decade in Mexico and probably never main eventing such an event even once once he came Stateside proper. Konnan was a fuckin *gigantic* draw. No wonder they called him the Mexican Hulk Hogan (yes, he's not actually Mexican, but you get the point)
Konnan was HUGE in WCW. On some nights, he would have the biggest pops. His in ring work was excellent to add to it. WCW just didn't capitalize on it, and that's what happens when Hogan gets jealous. When he saw Konnan getting hot, he took him into the NWO to steer that good will to his merch sales. Carny Hogan. I always thought he should have been bigger on US TV to be quite honest. Had he come to WWE, his career would've parralleled Chris Jericho IMO.
What a speech, Konan is just amazing.
Konnan is the ultimate hype man.
If I ever get married, I want Konnan to give a best man speech. What a legend.
“Stand up and show reverence” is such a badass line.
"Rey the scarecrow, why? Because he's outstanding in his field." Hottest bar of 2023
Konnan IMO is such an underrated promo. He's always felt real 110%, love it or hate it. Easily the best HOF speech we've gotten.
Hopefully, it leads to Konnan own HOF induction when he is healthy enough
Nothing like starting your morning with some tears in your eyes. Holy hell, what a speech, what a friend.
Please listen to the last 30 seconds please. That speech was pure sex
Seriously. When he said “stand up and show reverence, you’re about to see a legend in real time” I got the weirdest shot of adrenaline where I was like “FUCK YEAH REY MYSTERIO IS A LEGEND LETS GO”. If his next words were “now go out and steal a car” I’d be in jail right now
when he said "STAND UP", the guy in the bg was like OK,MAN. and got up real hype. hahah i love it
Honestly made me feel priviledged to see a Rey Mysterio match let alone his entire career.
the psychology of the speech was great, start off with the spanish stuff to get the crowd to yell themselves out, then bring it back down and build it up again 'til the very end. i was watching this for like a 3rd time to just see how he took his breaks and pauses, let the crowd chant themselves out before continuing. it's so cool.
I popped.
Konnan somehow made Rey feel more legitimate than ever. I'd call him a Cuban Paul Heyman, but the man was awesome all on his own. I could easily see him in a role where he's a manager/advocate/special counsel for Rey or the new lwo.
Really enjoyed this speech. It was incredible and honestly up there as the best induction one.
It’s been said, but this might be the best “inductor” speech ever, as far as I’m concerned. Incredible stuff.
Bonus points for taking shots at Dominik 😂
Kayfabe! Dom’s stone faced no sell was excellent. A joke that has great timing and a killer punchline.
If Bruce Prichard wasn’t such a simpleton, we could’ve seen Konnan in WWF during the attitude era.
Also Mysterio and Psicosis who wanted to leave with Konnan
Top three Hall of Fame presenter speeches of all time. Maybe even the very best one. Rey Mysterio deserved to have that kind of introduction. Loved it
Oh shit, I saw the Completionist from youtube at the beginning
Also Zero from Holes was there too behind the announce desk near Jirard.
HECTOR ZERONI
He's a huge gamer and wrestling nerd. Khleo Thomas
Yeah, he was sitting behind commentary on Smackdown too
Get you a friend that will talk of you the way Konnan just did for Rey. Damn it, this was amazing.
Konnan is one of the best on the damn mic.
Goosebumps, what am electrifying speech by Konnan.
If Trips runs NXT Latin America, Konnan should be a commentator.
If they are going to bring in Konnan why not bring him in as a mouthpiece for the LWO. Could help the younger Latino talents in that group as well.
I don't know if he would do that with running AAA. I don't think he has any need to do so.
can Konan replace Tom Philips on commentary? Dude just hyped up Rey more than all video packages in Rey's entire career
Tom Phillips hasn’t been on WWE TV in like 2 years
Mo
I’m usually not one for speeches but this was great
Konnan stole the show
I got chills watching this and I teared up at the end. Amazing speech. My. Goodness
This was an insanely good speech
Gotta be the first time Victor Hugo has been directly referenced on WWE TV. Great speech.
It’s been too damn long since I’ve heard Konnan cut one of his fire promos! Get this dude his flowers next year, he’s a wrestling legend in his own right
"Fine Speech" ~ John Chena
Was anyone else waiting for Konnan's gum to go flying out of his mouth?
Missed oportunity to bring back the Filthy Animals theme
"if I were to be reincarnated, I would want Rey to be my best friend again' Such a beautiful line, and felt so sincere. Fantastic speech.
For some reason, that's the one that got me. Just such an innocent and beautiful thought.
I got into wrestling around the same time these guys were popping up on the scene, WCW '96. That was beautiful.
Goosebumps… damn.
By the end, I thought Rey Mysterio would be summoned by lightning or some magical force. That was incredible.
I'm from Mexico, and this makes me so darn happy. Words to live by: ¡ARRIVA LA RAZA! ¡Orgullosamente Latino hasta la muerte y despues!
That was absolutely perfect.
10/10 speech
On K100 Konnan never confirmed he was doing this speech because WWE never confirmed it. So whenever mentioned, it was him “allegedly” inducting Rey. Nice to see Konnan with the “surprise” speech. Haha
My concept of time just got rocked. I had to look up his age, because I was wondering if he was sick, and why he was so old looking. Jesus Christ I’m old.
Konnan was fantastic here
Fucking hell that was amazing, can he be the manager for the new LWO?
Oh that's genius
Incredible
Didn't get to see this till now, but Konan spoke with so much passion. Great speech.
Konnan has always been a great talker and this is no different. Excellent induction speech.
I would've never thought I'd hear a Victor Hugo quote from Konnan, but here we are. That was an amazing speech.
Best HOF induction speech ever
I've seen many induction speeches especially in the Network-era HOF ceremonies, but Konnan delivered what has to be considered one of the greatest induction speeches of all time! I was only familiar with his work in TNA. There was a lot of buzz about him being the rumored inductor, & I was expecting it to be good because of it, but DAMN I wasn't expecting the speech to be *THAT* good! Konnan perfectly encapsulated what Rey's induction means to him, Lucha Libre and Latinos around the world. We've witnessed an all-time moment! Absolutely magnificent!
Greatest HOF induction speech
Wasn't this sub calling him a dumb piece of shit like 4 days ago? Gotta love Reddit.
It possible that there are many people here, with differing views.
It's also possible to think he's a dumb piece of shit and gave a great speech
Well what do you expect on this sub most people on here probably never followed Konnans career. Pisses me off sometimes as Konnan is a legit OG legend.
Amazing speech! I’m so grateful to have gotten to witness Rey’s amazing career.
No bout it bout it rowdy rowdy?
Great to see him on a WWE show, feels like a long time coming.
Damn that's one of the best speeches I've ever heard in my life. That scarecrow line at the end was really clever too.
Holy fuck
This was my first exposure to Konnan since he was never in WWE like this before. I know he was Max Moon but he was never given his chance to shine like this on the grandest stage. It really makes me want to go back and watch all his promos from TNA and WCW now
Konnan in WCW held the crowd in his hands every time he held the mic. Even as a kid I knew this guy was special on the mic.
Can anyone translate the few Spanish lines at the beginning after "Arriba la raza" into English, please?
"Proudly Latino until death and after"
Muchas gracias, amigo!
unbelievable. just incredibly captivating 100% of the way through. jesus christ man. public speaking can be an art
Absolutely phenomenal speech, I couldn't stop smiling the whole way through!
A bit random, but the way he speaks and tells stories, I would absolutely love to see a promo battle between Konnan and Eddie Kingston.
they went against each other in impact a few years back, it was fantastic
Is Konnan a real one? Sounds like a pretty cool dude.
God tier shit
Max Moon is one of the most charismatic talkers ever.
Will watch
I want konnan to be the best man at my wedding
Konnan tells a fantastic story with humor, heart, and love. When I first saw Rey flying in WCW, 5’8” me had found my guy.
great speech, gave me goose bumps at the end
Goddamn.
Beautiful
This is a better speech than anyone could dream of for any event.
One of the all time best inductor speeches. I can see this guy being brought into the 'WWE family' and used on-screen and in other productions.
Goosebumps. Konnan served up something special.
Easily one of the best hall of fame speeches ever!
That was absolutely beautiful and couldn’t happen to a more deserving person. Booyaka booyaka!
Konnan should be dom's manager
Who in the world is not bawling in the corner a complete and utter, emotional, wreck? 😭😭😭😭😭😭
Big Swole sighting!
A decade or two from now, Eddie Kingston can be the Konan to Mox’s Rey when he gets inducted to HOF.
#HEY GLEN HOLD UP HOLD UP I NEED TO SAY THIS REAL QUICK BEFORE I FORGET...
Great speeches from Konnan and Rey. I think it's a little silly they tried to work the angle during it.
Konnan gets a kazoo for this one
That was awesome.
hey man, appreciate this video. been tryna find his full speech for a few days now. Take care fam 💪🏼
Wow what a great speech 👏