Longtime fans of professional wrestling will remember when the character of “Dominik Mysterio” was first introduced into WWE as a doe-eyed little cherub caught in the middle of a paternity battle between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. 

Obviously, the “child” version of Dominik Mysterio was portrayed by a different performer than the current in-ring talent by the same name.

As most fans now know, the grown-up Dominick Mysterio currently on the WWE roster is portrayed by journeyman Canadian independent wrestler Steve McCullouch. 

But do you know the name of the child actor who portrayed “young Dominick Mysterio” back in the early 2000s? 

It took some digging, but we found him! 

The original Dominik Mysterio was portrayed by six-year-old child actor Hector Martinez, who had recently landed small parts in several WWE Studios Films, including The Chaperone,  and The Marine 2: Kyoto Drift. 

With his puppydog eyes and frosted tips, Martinez won the hearts of millions for his portrayal of Young Dominik. But when the paternity storyline ran its course, so too did the need for the Dominik Mysterio character on WWE television. 

After his stint in WWE, Martinez continued acting and continued dabbling in wrestling, appearing periodically on TNA Wrestling programming as Dom Mysterious Jr., as masked member of LAX.

Acting roles started to dry up for Martinez in his early teens, especially after his weight ballooned to more than 380 pounds. Although he was briefly considered to portray the current-day incarnation of Dominik Mysterio, he was in no shape for an in-ring return, and McCullough got the role instead. (That’s why the current “Dominik Mysterio” looks nothing like the original). 

Martinez gave up acting at 17 and now works as a short-order cook at a diner in rural North Dakota, his days of being “Young Dominik” long behind him. 

He says he is honoured that fans still remember his performance, and many were convinced by it. “To this day, people still think I was actually Rey Mysterio’s biological son,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, come on people. It’s wrestling. Don’t be so gullible.”