By now, every pro wrestling fan knows how Dominik Mysterio feels about his dad — or as he calls him, his “deadbeat.”
But as the WWE star kept kayfabe throughout his interview on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday, Shae Cornette found herself at a literal loss for words.
While discussing his most recent match on WWE Raw with Cornette and Stephen A. Smith, Mysterio was asked how he feels about wrestling against his father, the legendary Rey Mysterio. And just as he has since turning heel against him in 2022, the reigning AAA Mega champion expressed disdain for his dad, who is one of the most popular stars in pro wrestling history.
“I’m not a fan of fighting my father, only because he likes to take advantage of me being his son,” the 28-year-old Mysterio said. “He uses me in ways that fathers shouldn’t, which is why I believe he’s the deadbeat that he is.”
As First Take displayed footage of Rey dropkicking Dominik during Monday’s episode of Raw, the younger Mysterio called attention to what he viewed as “abuse.”
“Who kicks their child like this?” Mysterio asked. “I should have called the police. That’s abuse.”
“Oh my,” a visibly uncomfortable Cornette replied with a laugh, seemingly unsure of how to respond as Smith took the lead with the next question.
Shae Cornette wasn’t quite sure how to respond to WWE’s Dominik Mysterio criticizing his “deadbeat dad” Rey Mysterio on ESPN’s ‘First Take.’ pic.twitter.com/rfRfMmZx7H
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2025
Obviously, Mysterio was speaking in-character (we think), just as he has committed to doing publicly ever since he first became an on-screen bad guy. When Rey Mysterio was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023, his son stood up and left the ceremony, despite such events typically being a place where pro wrestlers are willing to break character.
Still, it’s more than understandable that Cornette — who presumably isn’t an avid pro wrestling fan — was caught off-guard by Mysterio speaking about his father in such terms on national television during an interview in which he otherwise seemed to be out-of-character. Make no mistake, this clip isn’t an embarrassing moment for the new First Take host, but rather an impressive display of how willing Mysterio is to stay committed to his craft.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.