When anyone talks about lucha libre and that style of wrestling, the first person they think of is Mil Mascaras. The other man the true wrestling fan will think of is El Santo. These were the names that came to me when I was growing up.

I do recall at one point being part of WWE and other guys taking the risk of stepping away, and a lot of guys don't do it because of the fear that it's not going to be the same.

Being part of WWE is beautiful. You're on the biggest stage of them all. You're living well; you're making good money, and the only flipside to that is that you're on the grind, and you've got to be committed. You've got to make sure to understand what being on the grind is.

It was a big man's sport at one time. Maybe I had something to do with breaking that barrier and having WWE open up their eyes so they can sign younger, lighter talent.

Even when I was a young kid, I always told my uncle that, when I became a wrestler, I wanted to be Rey Mysterio, Jr. and I wanted to wear the mask. I always pictured myself wearing a mask. I dreamed about it for so long. I wanted to be one of those luchadores who wore the mask, the cape, and the fancy outfits.

A lot of people have doubted me because of my size. They think someone like me doesn't deserve to be in the main event, but I think if they knew me, and knew what I've been through in my career, they would respect me.

I don't regret any steps that I take in life.

That's one of the reasons why I left WWE: not to feel tied up or pressured into fulfilling a certain number of work dates throughout the week or month - because of my injuries.

When you're in WWE, it's a part of that contract signing, that grind. You're on-call 24-7. That's why you become the star that you are.

When you're young, you don't really think about what's going on. At least, in my case, I was always so hooked on being so innovative and didn't worry about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to focus on today and make it better. I was like that every day. I just made sure that every night I was at my best, at the best level I could be.

We never had a trampoline, but I wished I did. We'd sneak into a friend's pool and use their trampoline to practice backflips.

I would never intend to hurt anyone I'm in the ring with. It's entertainment, it's a performance, it's a sport.

I think titles are important to your career. Whether you reign as champion for a long time or just have it for the time being, to be part of a company and be their champion is always good to have on your resume.

I'm enjoying life at my fullest. Sometimes you realize that money isn't everything.

It just goes to show, if you remain focused and you have a dream and you have a desire to do something, then no matter what gets in your way, you can never lose hope. It's possible.

My uncle was a second father to me. I spent most of my childhood with him.

You want your workout to sneak up on you. That's when you get the best results.

I want to train with whoever is the best.

I enjoy the whole aspect of training with different people.

Ring rust is real. I've experienced it myself.

I'm open to fighting at 185 or 205 pounds, but I think I need to give this 185-pound run a real, honest crack. Being at this weight class has definitely made me into a different fighter.

But if you look at a fight, it is anything but comfortable. So when you're fighting tough guys and you're not willing to go out of your comfort zone, you lose.

I believe I can beat Anderson Silva, and I believe that the skills that I have is something he'd have hard time dealing with, but to compete against the guy, first and foremost, would be an honor in and of itself.

When I'm training for a fight, I'm not the same person that I normally am when I'm at home. I'm always thinking about fighting. I'm doing it day in and day out. Pretty soon, my personality starts to change. My temper's a little bit shorter, I don't have a lot of patience for a lot of things.