Tonight on SmackDown, Rey Mysterio defends the World Heavyweight Championship against former Champion Kurt Angle. For Rey, the ultimate underdog story became a reality when he captured the title at WrestleMania 22, but his success came at Angle's expense. Just hours before his main event match, Mysterio talked with WWE.com about the emotions surrounding this match.

When approached, Rey appeared to be very relaxed, and was still thrilled about his WrestleMania victory. Before discussing his challenger for tonight, Rey briefly talked about how his life has changed since becoming World Heavyweight Champion. "After 16 years of giving my all, and fighting the odds, I finally got my chance to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Since that day, I've been living a dream come true," says Rey backstage at Wembly Arena.

Tonight on SmackDown, however, Mysterio's dream could come to an abrupt end when he faces Kurt Angle. With that in mind, the Champ explained to WWE.com that he expects the Wrestling Machine to come out and go right for the Ankle Lock. The devastating finisher has always been a strong tool for Angle, and tonight it could be even more valuable, as Rey's legs and feet are his most dangerous weapons in the ring.

On top of all that, Mysterio also expects an even more intense Angle this time around. "Since I pinned Randy Orton at WrestleMania, I think he feels that his Championship was stolen from him. Because of that, I expect him to come out more focused, and try harder than ever to get his Championship back."

So what does Rey have in mind to combat Angle's attack? "My strategy is simple," claims Rey. "I'm going to go out there and work hard like I've done for the last 16 years. I am going to do whatever it takes to walk back through that curtain with the Championship around my waist."

But Rey knows there is a possibility he may not walk out of tonight's match with the Championship. And if the worst-case scenario does in fact occur, Rey is prepared. "If this is indeed my last day as World Heavyweight Champion, I am going to look back and know that I lived out my dream, and enjoyed every minute of it."