|
Wrestling’s most amazing masks: photos : V( A; j1 p) T; B% m! {
O h' y& g$ v# a1 E
- Q! p* w: y) x8 R7 j
+ @2 D: b: z( g5 w, U- e5 eSince debuting in 1997, Kane has become one of the most dominant masked competitors in WWE history.
Z& N, K ?( j6 {) L" E, n" u' ~+ U5 V0 V5 t" [
5 A/ t6 a, J! _
9 o" s* w6 f) f6 m- e3 t$ J/ S, e) P2 f/ _* H3 b& `& `, z
8 a7 b) k5 b$ ~# h M9 u5 K) |5 }9 D- e5 ]5 d' X" ^
/ ^" s# o4 @& L- f/ _+ {/ H6 O# w$ W4 x
6 D) S; N; {, N8 A3 i! O/ f: @
- a9 [$ X( n) _" G
4 J% s' u% m4 l& H( D
Junior heavyweight wrestling revolutionary Jushin "Thunder" Liger sports an Anime-inspired mask.& N# _- Z* f, Q- Q
' k! E& I$ O' ~" @: U+ n6 C
- b* ^6 Q1 n( P0 J z0 i
# L/ Q2 q8 v$ [9 I% R( m1 |( k$ @9 M* N5 _
. E( p0 \; Y9 a* a; Q, C* A
Q; k! k5 _' K! F
7 h, ^) B, x; Y3 E. H2 W' t
( j2 r7 `9 u1 ~1 \2 g8 U) T5 g
/ O' i; A, w' W4 ]! b; J; ]2 ]2 H3 H# t, j' b
. c! x5 s) } j% _. x
5 h" O! {8 r* u0 e7 v( F
, \& K8 Z0 \6 e
' P1 r7 \/ Y7 e" W" V t/ w! s9 A& ~2 q3 N
6 ?& ~! K9 i( j# W
( h7 [! t+ U) W( P" K5 U4 c( z
6 C! b4 {9 ^! k7 Z, c; C j; E8 B; ^4 e1 k. e/ [
La Parka's persona finds inspiration in the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, which translates to "Day of the Dead."
0 K! g$ W; o: F. W; W4 O$ i. Q" F& A
: z+ P3 A$ T$ E! o' c
% d+ A) X5 j- R f8 E5 X1 d! C3 D+ |; `0 ^. l. _
( t2 W7 |1 U9 @' P$ Q
" L- d0 I/ j% D
7 Z" M$ f4 W4 {6 T' ~
, l4 ~9 F/ w7 q* F3 X' f4 D) d( K& y9 B
" X1 T* E# x! i8 q3 i* y/ Y" @9 D5 q$ T3 j
& O( _2 y$ z( m/ A: @On Nov. 7, 1962, The Destroyer overcame Gorgeous George in a Hair vs. Mask Match at Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium./ F* ]6 ^9 o6 A2 M
* N5 W; p' g- B" }: [" M
! U# g% T' q) Y/ w' H7 j( C$ i; n1 s' O9 V* c
4 Q' f: t: k# [; B( v" i0 O/ j5 u# D1 n
E, Y+ Q4 p0 Q7 n8 B" p
% o" i; R" f4 J" v+ \1 fMil Mascaras was the first masked Superstar allowed to compete inside New York's Madison Square Garden.- `- O4 w7 L' G" i* F3 O1 l
: s7 o6 n/ Y/ @0 y' s* T' K+ W2 B
% U; ~: o7 C2 R4 Y& F
! y- F' w; W0 o3 O. w3 P1 o1 _8 u ^9 S! V# ^
$ G$ m& R' p# [
$ s5 ^8 w4 m8 S: N; ]2 s2 WMascaras isn't the only lucha libre legend in his family. His brother is Dos Caras, father of current WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio.6 b z" R( ^8 X! S
I" o2 K% r2 G% V4 t
' d5 G$ t' ?1 D9 @* i! f
% H' i( _: F4 y* u: _3 K4 D5 L c
/ d0 `! d2 Y4 K x$ P b! v, E2 y: I
: r3 n! p9 H2 G7 I: ^3 D. o4 h0 \, U7 x+ ^! h" }
9 c6 J' m6 k0 V; J
! U7 I& m* l7 I& o8 S
2 Q% |4 U7 v3 W
* z* Z0 O! u7 u$ {/ n% ^0 n7 s
5 H' @/ o" d% Y7 u8 I/ N. V2 QAlthough he had been invited to the White House by the mother of former President Jimmy Carter, Mr. Wrestling II was denied entry on the basis that he refused to remove his trademark mask.7 Y0 ]) j# l1 T" u
+ A2 S! q* } O' J2 T
/ y* {" J* V! v( W; i4 b4 P i" p \8 a: u6 F/ x- H
?# _1 L6 K9 U* Y, A/ `
, c' g2 C1 L0 x! I E8 e; D8 X7 k4 k) q0 O/ Y6 X
- J* [6 j5 \4 ^" p
0 v7 a* c+ R2 J. H/ f2 }# f
* I3 [ K' m# X$ I3 u9 ^
- F: {$ a- V0 w% ^
$ ?, W) `1 @. @' TSunglasses and a backward hat were sewn into the mask worn by former WCW cruiserweight Super Caló./ ]' i- T' ^6 P! o6 c- O
# @0 N- U9 B8 F' i% n# k' G, d
9 g( S& s# j0 I
4 V5 u1 I6 @' m& N) V+ ~! D3 e8 _. W7 D
v- f) y2 a$ t* A9 f+ u n: O0 G1 d! Y( h g# S5 e
; h' v" f3 k9 D" P( o
% {5 v: q0 h3 C, E# _
8 e" f4 O- T2 n1 Q) xEl Santo was not only a hero in the ring, but he was also a pop culture icon who was featured in Mexican cinema.
9 ]% ?3 K2 V" i
# H) l5 a' w3 e0 I) C6 T# K' M2 `0 Z/ b* i9 l8 G
8 {6 k1 l. W" I! ]# m* Y0 M2 d/ T3 j7 z' j. V- L$ A
2 @) ]- l( G0 X. bMankind's leather mask looked more like a muzzle for Hannibal Lector than traditional sports-entertainment headgear.
) ~0 L8 a3 F% S: H1 y6 \2 `
& o! C6 m2 y7 J$ U8 s9 b0 m
4 X, r: n. _) z2 @$ n) x7 \9 x- o) F h& L; I6 ~7 x
. u6 F1 D3 y9 r8 z& ~' _3 j4 Z
) K! O* e5 R5 H. e
4 N1 y+ }. U5 O4 T
! ], _7 ]. j- x* E, j V* P( x( x6 h
2 h. @( F9 a5 Q7 w- c3 m
$ V' _4 v* t2 K8 w- [" ~ c
# M/ ?0 g0 _+ W1 N! A5 o
The Masked Superstar intimidated opponents wherever he roamed.( S8 d8 m1 `; ?" g: q( {: J) ~4 [
) @2 q. V: q. e2 i; z4 H4 W) ?8 o7 z. u: @
: [5 ~1 K9 `# A8 W. P# M1 \! Y _8 F. g5 p$ J/ R4 ?
* c! N) D7 W1 X$ J
0 T! K8 K) n4 l
' T/ _& P0 H$ ~& C6 U* {
- x4 Z) x$ t! y, }% Q4 m7 U, F- i" v5 L5 [! y; o
* S* @' W% B$ L/ {0 Z1 q
2 k% _7 C9 `# P0 F" G, n9 Y5 f
Mortis wasn't around in WCW for long, but fans still remember his unique, underworld look.
! z+ l# l6 |7 P! D: ?; p& b
1 w# w( C- G! x/ e7 a: E1 v+ G3 ]. m/ t8 x
$ g# U0 \2 P: H% M7 ^1 ]( m O+ P1 j- I% {& G- d
* }( O! M1 o6 v( i7 T; n- B+ O0 C
5 T# V% A- Q; s/ Y6 a
9 e$ B1 b: O9 ]4 A* {
; [$ n, S% C0 z$ F z1 v! Z4 O# S
# L2 W% \3 p+ O8 C* {! d) B" C+ _% g% G1 K
( l" J8 q- |* D: |2 N. ^: }" n
Although he's not widely considered a masked wrestler, CM Punk spent time under a hood while steering the ship of The Straight Edge Society.
* n* X% D: \2 P c& Y- g5 g7 C( _
; l$ G/ n3 p- s, B
6 S' c6 i" Q' Z D) l4 S3 \% y
9 M% q. A& D: _+ M( }- ^: R
' z! _( x+ ?5 T% q
4 G( `' I6 C9 I3 i! Q
" T- S6 `; n0 d3 {" I* j% u
+ |2 g! D: g% W1 ` O* m8 k3 ^- s3 b& z) U6 g0 W% d
! l0 j) c) \6 o
' h# l2 Y7 c% V% c7 EIn terms of sheer popularity, Rey Mysterio's mask is untouchable.& p, d a8 y- N) V" C7 t: K8 X7 @
1 v3 r, Y4 p" C2 u }& e: ~
9 B8 ?6 e: ?0 @' a l5 v2 W
0 f0 _$ z; U1 X1 b, B& W& x
* Y+ B- z$ ~" O5 i7 g( a" z* w
# h: Y# G- C& @; M6 B
4 Q' _9 _5 `$ ]; e2 b! n; X! n9 j
- C& Q. Y1 y7 H, q3 d. RIt wasn't particularly concealing, but Vader's mask unquestionably added to The Mastodon's fearsome presence.+ _. x# u f3 @/ }# h
8 ?& w, q. i$ |8 F! f! a3 F
q2 s; d' K( u' b4 X! b& O' ~3 Z, y$ @1 H7 J
2 I6 {/ i9 e% i
; A" T" T& [7 C# Y! _1 d' @& i% W! s# H/ C; o5 y
; n2 ], C2 \' c' ~
Y; {0 B8 n0 b, p' v' g
- N3 m* f5 R4 p) G: b P0 K+ Y) Z- ^# h
- J( d# ?* L+ m1 q1 [1 |5 j! y' IThe original Tiger Mask was an innovator, both in the ring and when it came to headgear. \- d( U% B& ~3 [( w2 {1 H
5 s+ I+ z) D$ F7 Q! f" g
7 s( r' [ t' i( v% @
! y' g1 V0 [! m' V2 s* e- |, f6 I! n1 p q0 ]
' g5 ]; N1 e( {8 \ `; } B) k( I3 A! S4 ?/ n" h2 n# H$ Z- |; |4 m/ Q
M3 n* @" T6 |' `% J0 a- k
d) S$ i7 t/ u' H+ b: b6 X% U+ w5 @
" S. _% k3 y) x, F$ C
Ultimo Dragon boasted an elaborate hood and, at one point, upwards of nine championship titles.) f1 y! i0 \5 c" I8 j6 p2 k
' t0 A8 P% G& [0 k/ Q/ Y+ n& U; y p+ p& @1 U
: ^7 c- W/ ^3 m, L: I9 \4 ?. z Z1 A5 q% a1 u& G! r! `
3 ?/ M/ r/ k1 W6 L" q/ B0 C
2 n0 Q; j/ r/ ^' R" Y5 B
+ z1 _, I1 x$ _; E+ ~- XPsicosis' ornate ring gear was punctuated by colorful horns that jutted out from his mask.5 }% j5 y% W7 N2 W9 ^
' c' Q. O/ [1 R% m! Y. z
) ~8 F3 O1 p3 c
$ t; f [/ ]0 Q' G! B' y: f+ E1 p7 u" J* R: l& ^" E" J
% P; i4 z4 G: Q/ _1 s5 [) E
$ V2 ]9 a. Z8 T1 N e, g
$ I9 x5 g! N m$ e! I0 [, h; M9 VEarly in his career, Great Muta wore a mask before bouts. Much later, in the 2000s, he chose to wear masks during actual in-ring competition.7 i) @. X, w+ S5 O4 `6 n0 u- g
0 B+ D' u% A+ S/ r; N y$ Q* B! J S
6 X# A6 `% {$ ?- V |
|