Wrestlers You Didnt Know Wrestled in Masks
In Lucha tradition, the mask is ane of the nigh sacred symbols of a wrestler. To lose information technology or have information technology removed is a cracking dishonor to the athlete. Most masked wrestlers protect their identity with dandy fervor. Take, for instance, Blue Demon Jr., who wants to run for role in United mexican states — without showing his face. Famous Mexican Luchador and movie star El Santo is some other example of a wrestler who never removed his mask, even when dining out in fancy restaurants!
Yet, there are other masked wrestlers whose identities haven't been much of a mystery. Sometimes this is intentional, other times non, but information technology always ends up being quite amusing.
Here are ten of our favorite examples of wrestlers donning a mask to conceal their identity. As you'll observe, they weren't fooling anybody!
1. Midnight Rider
One of the most famous "mysterious man" cases was the Midnight Rider in the early '80s.
After Dusty Rhodes was suspended from the NWA in 1982, a masked human being all of a sudden appeared with a suspiciously familiar face. On Feb 9 thursday , the Midnight Passenger won the company's acme prize, pinning Ric Flair to win the chugalug.
All the same, the Passenger was forced past Bob Geigel to either unmask (and take a chance his identity beingness known) or vacate the belt. As Rhodes was suspended at the time, he chose to give up the belt back to Ric Flair.
Rhodes returned to his previous incarnation later his suspension was served to much success. Rhodes would again become vastly successful in the promotion, with the Midnight Passenger being a short footnote in the history of Dusty Rhodes and the NWA equally a whole.
Related: Dusty Rhodes – 8 Stories That Show Who the Real American Dream Was
2. Stagger Lee
Effectually the same fourth dimension as The Midnight Rider, Mid-South Wrestling used a similar angle for one of their virtually popular stars.
Having been turned on by a newly-turned heel Ted DiBiase , the Junkyard Dog before long establish himself on the receiving end of a loaded glove that would spell the end for him. JYD lost a loser leaves town bout alongside Mr. Olympia to DiBiase and Matt Borne (later known as the original Doink the Clown), forcing the Canis familiaris to leave the territory.
Yet, shortly later on, a new wrestler sprung upward past the name of Stagger Lee.
Named afterward the late 19th-century American murderer and pop folk song, this multi-colored masked man had many heels trying to testify the gimmick's portrayer was none other than the Junkyard Canis familiaris. Here, he acquired havoc for DiBiase and his Rat Pack faction.
Nobody managed to unmask this man or testify his identity. Afterward the pause'due south timeframe had expired, JYD returned to Mid-S every bit himself.
In hindsight, one of the more than significant moments of Stagger Lee'south run is his disposal of an enhancement talent called Marty Lunde with a powerslam in under 2 minutes. Why is that meaning? That journeyman would go on to his own success in wrestling under the name Arn Anderson.
Related: Junkyard Dog: A Tragic Ending to One of Wrestling's Most Charismatic
iii. Charlie Chocolate-brown from Outta Town
Even a mask could not hide the distinctive features of this popular NWA star .
In August 1983, 'Boogie Woogie Man' Jimmy Valiant lost a loser leaves boondocks match to NWA Television set champion The Great Kabuki. Not long later, Valiant re-emerged under a mask every bit Charlie Brown from Outta Boondocks.
Jimmy'southward distinctive and easily recognized beard was not shaved off, further adding to the obviousness of the human nether the disguise.
The Boogie Woogie Man managed to win Kabuki's title at wrestling's first pay-per-view, Starrcade 1983. As the match was mask vs. title, Valiant'south win meant he was not forced to unmask, allowing the ruse to proceed. However, Ric Flair tarnished the illusion after that dark, accidentally calling him Jimmy Valiant in a show-catastrophe promo.
After dropping the Charlie Brownish allonym, Jimmy vacated the chugalug.
4. Giant Motorcar
To allow Andre the Giant to motion picture The Princess Helpmate and assistance in his increasing health issues, Andre was kayfabe suspended from the WWF in 1986 by Jack Tunney at Bobby Heenan's behest.
A few months later, a new masked tag team billed from 'the Orient' made their debut alongside director Captain Lou Albano. This group was called The Machines with members Super Machine (Beak Eadie) and Behemothic Motorcar (Andre The Giant). Heenan tried to prove that the Giant Motorcar was Andre, questioning how many 7'4″ Japanese wrestlers weighed over 500 pounds and spoke with a French accent.
Commentators stated that it was not for sure the Frenchman and that it could, in fact, be Behemothic Baba. WWF'south President Jack Tunney announced that if Giant Car were revealed to be the 8 th Wonder of the World, Andre would be suspended indefinitely.
Big Automobile, played by Blackjack Mulligan, was presently added to the group so that Andre did non have to be as psychical in-ring.
Weighing a combined ane,129 pounds, their largest rivalry was against the Heenan Family unit'south Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy. Other tongue-in-cheek members joined, such as Animate being Auto, Hulk Automobile, and Piper Machine throughout the group's history.
After the faction'south final match in November of '86, the group went their own means. Andre went on to turn heel a few months afterward, which build to his historic friction match against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3.
Related: sixteen Unforgettable Andre the Giant Stories Told By His Friends
5. Yellow Dog
A gimmick previously used in Florida past Barry Windham, the Yellow Dog moniker was nearly memorable when performed by Brian Pillman.
After being on the losing end of a career-threatening match against the former Four Horsemen, Pillman was forced to get out WCW in 1991.
Pillman's schedule was then fulfilled by the Xanthous Dog – a wrestler with the same theme music, wrestling manner, and stature of Flyin ' Brian. As well every bit troubling the second-generation Mulligan, he had a pay-per-view showing against Johnny B. Badd – memorable for the Dog starting a distasteful "fagg*t" crowd chant at the Little Richard impersonator.
Windham claimed, " It'southward and then obvious, Ray Charles could see it! The Yellowish Dog is Flyin ' Brian! Get-go, he masquerades as a chicken. Then he masquerades as a rat. Now he's trying to get around the loser-leaves-WCW stipulation past wearing that stupid outfit! Well, I promise y'all this: It'southward not gonna piece of work! I'll unmask him and prove to the earth what a cowardly cheater Flyin ' Brian really is!"
The Yellow Dog often teamed with Tom Zenk. 'The Z-Man' even sometimes portrayed the Yellow Canis familiaris to put into question the suspect's identity. When portraying the Canis familiaris, Zenk was accompanied past Pillman in order to endeavor to prove Pillman was not the human being under the mask.
Afterwards putting his mask on a few times, a fan entrada forced Pillman to reappear, and and so disappeared the Yellow Dog. This run would prove the later on multifariousness of personas Pillman would have, including the 'Loose Cannon.'
Related: Brian Pillman: How He Worked the Workers and Made Himself a Superstar
6. Mr. JL
Cited by Dave Meltzer as "i of the near underrated workers of the last quarter-century," Jerry Lynn has worked for pretty much every wrestling company over his storied career, including ECW, WWF/East, TNA, ROH, and AEW. Lynn also had a run in WCW in the mid-'90s every bit a office of their Cruiserweight division.
This division's roster featured many masked Luchadores, including Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, and Justin Liger. So, adding to this, WCW put the Minnesota-native under a royal mask every bit Mr. JL.
Lynn occasionally wrestled as himself (without the mask) but virtually often under the masked guise. All appearances on Nitro were as Mr. JL, with the time to come ECW globe champion ofttimes losing to the stars WCW was keener on pushing.
JL's most memorable match was probable a pay-per-view showing where he lost to another short-lived WCW star Sabu, at Halloween Havoc 1995 in most three minutes. Hither, Bobby Heenan claimed that JL could correspond "Jerk and Lunch."
On a Nitro aired on Christmas twenty-four hours, Lynn's arm was cleaved in a match against Dean Malenko. Subsequently this, he was unceremoniously released from the visitor by Eric Bischoff, with his identity never revealed. At the time, likely merely hardcore fans knew his identity, but shortly when his talent was explored, he was known to a larger audience.
vii. ECW'southward Unnamed Masked Man
In WCW, Rick Rude played the evidently identifiable Masked Phantom for a single night at Halloween Havoc '91. Although Rude had recently been released from the WWF, had the same physique, and had his distinctive mustache showing, WCW still, in kayfabe, seemed to have no idea who the portrayer was.
Five years later, in ECW, the Ravishing i played some other hooded effigy. This fourth dimension, however, in the storyline, information technology was heavily implied that this was Rick. It was surprising to see Rude, as he had not been seen for a pregnant length of time. Not resurfacing since leaving wrestling a few years earlier, Rude nerveless on a Lloyds of London insurance policy – meaning it was unlikely he would be physically involved.
This mysterious man spent a big amount of his fourth dimension tormenting Shane Douglas upon arrival at ECW House Political party in early 1997, including costing him a lucifer at 1997's Crossing The Line Again pay-per-view besides every bit spanking Douglas'south managing director Francine.
After a brutal clash at ECW's first pay-per-view upshot, Barely Legal, Douglas eventually managed to defeat Pitbull #2 in a trigger-happy grudge match centered around both wrestlers attempting to break the other's neck. Due to Shane'south retentivity of his ECW Television receiver championship, the masked tormentor was forced to unmask as per stipulation.
Donning a Rick Rude robe, it all seemed every bit if the erstwhile Intercontinental Champion was soon to have his confront revealed. All the same, a member of the riot law at ringside unmasked to reveal Rick Rude. On this occasion, the masked man was actually Douglas'south tag partner, 'Prime Fourth dimension' Brian Lee, who promptly turned on 'The Franchise.'
This was Lee'due south second role where he portrayed a more than famous wrestler, previously existence Ted DiBiase's Undertaker in 1994. Rude would just take 1 friction match in ECW (principal- eventing Heatwave '97) before moving on to commentary and time as an anti-ECW ally of Jerry Lawler.
Afterwards that year, Rude became the only wrestler to announced on WWF, WCW, and ECW Tv in the same week. You can learn more about this fascinating story in our commodity: Rick Rude – More Than Ravishing.
8. The Blueish Blazer
Few – except those in the know – knew that Stampede Wrestling stand-out Owen Hart played lower-bill of fare babyface the Blue Blazer in the '80s.
Upon kayfabe leaving the WWF in 1999, Owen was repackaged every bit the Bluish Blazer – but with a twist. Feeling 'The Rocket' needed a new character for the more hardcore television production at the time, he was given this gimmick equally a more than bombastic and irritable graphic symbol aimed at kids to rival the Attitude Era's bolder content.
After Owen kayfabe quit the WWF after (in storyline) breaking Dan Severn's neck, in a like style to Steve Austin two years earlier, the Blue Blazer emerged.
Owen reluctantly accepted this role, turning downwardly proposed angles such every bit an affair with Deborah McMichael to protect his family'southward reputation .
He forged a comedic alliance with Jeff Jarrett, with Hart proving he was not the Blazer by sometimes managing Jarrett in the Blazer guise. Hart's High Energy tag partner Koko B Ware once appeared as the Blazer whilst Jarrett and Hart were visible. Steve Blackman once even unmasked the Blue Blazer, revealing Owen'due south face.
Despite his catchphrase "Accept your vitamins, say your prayers and drink your milk" and holding tag championship aureate, Owen never truly managed to go over in the role.
Sadly, the Bluish Blazer persona is one linked to the catastrophic stunt-gone-incorrect at the Over The Edge pay-per-view in May of 1999, which led to the tragic passing of Owen Hart.
Related: Owen Hart's Expiry – What Happened, From Those Who Were There
9. Mr. America
In 2002, a near-50-yr-erstwhile Blob Hogan returned for a short nostalgia run with the WWE – leading the nWo and winning the world tag titles with Edge and a daze run with the Undisputed title.
However, this before long turned into a longer run for Hogan, with the Hulkster coming out victorious in a chaotic brawl against Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIX. After this, however, instead of sitting out the rest of his contract at domicile, 'The Icon' re-emerged in May '02 as Mr. America in a Captain America-influenced attire.
Everything stayed the same. The theme music was the same, the mannerisms were the aforementioned, and the mustache was the aforementioned, just thinly veiled by the mask. Nobody seemed to intendance about this in storyline except Mr. McMahon – who went out of his style to prove the masked man's identity.
This led to some memorable moments, including a comedic prevarication detector examination between the 2 on an episode of SmackDown.
In 2003, later a 6-man tag match, Mr. America took off his mask later on the show to reveal his identity to the pocket-sized loonshit crowd. Afterward, Hogan left the company over artistic frustrations. The off-air reveal was used equally the reason for Hogan'due south kayfabe firing, and Mr. America never over again resurfaced in the WWE.
10. Juan Cena
Whilst never used in WWE canon, this gimmick has been visible on programming on a few occasions.
In 2010, later on a loss to leader Wade Barrett, John Cena was forced to bring together the Nexus. Now a fellow member of the grouping he had been fighting for months, the leader of the Cenation was defiant against the NXT telephone call-ups.
Going into Survivor Serial 2010, special guest referee John Cena would exist fired if stablemate Barrett lost a WWE title match to Randy Orton. Later officiating the Viper'southward win, Cena was fired.
In typical wrestling fashion, he was dorsum the following week. Cena went effectually tormenting every Nexus member until they were forced to reinstate the erstwhile Doctor of Thuganomics.
The original plan was for Cena to return nether the guise of Juan Cena, a luchador wrestler donning a imperial and yellow mask. Withal, this idea never made it to WWE TV and was ditched before the big time. The "Mexican" grappler had a few documented house show matches against Barrett and The Miz before the concept was canned altogether.
In 2019 the character made a one-off appearance during a WWE.com interview. After the Lucha House Political party celebrated a win over The Revival, Juan jumped in front of the camera. He shouted in Spanish before reciting the LHP'southward "Lucha, Lucha!" taunt before running off.
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