Can You Match The Unmasked Man To The Masked Wrestler?
- by Alexander Podgorski
- – on
- in Sports
Pro wrestlers are some of the wackiest people on the planet. When in front of an audience, they have to perform some of the most unusual things conceivable: they basically have to go through a choreographed live action segment with scripted - but still painful - violence, all for the amusement of the fans.
To accomplish this feat as well as tell a story, many wrestlers have donned masks. Masked wrestlers have long been some of the most popular and recognizable in the sport's history. After all, if you were to turn on a cartoon or some kind of sketch mocking or parodying wrestling, the first thing you're most likely to see is a muscular man with a mask concealing his face.
In truth, many wrestlers have become famous due to their masks. The entire concept of a wrestler having a separate persona through their mask made them more intriguing and mysterious. In Lucha Libre, the mask is even more important; if a luchadore loses their mask, they can never wrestle under that name or wear that particular mask ever again.
Because of this, masked wrestlers are, in some cases, more iconic than their non-masked counterparts. Here, we'll take a look at what several masked wrestlers look like without their masks on, and it'll be up to you to try and figure out which masks these persons wore.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
Sami Zayn is one of the most underrated performers in WWE today. Despite his small size, Zayn possesses impressive agility and quickness that led him to great success prior to signing with WWE. Oddly, WWE hasn't treated him very well, especially in the past year. In early 2016, Zayn was involved in some of the best matches that year - of which there were many - yet he wasn't even on the main card at SummerSlam 2016. Strange treatment for such a great wrestler.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This is one of a handful of wrestlers to be known both by his real name and by the gimmick he donned while under a mask. This wrestler is an alumnus of the Hardy Boyz' OMEGA promotion, and has long been very close to them. He has spent most of his career in lower card singles feuds and in tag team matches, but he did enjoy some critical success as WWE's thus-far longest-reigning WWE Cruiserweight Champion while wrestling under his own name.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
Cesaro is one of the most respected and admired wrestlers in the WWE locker room. Countless current superstars and WWE legends and Hall of Famers have all praised Cesaro for his work ethic, personal sense of professionalism and the way in which he carries himself. Yet for the majority of his WWE career, Cesaro has been presented as this ultra-serious, almost hitman-like professional that lacks any sense of humor. That makes the gimmick he played in Chikara that much funnier and more ironic.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This Latino wrestler was a high-profile wrestler wherever he went. He has performed in some of the biggest promotions in North America, including Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, ECW, WCW, and WWE. His biggest exposure came during his WCW days, which was the period during which he wore a mask. During this period, he had some fantastic matches with many wrestlers, including Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Jushin 'Thunder' Liger, just to name a few.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This man is arguably the most famous masked wrestler in WWE history. What's notable about him, however, is that his superiors actually broke that lucha libre rule mentioned in the introduction. At one point, this wrestler lost a match in which he wagered his mask (known as luchas de apuestas), and thus began wrestling without it. He later started wearing it again, but this angered many lucha traditionalists, who argued that he shouldn't have been allowed to do so after unmasking.
TRUE or FALSE: Rikishi once wore a mask?
Rikishi is a world-famous WWE superstar and Hall of Famer. He spent several years going through several gimmicks until his superiors decided to give him a name based on Sumo wrestling. But there was nothing Sumo about Rikishi. He was, at first, a happy dancing guy that became famous for performing the Stinkface, i.e. rubbing his giant buttocks in his opponents' face...while wearing a thong. It was as hilarious as it was awkward, especially when he did this to women.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
Al Snow was an interesting character in WWE. He was initially presented as a jobber named Leif Cassidy, before moving onto various other gimmicks. One of these was particularly unusual. Snow, under this gimmick, would come down to the ring with his face fully exposed, and then he would put on a mask solely for the duration of the match. Keep in mind that masks, in general, obscure a wrestler's vision. So in short, Al Snow was making his job harder with this gimmick.
Which of these wrestlers once played the Fake Kane character in WWE?
Kane is and always has been one of WWE's most interesting characters. Some have even called him WWE's greatest masked character due to how dramatic and compelling his storylines were over the years. His feud with his storyline brother the Undertaker is one of WWE's greatest creative directions, one that led to many fantastic and exciting moments. Unfortunately, Kane has been on something of a downward spiral ever since he unmasked, with him being shoehorned into several dubious storylines over the years.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This is not just one of the greatest cruiserweight wrestlers of all time, but one of the greatest wrestlers, period. This man has spent virtually his entire wrestling career - which has spanned more than three decade - wearing a mask. As a result, there are very few pictures of him without it. The one seen here is from his earliest days, when he was still a rookie training and gaining experience in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
The Miz has an extensive history of butting heads with people, both on-screen and behind the scenes. In the former case, he crossed paths with the guest RAW General Manager, which led to a stipulation that Miz would be banned from RAW. To get around this, Miz donned a mask a few weeks later, defeated WWE alumnus Eugene, and then removed the mask he had donned for that match and then announced that he was back on RAW. A clever move, to be sure.
Eddie Guerrero once performed under a mask. What was his masked wrestler name?
Eddie Guerrero was a world-traveled wrestler by the time he signed with WWE. Not only had he spent time in WCW and ECW, but he had also wrestled in Mexico and in Japan. It was while Guerrero was touring that Guerrero donned a mask. While wrestling under a mask, Guerrero participated in several major tournaments, including the 1996 Best of Super Juniors Tournament and the 1994 Super J-Cup, both of which were major catalysts in helping Guerrero's career grow further.
Which masked pro wrestler does this person portray?
The man seen here is one of many people wrestling promoters have tried to turn into the next Rey Mysterio. He has performed in several promotions, including WWE, and has been a popular wrestler wherever he has gone. And yet, despite that popularity - and some grace as a cruiserweight - he hasn't set the world on fire as much as the cruiserweight template - Mysterio - managed to. That said, this guy's still pretty young so maybe he could still reach that higher level.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
The man seen here is one of the most influential wrestlers of all time. Keiji Mutoh has been wrestling more or less nonstop since 1984, and has been a major draw all over the world. Today, he is considered the first Japanese wrestler to have developed a sizable and lasting fanbase in the United States, despite making several trips back-and-forth between the U.S.A. and Japan. He has won several titles, had some classic matches (including some against Sting), and is widely respected for his mastery of ring psychology.
Which of the following wrestlers was the first one to play the TNA character 'Suicide'?
'Suicide' as a wrestling character has a rather interesting backstory. He served as the central figure of the TNA IMPACT video game, and apparently the creative powers in TNA liked the character so much that they decided that someone should play this character in real life. Thus, the live-action Suicide was born. Over the years, Suicide has been played by several wrestlers, but all of them were smaller, more agile wrestlers, so that the character's video-game abilities could be seen in a real wrestling ring as well.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
Here we have the picture of another famous masked wrestler without his trademark mask. However, this wrestler made several appearances without his mask, but this is because he had a burgeoning musical career outside of wrestling. He achieved mild success in that venture, but he is still more famous for his wrestling skills. This is one of the most impressive high-flyers of all time, and served as the inspiration for many of today's top stars, including both Neville and Seth Rollins.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
The man you see here is Kota Ibushi, one of the most impressive cruiserweight wrestlers active today. Many have called him one of the best wrestlers as well, given his immense versatility, incredible athleticism, and penchant for putting on outstanding matches. Ibushi proved this skill and popularity during WWE's Cruiserweight Classic, by stealing the show with every match he participated in. He has also had an on-again/off-again feud with Kenny Omega, which is likely to lead to a huge match down the road.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This wrestler spent roughly four years in WWE, and each year brought something different to him. He wore a mask as part of his first gimmick, but that didn't last very long because WWE's creative direction in the mid-1990s was something of a mess. He then spent several years wrestling under his own name, which he continued to do once his WWE career ended. Oddly, the masked wrestler that Savio Vega did portray seemed grossly out of place for him.
TRUE or FALSE: This wrestler once wore a mask?
Mitsuharu Misawa was one of, if not the best wrestler during his prime. During the 1990s, Misawa was the undisputed ace of AJPW, and has been involved in more 5-star matches than any wrestler in history. The most interesting thing about this reputation is that Misawa didn't have a wacky character, didn't really have the same charisma as, say, The Rock, and didn't even cut engaging promos. The legendary status his name bears today comes solely from his in-ring skill.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This wrestler has been all over the independent scene over the past few years. He has appeared in several top promotions including NJPW, Dragon Gate, Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, and Pro Wrestling NOAH. He's also one of the most exciting wrestlers seen on the independent scene, with a wide variety of crazy moves and diving capabilities. ACH is also under 30, which means there's a good chance he'll be showing off his high-flying skills for years to come.
Which masked pro wrestler does this person portray?
When it comes to famous masked wrestlers, there are very few that can say they were more influential than this man. Like many masked wrestlers, few pictures of him unmasked exist, making this one of the clearest photos of the man. This man was one of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)'s biggest stars during the early 1980s, and served as the catalyst for the junior heavyweight boom that would grip Japan for decades to come. The man is basically cruiserweight royalty.
TRUE or FALSE: This wrestler once more a mask?
George 'the Animal' Steele, was one of pro wrestling's most successful 'wild men' during the sport's early decades. Steele did many things that would characterize him as 'bizarre', including ripping the turnbuckles open with his teeth, dying his tongue green, and making wacky expressions with his hands and face. In later years, this man - who was also a teacher on the side during his rookie years - adapted his gimmick into that of a manchild that simply wanted love...which is what he got.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This is one of a handful of photographs of the real face of one of the most iconic masked wrestlers ever. This wrestler was active for decades, particularly in Mexico. Though he wasn't as technically-sound or graceful as some more recent wrestlers, he didn't need to be. This man was one of the earliest and best examples of someone taking the character they portrayed and connecting with the audience in a major way. He was, in essence, the first masked wrestler that was also a superhero.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
Like most masked wrestlers, this man has gone to great lengths to conceal his identity. As such, this is but one of a handful of pictures of that particular wrestler unmasked. What can be said is that this man was immensely successful in his prime. In fact, he currently holds the record for most championships held at once, at 11. Oddly enough, his run in WWE was short and forgetful, which is a major shame when you consider just how great he was during the 1990s.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
This is the face of one of the most underappreciated cruiserweight wrestlers of the 1990s. This outstanding high-flyer spent most of his time in Japan, but did make a notable appearance in WWE during the mid-1990s. Aside from that, he's also known for being one of the toughest wrestlers in recent memory. He's known to have cracked his skull more than once while wrestling - and on more than one occasion he kept going, despite suffering such a serious injury.
Which masked pro wrestler did this person portray?
One look at this guy and you might ask yourself, 'why did this guy need to wear a mask? He doesn't look like he needed it'. While that might've been true, the reality is that this man was essential in creating the popularity of masked wrestlers in the first place. He tried it out in a match in Japan at one point, and that particular match was so intriguing that it was watched by an astonishing 70 million TV viewers.