Men of Mystery: 10 of the greatest masked wrestlers

Masked wrestlers have been around since the 1865 world's fair when Theobaud Bauer donned a mask to wrestle challengers from the crowd. His name? The Masked Wrestler, of course!

The First Luchador was American

In 1933, American wrestler Cyclone Mackey began wrestling in Mexico under a mask. He quickly became over with the crowd, resulting in a great many Mexican wrestlers adopting masks as well. What Mackey started, his compatriots south of the border perfected; it is now impossible to think of masked wrestlers without mentioning the Luchadores.

Fast forward to today, and masked wrestlers are still making an impact on the sport. Here are ten of the greatest wrestlers to ever perform under a mask.

#10 Hayabusa

Considered by many the King of the death match Hayabusa was as fearless as he was reckless. While he had a great run with FMW, he was also often sidelined with injuries due to his high risk, high flying style.

Hayabusa was the main star of FMW from the mid-1990s until 2001 when he botched a moonsault and paralyzed himself. Eventually passing due to complications from his injury, Hayabusa left behind legions of mournful fans the world over.

Here's Hayabusa in an exploding cage match.

#9 La Parka (original)

The original is still the best!

La Parka, or L.A. Parka, has been dazzling wrestling audiences with his mix of aerial attacks and straight up brawling. A standout for his colourful costume and character, La Parka often comes to the ring with a steel chair, which he jams on as if it were an electric guitar.

La Parka quickly became a fan favourite when he debuted in 1996 for the now defunct WCW promotion. Though he would not receive a push, he was one of the most instantly recognizable stars among the Luchadores, and even joined Eddie Guerrero's Latino World Order.

Due to trademark issues, La Parka had to change his name to L. A. Parka (short for La Authentica). One of the toughest men ever to set foot between the ropes, La Parka once slugged a fan who got physically involved in his match.

#8 The Patriot

In the wake of the US invasion of Iraq...the first time, that is...came the Patriot. The masked wrestler was an attempt to rekindle the American nationalistic pride in wrestlers like Hulk Hogan.

To a degree, it succeeded. Patriot was a major force in the GWF, winning that promotions major titles with his patented Patriot Missile top rope dropkick. In fact, Patriot was so over in GWF they created a nemesis--the Dark Patriot, with his Scud Missile attack!

Patriot eventually found his way to the WWE, where he was slated for a major push against Canadian heel, Bret Hart. Unfortunately, a knee injury ended his career, and DX took over the Hart Foundation's spot as top heels. The Patriot is still remembered fondly by 90s kids who remember his un-ironic nationalism well.

#7 Mil Mascaras

Mil Mascaras is the first Lucha Libre star most American wrestling fans remember seeing, due to his long tours in the United States. The "Man of a Thousand Masks" stood for pride, tradition, and Mexican heritage.

Considered a power wrestler in Mexico, Mascaras is nonetheless credited with making moves like the plancha and suicide dive popular all over the world. Mascaras never worked heel, spending his entire career as a do-gooder babyface.

Mil Mascaras is practically Mexican royalty, having appeared on postage stamps and acting as an international ambassador. He is also the uncle of current GWF superstar Alberto El Patron.

Mil Mascaras was tremendously over with the fans, but not so much with his peers, who considered him to be arrogant. Wrestlers like Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, and others have accused him of not 'selling' their moves in the ring. Mascaras responds to such criticism by saying wrestling is sacred to him, and if his opponent does a poor job performing a move he isn't going to try to cover for them.

Love him or hate him, there's no denying his talent. He even had a successful movie career, starring as himself in a number of pictures, much like the number one man on our list.

Mil Mascaras takes on the man who inspired Hulk Hogan, Superstar Billy Graham below.

#6 Mankind

Already an international star under the name Cactus Jack Manson, Mick Foley arrived in the WWE during the start of the Monday Night Wars. Initially, he was pushed as a heel and was allowed to have multiple, clean wins over no less than the Undertaker. This decision was made by management not only to get Foley over, but to 'humanize' the Undertaker, who had been billed as unstoppable.

The two men engaged in a number of contests, such as the first Boiler Room brawl, and the second Hell in a Cell. It was during the Hell in a Cell match that Foley showed his willingness to take the sickest of bumps.

Mankind would eventually turn face, and feud with the Corporation for the WWE world championship.

Why does Mankind make the list, when he was only around for a few years before Foley retired the gimmick? Simply put, Mankind WON the Monday Night War for Vince McMahon, with an assist from Eric Bischoff's arrogance.

Since Raw was taped at the time, and Nitro was live, Eric Bischoff would often give out the results of their rival show. He once spoiled Shawn Michaels's WWE championship win by saying 'he beats the big guy (Sid Justice) with three superkicks.'

Later, Mankind won the WWE Championship on Raw. Gleefully, Eric Bischoff told the television audience they didn't need to flip over to the other show, since "Cactus Jack is going to win the world title. Yeah, THAT will put asses in seats!"

Bischoff severely underestimated how much wrestling fans loved, Mick Foley. In droves, they tuned into Raw to watch their hero capture the title, resulting in a ratings victory for the WWE. The momentum continued, and it was the beginning of WCW's doom.

Here's the moment that changed the course of the war:

#5 Mr. Wrestling II

In 1972, Walker came out of retirement and gained a legacy gimmick, being the protege of Mr Wrestling I--even though they were close to the same age. Mr Wrestling II became a surprise hit, racking up multiple wins and championships with his patented running Kneelift.

Mr Wrestling II was the favourite of former President Jimmy Carter, who actually invited Walker to the White House! Unfortunately, kayfabe was alive and well in the early 1980s and Walker refused, as Secret Service insisted he removes his mask. Still, it's quite an honour to be invited by a sitting president.

Here's Mr Wrestling II taking on Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

#4 Kane

Kane with his Kayfabe father, the late Paul Bearer

Glen Jacobs suffered a plethora of bad gimmicks before donning the red mask and playing Undertaker's kayfabe brother. From the Unabomber to 'fake' Diesel, to the god-awful Issac Yankem DDS, nothing seemed to work for the nearly seven-foot powerhouse.

Kane was built up by a series of promos done by Paul Bearer. Undertaker and his handler had split, and Bearer was determined to get revenge. He mentioned that the former funeral home he worked at was owned by Undertaker's family and that Taker had a younger brother who supposedly died in a fire.

But as it turned out, Kane had been rescued by Paul Bearer, who turned out to be his real father. Though horribly burned and disfigured, and unable to speak, Kane was still bigger, stronger, and tougher than his older brother. In his debut, Kane cost Undertaker the victory in the first ever Hell in a Cell match.

Eventually, Kane would go babyface, and even unmask, but most wrestling fans agree that the evil, masked Kane was the best Kane.

The Demon revealed in an interview with Edge And Christian a few months back that Vince McMahon was the one who took the decision to remove the mask as the gimmick it had run its course, against the wished of the WWE Creative Team. He claimed it was tough putting the mask on and that may have played a role in his unmasking. He, however, said removing the mask led to the countless titles he won later on in his career.

Here's Kane taking on Undertaker in his signature match, the Inferno!

#3 Rey Misterio Jr.

Rey Mysterio is so talented, not many people realize that he's actually a legacy character. Taking over the mantle from his uncle, Rey became an international star before signing with WCW.

Disgustingly over with the fans, Rey dazzled and delighted with his top-notch high flying ability and technical acumen. Though he spent a brief period of time maskless after losing a match to Kevin Nash, Mysterio would don the mantle again when he signed with the WWE. He also lost the Jr. suffix to his name, as WWE wanted to present him as a unique character.

Rey Mysterio had one of the most successful runs of any masked wrestler, ever, becoming a grand slam champion in the WWE and selling out arenas all over the world for that promotion. Practically worshipped as a god in Mexico, Mysterio has plenty of fans all over the world as well.

Soft-spoken, humble, but possessed of perhaps the greatest sense of timing in any wrestler ever, the only reason Mysterio isn't number one on this list is because of the long, LONG shadows cast by number two and number one. Here's Rey in a street fight versus Drax the Destroyer--er, Dave Batista.

#2 Tiger Mask

Not a singular wrestler, but rather a recurring character played by no less than five different men, Tiger Mask is one of the most beloved performers in Japan.

Tiger Mask first appeared as a character in a Japanese Manga comic. A villain who decided to become a hero after realizing he was a bad influence on children, the comic became so wildly popular that it spawned an anime series, action figures, and a real-life wrestler gimmick.

Satoru Sayama was the original man behind the mask and is the first--and only--man to ever hold both the WWF and NWA light heavyweight titles simultaneously. No matter who is behind the gimmick, Tiger Mask is known for high flying action and a strict adherence to the rules. After all, he is a superhero!

Here's Tiger Mask taking on the legendary Dynamite Kid.

#1 El Santo

El Santo is considered the greatest Lucha Libre star, ever.

El Santo--the saint--is a legend all over the world, and with good reason. But he didn't debut as his most famous character. Originally using a variety of gimmicks, he was forced to stop calling himself El Murcielago II after a lawsuit by the original El Murcielago.

Undaunted, he came up with the El Santo persona and never looked back. Kayfabe wise, El Santo NEVER lost a match--though that's not technically true. The most heroic of all babyfaces, El Santo never broke any rules and always won with fair play.

El Santo is known for never, ever taking off his mask, even among close friends and other wrestlers. He even wore his mask to restaurants and social functions in his personal life!

Santo starred in dozens of films, such as El Santo vs. the Vampire Women, a cult classic. He has also been immortalized in comic books, cartoons, action figures, and video games. As the no-questions-asked greatest Lucha Libre star of all time, he holds a unique place in wrestling culture and Mexican history.

Here's El Santo taking on longtime rival and sometimes ally, the Blue Demon--a legend in his own right.