5 Wrestlers who temporarily wore a mask

Masked wrestling has a long and storied history, especially in Mexico. Mexican Wrestling culture was built on the backs of masked luchadors like El Santo, Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, and many others. In Mexico, Masked Luchadors are venerated figures who have sometimes died in their mask or passed down their mask and it's legacy to the next generation.

Masked wrestling in the United States also has a long history, however, the tradition isn't as significant as it is in Mexico. Wrestling promotions in America would often use masks as a way of introducing a new wrestler. Wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Daniel Bryan all got their starts wrestling under a mask.

Wrestling masks are also used by promotions in a variety of different ways, such as allowing a wrestler to pull "double duty", it is a way of bringing back a "fired" wrestler or a wrestler that lost a "loser leaves town" battle at the end of a heated rivalry between two top performers. Sometimes the disguise was used so the crowd wouldn't recognize which wrestler was under the mask and other times the mask did nothing to hide the identity of the wrestler bellow it and fans often yelled this fact despite it being obvious.

The following 5 wrestlers donned a mask for either WWE or WCW, despite their faces being well known. Some wrestled under masks after they quit the promotion, others were "fired" and used the mask to "hide their identity" while wrestling, and some wrestled as a way of coming back to wrestling. Each of the wrestlers used the mask temporarily and then abandoned the mask when it was no longer relevant to the story-line they originally donned it for.

#5 The Fabulous Moolah

The Fabulous Moolah donned the Spider Lady mask to unseat Wendi Richter as the Women's Champion in the "Original Screwjob"

Before her death, The Fabulous Moolah was a pioneer of women's wrestling across North America, albeit a controversial one. Moolah wrestled in the NWA from 1949 to 1983. Moolah was a 5-time NWA Women's Champion. In 1983, Vince McMahon brought the Fabulous Moolah to the WWF and made her the inaugural Women's Champion. Moolah wrestled for the WWF until her death in 2007, aged 84.

After failing to regain the title from Wendi Richter, Moolah took a few months off from in-ring competition, though she helped Leilani Kai defeat Richter for the belt. At WrestleMania I, Wendi Richter beat Leilani Kai to regain the title. Moolah returned to the ring after Kai's loss and unsuccessfully challenged Richter for the title.

In November 1985, Richter would defend her title at Madison Square Garden against The Spider Lady. Six minutes into the fight, The Spider Lady trapped Richter in a small package and the referee counted a quick 3-count. An enraged Richter then attacked The Spider Lady and removed the wrestler's mask to reveal that it was Moolah.

#4 Hulk Hogan

Mr. America started appearing on WWE TV soon after Mr. McMahon had forced Hulk Hogan to leave

Hulk Hogan was one of the biggest stars of wrestling through the 1980s and early 1990s. Hogan wrestled for both the WWE and WCW at their peaks and was at the top of both promotions. In the early 1990s, Hogan appeared done with wrestling to make movies.

However, Hogan was roped back into wrestling by WCW and would eventually join the NWO. However, Hogan would leave the company after a falling out with Vince Russo on July 9, 2000, at WCW's Bash at the Beach PPV. Hogan did not return to the promotion, and it was sold off to the WWE in March 2001.

Hogan would eventually return to the WWE in 2002 with fellow NWO members Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. After the NWO reunion storyline finished, Hogan feuded with Vince McMahon leading to a match between the two at WrestleMania XIX which Hogan won despite interference from Roddy Piper.

Following WrestleMania, McMahon forced Hogan to leave the WWE on the April 3rd Smackdown, only for Hogan to return a month later wearing a mask and calling himself Mr. America. Even though it was obviously Hogan behind the mask, Mr. Mcmahon set about proving that it was Hogan in a series of humorous segments and skits to no avail.

However, on the July 3rd episode of Smackdown, Vince McMahon aired footage of Hogan revealing his face from under the Mr. America mask and as a result was fired.

#3 Ric Flair

The Black Scorpion, portrayed by Ric Flair, challenged Sting for the NWA World Heavyweight title at Starrcade

Ric Flair, just like Hogan, wrestled for both WCW and WWE during his career. The Nature Boy amassed 16 reigns with the World Heavyweight title during his career. Flair was one of the main event stars for the promotion during this era. However, in 1992 Flair left WCW due to problems with management, specifically Jim Herd who wished to repackage Flair as "Spartacus".

Before Flair left the WCW he was involved in an angle with Sting, where Flair wrestled as Black Scorpion, a mysterious alien-like wrestler who dressed in a long robe and wrestled in a mask. The feud culminated in a match between Sting and The Black Scorpion at Starrcade 1990. Sting won the match, and despite being beaten down, still managed to remove Black Scorpions mask revealing it to be Flair.

Flair would wrestle in the WWF for 2 years before once again returning to WCW. Flair would remain with WCW until the end, and would eventually wrestle for WWE after WCW was sold to their rivals.

#2 Mickie James

Mickie James returned to WWE, appearing as La Luchadora 6 years after leaving the promotion

Mickie James' first run in WWE had a mixture of moments, she was first introduced in the WWE as a stalker super fan of Women's Champion Trish Stratus. James initially helped Stratus retain her title by eliminating Victoria during a Battle Royal for Stratus' title. James would eventually become the number one contender.

During her first time, James would become a 5 time Women's Champion, and one time Diva's Champion. James would eventually leave and return to TNA, where she wrestled before joining the WWE.

In 2016, Mickie James challenged Asuka for the NXT Women's title in a losing effort. A few months later on Smackdown, Smackdown Women's Champion Alexa Bliss squared off against Becky Lynch in a Steel Cage match for the title in January 2017. At the end of the match, Mickie James returned once again made an appearance and distracted Lynch and allowing Bliss to retain.

After the match, Bliss and La Luchadora attacked Lynch who fought back and managed to unmask La Luchadora, this time being played by a returning Mickie James.

#1 Owen Hart

Owen Hart returned from time off as the Blue Blazer before his death at Over the Edge

Owen Hart is considered by many wrestlers to be one of the best in the world. Owen's most notable rivalry was against Bret, which saw them face off in an epic encounter in a steel cage. Unfortunately, Owen's life was tragically cut short following an incident at WWF PPV Over the Edge.

During Owen's entrance, he was supposed to be lowered to the ring using a harness. Unfortunately, the harness malfunctioned and Owen plummeted towards the ring, landing on the turnbuckle.

Before his death, Owen was in his second run as a character called the Blue Blazer. The Blue Blazer was a comedic superhero-type character. He originally portrayed the character in the late 80s and early 90s in the WWF, before wrestling with the gimmick in Mexico where he would lose the mask in a Lucha de Apuestas.

The Blue Blazer character would return to the WWF in the late 90s following Owen Hart "quitting the WWF" after he injured Dan Severn. On his return as the Blue Blazer, the character had changed to being an overbearing, and self-righteous heel.