Ever since wrestling started to become popular around the world, the different promotions and their wrestlers always looked to add something new to the product. The introduction of unique face masks worn by the wrestlers mostly originated in the Mexican wrestling scene, where the infamous luchadors wore it as a sign of pride and respect. From that, it migrated to other wrestling scenes as the Japanese designed some really cool masks in the 90s and beyond, while most of the masks in the WWE and WCW brought an intimidating nature to the wrestlers (even though it hilariously failed at times).
Since then, we've barely seen many wrestlers actually opening their masks on the shows, with only a few masked wrestlers actually showing their true self to the audience. But these wrestlers obviously don't hover around with masks on in their real lives and pictures of them unmasked have been snapped in the past. Most of these wrestlers made the right decision with putting their masks on as it helped them get their unique look, while some were actually forced to go through awful gimmicks.
These wrestlers might not have shown their true faces on-screen while portraying their masked characters, but there are definitely non-kayfabe pictures of them. Let's have a look at 20 Must See Pictures Of Wrestlers Unmasked.
20 20. Rey Mysterio Hanging Out Backstage
Rey Mysterio has always been known as the ultimate masked superhero in the WWE, with him attaining a lot of popularity in the mid-2000s when he won the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio's mask brought a superhero, underdog feels to his character and he was extremely successful because of that in the WWE, with a lot of kids aspiring to be like their hero. Mysterio never took his mask off in the WWE, not showing his real face to the audience and wanting to keep it a secret. But Rey doesn't always wear the mask around, as this picture of him shows just how he looks without the mask. He actually looks like a baby in general, but this picture shows the every day Rey as he's looking to be having a chill time without the mask on.
19 19. El Torito
El Torito was a rather fun character in the WWE a few years ago, with the "raging bull" actually being quite athletic for his size. El Torito is actually quite a famous wrestler in the Mexican Independent circuit and despite his size, he can outwrestle many athletes. He wasn't really used that well by the WWE, who included him in pointless, comic segments where him hitting a wrestler would be a humiliation for them. Despite being short and small, El Torito actually had a lot of fight in him and this shocking unmasked picture shows just how intimidating he looked despite his size. Torito actually looks like he could legitimately beat up people in this picture and it goes onto show that despite his size, he is someone nobody would want to mess with.
18 18. Sin Cara (Hunico)
The Sin Cara character showed real promise in its debut years as the WWE hyped it up really well and the character looked really refreshing at first. But then it started to get very confusing and turn the audience off, as WWE came up with another "imposter" angle when the real Sin Cara met his imposter. The two had a heated feud over each other's "masks", with Sin Cara Azul(the original one) defeating Sin Cara Negro(imposter one). But we would actually see the imposter Sin Cara unmasked during a WWE Live event years ago, where he came down in the Sin Cara character but surprisingly took his mask off. This picture shows just how the Sin Cara nowadays looks like, with Hunico doing a good job with the character recently but his controversies beyond the ring might mean the end of the character sooner rather than later.
17 17. Suicide
The character of "Suicide" was a flinging one in TNA, as it had been portrayed by numerous individuals in its long run at the company. The character itself was actually pretty popular, having the reputation for its daredevil stunts and entertaining work in the ring and was even X-Division champion at one point. But the most interesting man to actually unmask himself as Suicide was none other than T.J. Perkins, who was wrestling for TNA at the time. He actually unmasked on the show and displayed the face behind Suicide after a lot of years, later going onto portray a modified character in Manik before leaving TNA. Not many actually know that the former Cruiserweight Champion played Suicide for TNA and it was actually quite shocking to see the "face" of Suicide all those years back, but it was a face which not many were disappointed with.
16 16. Abyss
"The Monster" Abyss is definitely one of TNA's greatest wrestlers of all time, having been them from almost the first day they started. He was this terrorizing, huge wrestler who loved to inflict much pain to his enemies and was recognized for his hardcore side of being one of the toughest wrestlers in the promotion as well. Abyss has himself never really taken off his mask in TNA, but this picture shows the "human" side of the monster without his iconic mask on. Abyss looks surprisingly big in this picture without his mask which almost makes him seem even bigger, as he's actually a really cool guy in real life and loves to hang out with people and tries to make sure that TNA keeps producing the most entertaining wrestling, helping out with whatever he can for them.
15 15. Mil Mascaras
Mil Mascaras was one of the first luchadors to gain recognition all over the world of wrestling, as this magnificent wrestler instilled all his pride into his mask which was definitely legendary on its own. Mascaras was an individual who helped the Mexican wrestling scene get some recognition and later he moved to the USA and wrestled for the likes of National Wrestling Alliance(NWA) and even wrestled in Japan for a while. Mascaras was extremely protective of his identity and showed his true self in the ring, but this old, revealing picture of him unmasked shows just how much of a "macho" man he was. The Father of Alberto Del Rio definitely had the looks in him to make himself successful, but he decided to elevate the reputation of Mexican Luchadors and raised it to a reputed level with his spectacular work.
14 14. Imposter Kane
Many were intrigued in the WWE when they introduced the "Imposter Kane" in 2006 and just how they were going to play this feud. The Imposter Kane came out suddenly and wanted to "replace" the original Kane, who was definitely shocked by seeing it. He stole Kane's trademark moves and the two had a match at Vengeance where the imposter actually won. But the original Kane would then abruptly end him, as he tore off his mask and threw him out of the building. Nobody could see his true face, but it was later revealed that the Imposter Kane was actually Luke Gallows. Gallows would be the "new Kane" if the old one had gone through with his retirement about which he was pondering back then, but thankfully that didn't happen as this picture shows just how weird it would've been had Gallows made to portray Kane.
13 13. Mantaur
Mantaur was definitely one of the most bizarre characters in WWE history, as this half bull/half man character was just all kinds of wrong at the time. The company was actually quite convinced that the character would work and recruited Mike Halac to become the character, as he came out with Jim Cornette as his manager and literally had a huge bull mask on. Mantaur wasn't taken kindly by the fans and faded away soon, but not many had actually seen the face behind the mask. The face was actually quite terrifying as Halac had a brawny, intimidating look to himself and could have definitely worked better if the company had used him with a more creative and compelling gimmick. He later returned to the Independent scene before fading away from wrestling over time.
12 12. Curry Man
Curry Man was a rather colorful and entertaining character back when TNA was actually beginning to become good, with the weird character actually performing well in their mid-card. He produced some really sublime moves and had a rather memorable run teaming up with Shark Boy in TNA at the time before he was fired in the "Feast or Fired" match. But little did anyone know that Curry Man was actually portrayed by Christopher Daniels, whom many thought to have left TNA at the time. This picture of the real Daniels without any masks puts to rest the query about whom this weird character really was, as TNA didn't find anything else so gave him this character whom he actually managed to make a hit and produced some really entertaining moments with.
11 11. Glacier
Glacier was a wrestler who was heavily hyped by WCW back in the 90s, as they invested a lot of work into making this character a hit. They hyped it up with catchphrases like "Blood Runs Cold" and gave him a sick entrance, with the wrestler having half his face cover by a mask. The character didn't turn out to be that big a hit as they wanted, as he stuck to the mid-card and suffered some bad injuries later on. He had some cool masks but not many ever saw him unmasked, as this picture shows just how he looks in real life. He looks actually quite good without the mask, as one can see him celebrating unmasked in this picture and even though he couldn't really make that gimmick work, he seems to be doing good now.
10 10. Rey Mysterio Before WrestleMania XXX
Rey Mysterio became a rather forgotten hero in the WWE Universe when he was reaching towards the end of his WWE stint, with fans turning their back on this exciting superstar. He was infamously booed in the 2014 Royal Rumble match when he came out at #30 and only managed to get a spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX. But he looks to be in good mood in this candid, unmasked picture where he is posing in. Mysterio looks to be in a great shape back in 2014 and maintained himself really well and is actually looking pretty buffed up and healthy in this picture. Despite not getting the proper responses back at the time, Mysterio continued to be a great person in real life and is having a great time in this wonderful unmasked picture of the master of the 619.
9 9. Juventud Guerrera
Juventud Guerrera was one of the really promising Cruiserweights in WCW back when its Cruiserweight Division was flying high, as this masked individual was a really popular figure in WCW. He was portrayed as an exciting Luchador and won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship multiple times as well. But once WCW was sold, Guerrera would come to WWE in 2005 without his mask. This stint wasn't good at all, as he failed to make a good impression and barely survived in the company for a year. This picture of Juventud unmasked shows how he looks without the mask these days and he actually looks pretty good without the mask. He's seemingly doing pretty good without that identity in the Mexican Independent scene for years now and has moved on from the disappointment suffered in WWE very well.
8 8. The Great Muta
The Great Muta is considered to be one of the all-time greats in Japanese Wrestling, as he was one of the first Japanese wrestlers to achieve a huge fan-base outside his country and was also pretty successful in the USA. The Great Muta had some amazing years in the likes of New Japan Pro Wrestling(which helped elevate to mainstream attention), All Japan Pro Wrestling among other as he's a highly respected wrestler all around the world. The Great Muta also wore a really unique mask to most of his matches, wrestling with a unique persona for himself. This picture shows just how much of a tough guy he looks without the mask as well, as he's considered as one of the legitimate wrestlers in Japan and it can be seen in the intimidating looks of this legendary character.
7 7. Shark Boy
Shark Boy was another one of TNA's fun characters back in the mid-2000s, as this character of a man dressed as a shark was surprisingly pretty popular amongst the fans back then. Shark Boy would be quite an entertaining wrestler in the mid-card as he wrestled against heels and portrayed his face character really well. Despite not really winning anything in the company, he did create some memorable moments with his high-flying, risk-taking behavior making him a hit amongst fans. But he never really reveals his face, as this picture shows just how he looked unmasked. He actually seems like a cool dude when not having to wear that mask and doesn't look as many expected him too, with a glaring picture showing that there's nothing comic about him in real life.
6 6. Psicosis
Psicosis was actually a really promising individual in WCW, where he was a really unique masked character who was also one of the most exciting wrestlers in the company. He was a dare-devil in the ring and produced some of the best wrestling in the company at the time, even winning the Cruiserweight Championship twice. He later joined WWE in 2005 after a stint which was an absolute bust, where he was also forced to remove his mask and portray a heel Mexican. This picture of Psicosis in the WWE shows just how bad a move it was to take the mask away from him, as nobody could appreciate him as this wannabe heel character in the WWE and refused to accept him without his mask. His decision to leave his mask was a terrible one, as it tarnished his career because of the mask is the unique thing about him.
5 5. Ultimo Dragon
Ultimo Dragon will be remembered by fans for his amazing in-ring work, as he had a lot of popularity in the American wrestling circuit having wrestled a few years for both WCW and WWE. He wrestled for WCW in the 90s where he produced some brilliant matches, before going to WWE in 2003. He only spent a year or so in the promotion before deciding to leave for his home country where he's still occasionally wrestling. Ultimo Dragon has never taken his iconic mask off in his wresting career, but this old picture of him without his mask on shows how surprisingly different he looks without the mask and cape. Dragon actually looks pretty tough without the mask as this stunning picture shows Dragon in a form you've never seen him in and how normal he looks without his lavish mask.
4 4. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
Jushin "Thunder" Liger has to be one of the most popular masked characters in the world of wrestling, with the Japanese sensation attaining a lot of world-wide popularity over the years. Liger started off at New Japan Pro Wrestling where his unique, masked gimmick got over and he later wrestled in the likes of WCW and Ring of Honor to attain a lot of fame in America as well. He also wrestled a match at NXT's TakeOver: Brooklyn PPV, defeating Tyler Breeze in his only match in WWE. Liger has kept his real identity very discreet over the years, but this picture of him unmasked shows him in a form nobody has ever seen before. He actually looks pretty cool with the sunglasses on and seems to be a private person when not having to wrestle, but he's quite extraordinary when performing in front of thousands of fans inside a wrestling ring.
3 3. Sin Cara (Mistico)
The original character of Sin Cara was actually portrayed by Mistico, who was a famous wrestler in the Mexican wrestling scene and was recruited by the WWE because of his amazing work in the Independent scene. He was then given the character of Sin Cara and treated lavishly at first, but slowly he lost his position in the company. He was made to take part in pointless feuds and left the company in 2014, returning to Mexico where he was still respected and loved. He never took off his mask in the WWE, but this picture shows when he was unmasked in a wrestling ring years ago. He looks pretty weird without his mask and one can understand why he wouldn't want to take it off, as this Mexican legend is being treated like a King in Mexico after having a disappointing term in the WWE.
2 2. Vader
Vader was definitely one of the most intimidating wrestlers in the 90s wrestling, with his mask making him even more terrifying. Vader had a lot of popularity in the 90s, wrestling both in WWE and WCW and being one of the most sought-after Big Men in wrestling. He continued to wrestle as the years passed by in the Independent scene, but never did he take his mask off when he stepped into the ring. Vader always wrestled with his mask on to keep a terrifying look to himself, but this picture shows how friendly and ordinary he looks without his mask on. This picture is a rather recent one of Vader, who has been battling some health issues in the past few years but despite his terrible health, he's still wrestling whenever he can as this unmasked picture shows the face of a real-life warrior.
1 1. Rey Mysterio In WCW
Before he became such a sensation in the WWE, Rey Mysterio was actually in WCW where he attained a lot of popularity and got people interested in him. He started off as a masked luchador but later unmasked in WCW, going onto portray a heel role in various stables in which he was during his final years with WCW. This picture of a young, unmasked Rey shows him portraying the cocky heel which he was back in his WCW days, as it's quite surprising to see an unmasked Rey Mysterio inside a wrestling ring. Mysterio was himself not really pleased with being unmasked in WCW but stuck with the promotion through its dying days. But his unconvincing heel run without his mask showed WWE why they shouldn't utilize him like that and convinced them to create the ultimate underdog in Rey Mysterio.