Benoit kept performing as the masked wrestler "Wild Pegasus" after losing his mask against Jushin Thunder Liger in 1991. Unmasked by La Parka in 1998, he is most known in the United States and Japan as a deaf masked wrestler. Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde, and subsequently Jorge Arias, played the role.
The character was created by professional wrestler Paul Boeshane who was deaf from birth. He wore a dark mask with light stripes on it to show off his ears which were pierced with three rings each. Before every match Benoit would lift up his mask to show the audience his true hearing status (deaf).
He started out in Puerto Rico where he became very popular with both the deaf community and the mainstream media. In 1992 he moved to Florida where he continued to perform while studying American Sign Language at a nearby college. It wasn't long before he decided to take his career to the next level and start working for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE).
In April 1998, Benoit traveled to Japan where he participated in the first International Wrestling Grand Prix tournament. The winner was to become the new champion of the vacant PWF (now NWA Pacific) World Heavyweight Championship but this match never took place because Benoit lost when Wild Pegasus' mask was removed by La Parka.
Masks were first employed by professional wrestlers in 1915, and they are still commonly used today, particularly in Lucha Libre in Mexico. Theobaud Bauer introduced the mask during the 1865 World's Fair in Paris, France, wrestling as "The Masked Wrestler." He sold hundreds of copies of hand-drawn posters advertising his acts, many featuring his masked wrestler.
Bauer also invented a new style of wrestling called "mask wrestling" that is very different from what we know today as wrestling. In this style, only the head and shoulders of the participants were allowed to touch the mat at any time. Matches were usually three rounds with each round being two minutes long. There were no rules regarding what could or couldn't be done with the mask other than it had to be removed for legal blows to the face. Many wrestlers took their masks off of their faces during matches to show respect for their opponents.
In 1915, Gory Guerrero created a new type of mask for one of his sons who was about to compete in an upcoming match. The son didn't have enough money to buy his own mask, so his father made him one out of cardboard covered in leather. This new type of mask was much more flexible and could be used by more wrestlers. From then on, masks became a common thing in pro wrestling.
Masks for lucha libre The notorious lucha libre masks are said to have originated in 1933, when a wrestler named El Ciclon McKey commissioned Don Antonio Martinez to create a mask for a forthcoming battle. According to some sources, the design was based on a photograph of Ciclone, the Italian mascot of cyclamates. However, according to others, the design was simply created by Martinez as a means of earning money. Whatever the case may be, the mask became very popular with the wrestling audience and has been used by many wrestlers ever since.
Today, most lucha libre wrestlers wear a mask during matches, with some exceptions such as La Parka and El Hijo del Los Angeles. These two wrestlers have gone so far as to say they will never wear a mask again after seeing what terrible injuries they can cause by hitting their heads against the ring ropes. Others such as Máscara Sagrada, El Felino, and Villano V have also refused to put on a mask despite being famous for them.
Regardless of whether they want to admit it or not, all professional wrestling performers need masks to protect themselves during battles. A well-known wrestler without a mask is like a boxer with no headgear - it's just not done.
Rey Mysterio is widely regarded as the greatest renowned masked wrestler of all time. Although Lucha Libre has been active for several decades, Mysterio emerged as the primary representative of such wrestlers in the twenty-first century. Mysterio joined WWE in 2002, just as the internet was taking off. Because of this, many believe that was when the world discovered him and his style became popular.
Mysterio's popularity only increased after his WWE debut, with many believing he was hired by WWE to boost their television ratings. He went on to win multiple championships across different brands, making him one of the most successful wrestlers of all time.
Mysterio is also credited with creating a new type of match called a "six man tag team match". These matches include two teams of three, with each member of one team wearing a mask. The objective is for each member of one team to remove their mask without being detected by the other team. If a member of one team is caught by their opponent, then they will lose immediately. This type of match has become common in recent years.
Mysterio has successfully maintained his reputation as one of the best masked wrestlers of all time despite not having used his mask in combat since 2006.
He recently announced that he would be returning to WWE next year, and has already started training again.
If a wrestler gets unmasked during a match, their first concern is to cover up their face, which they normally do with the assistance of those at ringside. Most masked wrestlers wear their masks for all public appearances, employing the mask to keep their personal and professional lives distinct. Some use the mask to hide injuries or make themselves look more intimidating.
Some wrestlers choose to wear a mask because it makes them look more attractive or heroic. For example, Batman and Robin often wore masks when they were detective heroes in comics. Today, many wrestlers wear masks to make themselves appear more intimidating or sinister. Horror movie actor Jason Voorhees is a popular figure in wrestling who always wears a skull mask.
Some wrestlers wear masks to conceal their identity. For example, Undertaker was already famous before he started wearing a mask so there was no need for him to hide his face. However, when he made his debut in 1985, he immediately became one of wrestling's most popular stars so he kept his face hidden until 1999, when he took off his mask at WrestleMania XV.
Some wrestlers wear masks to comply with company policies. For example, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) requires its employees to wear masks if they have not previously removed them. Those who refuse to put on the mask will be punished by being fired.
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