The luchador masks are an important tradition for wrestlers following the Lucha Libre style of wrestling. They never take off their masks no matter what during their matches and also have a strict governing body making sure the newer generation of wrestlers are adhering to the tradition.
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WWE Hall of Famer and former World Champion Rey Mysterio is also a part of that legendary lineage, as his iconic mask has a separate fanbase. His mask has always been a focal point of his career, and we have witnessed many wrestlers try to take it off Mysterio's face as a sign of disrespect in many WWE storylines. However, Mysterio himself spent a brief amount of time wrestling without a mask during his time in WCW, and with that said, let's take a look at eight things you might've forgotten about Mysterio's time as an unmasked wrestler in WCW.
8 Rey Mysterio Wasn't A Fan Of The Decision
Like his predecessors and many from his generation of Lucha Libre wrestlers, Rey Mysterio also had a great deal of respect for his mask and never took it off during his early days competing for WCW. However, the company got a weird idea in 1998 and wanted him to perform without a mask on television. Mysterio, who wanted to follow the tradition, was not a fan of the decision at first but had to go ahead due to pressure.
Mysterio and Konnan competed in a Hair Vs. Mask match against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at WCW SuperBrawl 9 in February 1998, in which he ended up on the losing side and got forced to remove his mask on live television.
7 It Started With A Rumor Allegedly Spread By Scott Hall
Talking about the events that led to the unmasking, Rey Mysterio revealed during an interview with Ariel Helwani that it was fellow WCW star Scott Hall the reason behind the company going forward with the entire unmasking storyline.
Mysterio stated that Scott Hall started a rumor about Mysterio being a very pretty guy behind the mask and that he should compete without it. The former WWE Champion believes that this rumor eventually reached the ears of the management, who in turn, came up with the idea of unmasking Rey Mysterio on live television.
6 Mysterio Had To Choose Between The Mask & His Job
As mentioned earlier, Rey Mysterio had some creative differences with WCW over removing his iconic mask, and he tried as hard as he could to persuade the backstage officials to not go ahead with the angle.
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But Mysterio stated that at one point, it became an ultimatum and that he had to choose between the mask and his job. Mysterio eventually chose his job over the mask and went ahead with the unmasking, and competed without it for the first time in his career.
5 He Became A Giant Killer During The Period
Losing the mask was an ultimate sacrifice on the part of Rey Mysterio, and WCW had to make it up to him for the deed by putting him in significant storylines. Following the unmasking, Rey Mysterio went on from being an underdog to reaching the status of Giant Killer as he scored victories against the likes of Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.
Mysterio accepted that role and showed he could hang in there with wrestlers double his size, and that was the beginning of his journey to getting his first WCW World title shot.
4 Received His Only Shot At The WCW World Heavyweight Championship
After establishing himself as The Giant Killer, Rey Mysterio went on to defeat Billy Kidman to capture the WCW Cruiserweight Championship for the fifth time in his career.
He then went on to challenge for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career the following week when he took on Ric Flair for the title. He received the opportunity when WCW held a lottery with nearly everyone's name on the roster. While El Dandy's name was the one to come on the draw, Rey Mysterio got the spot because the former was injured. However, Mysterio couldn't get his hands on the title as he lost the match by disqualification.
3 Became A Double Champion & Part Of Two Factions During The Time
After his failed attempt at winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Rey Mysterio got some redemption by going on to become a double champion when he teamed up with Billy Kidman to defeat Dean Malenko and his partner to capture the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
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He also became part of two factions during his unmasked days when he joined the No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals factions between 1999 and 2001. Mysterio went on to add two more tag team title reigns to his name when he won it with Konnan and Juventud Guerrera.
2 Won The Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles On The Last Episode Of Nitro
Rey Mysterio's time with WCW came to an end in 2001 when the company got acquired by WWE. The acquisition ended the infamous Monday Night Wars and gave WWE the ultimate victory in the intense competition between the two companies that went on for many years.
The final episode of WCW Nitro aired on March 26, 2001, and Rey Mysterio went out in style by adding the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships to his collection. He teamed up with Billy Kidman to defeat Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo to win the titles and end their WCW careers in style.
1 He Had To Get Permission From The Lucha Libre Commission Before Putting The Mask Back On
Following WWE's purchase of WCW in 2001, Rey Mysterio signed with WWE in June 2002 and debuted on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown. When WWE signed him to a contract, the company wanted Mysterio to put his mask back on as they wanted to capitalize on the potential merchandise sales.
However, it wasn't that easy as traditional Lucha Libre guidelines didn't allow wrestlers who removed the masks to put them back on. But Rey Mysterio got permission from the Lucha Libre Commission to once again wear his iconic mask, and he's been wearing it ever since.
