Opinion

Top 5: Unmasked Wrestlers

Published

7 years ago

August 28, 2018

There’s always something going on in the world of wrestling these days. Last weekend, most of us were paying attention to Mexico & AAA’s TripleMania extravaganza. It’s the biggest show in Mexico most years, and this year’s main event pitted El Hijo Del Fantasma, LA Park, Pentagon Jr. & Psycho Clown against each other in a Lucha de Apuestas cage match. The loser would be unmasked, and the last men in the cage were El Hijo del Fantasma.

Many people thought that this would be the year that the legendary LA Park lost his mask. Last year’s TripleMania saw one of the most famous masks die off, so many thought the trend would continue. As it turned out, LA Park’s career hit another boom period in 2018 with exposure through AAA & CMLL that enabled him to get many more bookings across the world. It would be silly for him to lose his mask until the demand dies down.

The mask is a sacred thing south of the border. It represents a wrestler’s character & livelihood. Most of the famous luchadors throughout history have opted to hold on to their masks for the entirety of their careers, for the sake of their legacy. Some have lost theirs for the payday involved, and for the freedom that losing their mask can bring. As legendary as the legacy of the mask is, a wrestler surviving losing it ensures their immortality.

These are the Top 5 Unmasked Wrestlers.

5. Alberto Del Rio

Dos Caras Jr. was a second-generation star in CMLL. Son of Dos Caras & nephew of Mil Mascaras, he could have easily leeched off their fame for years in his home country. Instead, he opted to go to WWE, who decided he would be better off without the mask. They were right. The winking, handsome Alberto Del Rio looked like he would be a big deal for years in the biggest company in the world as their biggest Hispanic star.

It didn’t work out for various reasons. Alberto inherited the ego that many luchadors have, and it didn’t translate well in the United States. He had two stints in WWE, neither which lived up to expectations. He worked AAA, ROH, Impact Wrestling & other places to mixed success. Alberto kept getting in his own way. It’s a shame, as a man with his ability & potential should have been a really big deal wherever he worked.

4. Andrade “Cien” Almas

After ADR’s departure, WWE’s search for a Hispanic star continued. Their next solution rested in a man known in CMLL rings as La Sombra. Sombra was part of a wrestling family, his father was known as Brillante, his uncle was the original Pentagon & his cousin currently works as Espanto Jr. in CMLL. WWE saw something in this kid, and brought him to Florida to learn the NXT/WWE style. This worked out better than when Mistico was brought in as Sin Cara & went to the main roster right away.

Andrade “Cien” Almas slowly worked his way up the NXT roster. Zelina Vega taking his career under her win helped tremendously, as he soon obtained the NXT Championship & made his way to the SmackDown roster. He’s had some success against Rusev & nearly beat WWE Champion AJ Styles. He’s in a great position to become WWE’s next top Hispanic Superstar.

3. Villano III

We all know that there were a multitude of Villanos competing in Mexico during the 1990s & 2000s. III was the most accomplished of the bunch. He was the one wrestling with Pegasus Kid & Blue Blazer when they made their runs south of the border. III was the kingpin light heavyweight in the UWA, holding the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship on seven occasions. He & Perro Aguayo had their run-ins. The man wound up losing his mask to Atlantis on March 17, 2000 at CMLL’s Juico Final, in a match considered by many to be the best match in Mexico during that decade.

He continued his career for years afterwards in multiple promotions, competing in many hair matches and only losing one, to LA Park in 2007. He retired in 2015 & passed away from a cerebral infarction last week at the age of 66. AAA inducted him into their Hall of Fame immediately afterwards. He will be remembered as the most talented of the Villanos, assuming that more don’t reveal themselves.

2. Juventud Guerrera

Eric Bischoff had a hard-on for making the luchadors take their masks off. He didn’t see the value in hooded wrestlers, as faces tell emotion. Juventud was the first WCW luchador to lose his mask, and he did in a match with Chris Jericho at SuperBrawl 1998. We were all prepared to be pissed off about it, but it turned out that Juventud wasn’t a bad looking dude. He ended up getting more over without the mask than he did with it.

Sometimes, Uncle Eric knew what he was doing.

Dishonorable Mention: Kane

WWF/WWE isn’t known for mask matches, or for masked wrestlers in general. The most famous masked wrestler that spent most of their career in WWE has to be the Devil’s Favorite Demon, Kane. He wound up losing his mask in a match with Triple H in 2003, which resulted in him losing his mind and setting Jim Ross on fire, Tombstoning Linda McMahon on the stage, and electrocuting Shane McMahon’s lower nutsack region.

One of the main reasons WWE sucked in 2003 was unmasked Kane. Unmasked Kane has always sucked in comparison to Demon Kane, who still appears with mask & hair from time to time, usually while teaming with Daniel Bryan.

Dishonorable Mention: Rey Mysterio Jr.

We all knew it was a bad idea when it happened. It was Kevin Nash waving his political member around. We knew Rey wouldn’t be the same without his mask, and we were right. I will admit that one of the best matches I’ve ever seen live was an unmasked Rey vs. Billy Kidman at a Nitro in Cincinnati. Other than that night, it’s tough to say that unmasked Rey brought much of value, certainly in comparison to masked Rey. WWE was smart to put the mask back on.

1. Dr. Wagner Jr.

I must provide full disclosure here. Dr. Wagner Jr. is my favorite luchador of all time. Ever since the first time I saw him, I have been a mark for the Good Doctor. To me, he is the epitome of Lucha Libre. When he lost his mask to Psycho Clown at last year’s TripleMania, I was stupefied. I wasn’t sure how he could carry on with his career without his mask. Fortunately, he looked just like Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man In The World, and people still bought into him as a threat. He can still play politics with the best of them, and as the way things stand, a hair vs. mask match with Wagner vs. LA Park will main event next year’s TripleMania. I want Greg DeMarco or somebody else I work for to pay my way there.

That’s my main goal for the next 12 months, for somebody to pay for me to go to TripleMania. More realistic than WrestleMania, right?

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1