Masked Wrestlers You Forgot About

 In today's wrestling other than Luchasaurus or a Black Taurus masked wrestlers are typically confined to Lucha Libre wrestlers or Lucha inspired wrestlers. Often the gimmick is just that, they wear a mask.

In previous eras of wrestling, masked wrestlers were more common. Often of different sizes and weight classes, at times used to hide wrestlers true identities. Other times to give wrestlers something new to try. 

In the spirit of spooky season, I'm covering masked characters and who played them. Here are 10 masked wrestlers you forgot all about.

10. Avatar

It's 1995, the kids are loving everything Power Rangers. Teenagers and young adults can't get enough of Mortal Kombat. And Vince Mcmahon and the WWF wanted a piece of that pie too.

Thus Avatar was born with Al Snow pegged to portray him. Matching the superhero trope of a mask giving powers. Snow would come to the ring unmasked, put his mask on for the match (guess it granted him powers). And take it off afterwards.

A bit too much, didnt make a ton of sense, and didn't last long.

9. Archnaman

Another early 90's WCW fail, take a talented but stoic personality in Brad Armstrong. Slap a mask on him and tailor him after Spiderman. Just switch it up a bit, so we don't get sued.

And that was Archnaman in a nutshell. The character didn't last long and Armstrong while a talented and sound wrestler. Stayed stuck as a jobber during his time in WCW.

8. Shinobi

Poor Al Snow, before he was found success with his schizophrenic gimmick he was saddled with just about anything. Honestly it's a testament to his in ring skills. That the WWF kept trying to make something work with him.

He was introduced in early 1996 as Shinobi,  ninja assassin hired by Jim Cornette to take out Shawn Michaels. Blink and you missed this act.

7. Mr. JL

Leave it to WCW to take an extremely talented wrestler in Jerry Lynn. Slap a mask on him, while trying to build up the cruiserweight division. And present to you Mr. JllL, not very incognito with who was under the mask.

But at the same time he didn't need the mask, as he showed in ECW when he was lighting up the ring every night.

6. The Freak

In 2014 TNA debuted a new faction, with a circus act theme. The group was called The  Menagerie with all members having carnival freak gimmicks. One member was dubbed The Freak and was a physical specimen. I guess he was considered the muscle of the group, but the group didnt need a enfrocer since no one took them serious.

In 2015 The Menagerie disbanded quietly. And Rob Terry who was under the mask left TNA.

5. Aldo Montoya 

Aldo Montoya could have been Avatars first cousin honestly. Their attire was nearly the same. Aldo debuted in 1994, portrayed by Justin Credible. He was dubbed the "Portuguese man O'War". Inspired by the world cup, the WWF didn't have much for him past his introduction.

Things worked out for the better, since the gimmick collapsed and we got Justin Credible complete with a kendo stick.

4. Kwang

In 1993, a mysterious masked man presumably from the far east appeared in the WWF. Complete with a martial arts moveset and the occasional displaying of mist, to overcome an opponent. He was known as the fearsome Kwang.

Kwang was played by Savio Vega under the hood.

3. Agulia

In late 1997 the WWF was trying to build their light Heavyweight division from the ground up. As it looked like an area WCW and to an extent ECW had a leg up on them with. They selected a handful of wrestlers to build around, with one being a masked luchador known as Aguila.

He was quick, performed some amazing aerial moves, and produced some exciting matches against Taka Michonuku. Vince Mcmahon just wasnt interested in the division or masked luchadors and he was later repackaged as Papi Chulo and later Essa Rios.

2. Sultan

One thing the WWF loved under Vince Mcmahon was foreign heels. In 1996 they introduced another one from the middle east. The Sultan, a masked man who never spoke. Instead he was managed by the Iron Sheik and Bob Backlund, with his most notable match being against Rocky Maivia at Wrestlemania 13.

He was out the door before the attitude era kicked off. However, he returned as the stink face giving, dancing wrestler known as Rikishi.

1. Max Moon

In the early 1990's a "man of the future", a cyborg joined the WWF. Complete with an elaborate entrance and pre match gear to match the futuristic ecstatic. He looked like a live action cartoon and fans didn't catch on.  The OG masked man, the one and only Konnan eventually walked away from the WWF. 

Paul Diamond was then reassigned the gimmick, and it still landed as a thud. Going down in history as a highly backed, yet failed gimmick.