The 1990s of wrestling saw the industry hit a new low before rising like a phoenix from the ashes and becoming one of the largest and most watched sports of the era. This time frame was littered with intense rivalries and unforgettable matches but also iconic and uniquely creative designs for the wrestler's gear. Masks were an item that started to spread around the world with many names from different promotions donning them to conceal their identity or give them a stand-out look compared to their contemporaries.
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The many different wrestling masks from the 90s showcased some of the scariest wrestlers that ever graced the squared circle but some others that were mocked and ridiculed from day one. Let's look at a few of the best and some of the worst mask designs that came from the 1990s boom of professional wrestling across WWE, WCW, and the rest of the world.
10 Best - La Parka
La Parka, or L.A. Park currently, joined AAA in 1992 and was graced with the new gimmick of La Parka, Spanish for The Reaper. La Parka started working with WCW in the late 90s as a deal for WCW to focus more on their cruiserweight division with fellow names like Juventud Guerrera and Rey Misterio Jr.
The eccentric luchador didn't find much success while working in America but back in Mexico, he held many championships and even started a lineage of different wrestlers donning the character of La Parka. His gear has faced many redesigns since the 90s but always keeps the same idea of being a skeleton with a black and white hood.
9 Worst - Battle Kat
For any fans wondering who Battle Kat even is, he is a wrestler that had a couple of stints with WWE under a few different names including Brady Boone. His 1990 run with the WWE saw him debut as a "cat-like" gymnast wearing a black and purple cat mask.
Boone would wrestle under the mask for a few house shows racking up a streak of victories before being released. The character would be given to fellow wrestler Bob Bradley who used the gimmick for a few months before Battle Kat was erased from the WWE.
8 Best - Tiger Mask
The Tiger Mask character started in New Japan Pro-Wrestling back in the early 80s with Satoru Sayama portraying the character. Sayama would give permission to fellow wrestler Yoshihiro Yamazaki to become his successor as Tiger Mask 4, two other superstars used the gimmick but were not endorsed by Sayama.
The mask is a way to create a cat-like figure and not seem cheesy and lame compared to Battle Kat. Honorable mention goes out to Tiger Mask's evil rival Black Tiger that in the 90s was portrayed by Eddie Guerrero, featuring a similar mask but with a reversed color scheme and the eye of Horus on the head.
7 Worst - Arachnaman
Brad Armstrong was a name in the 90s that many wrestlers will say was underrated and was amazing in the ring. Despite this, his work with WCW never reflected that as he was given many silly gimmicks and never got much of a chance to shine.
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One gimmick he had that was luckily short-lived was that of the Marvel Comics Spider-Man rip-off, Arachnaman. The character wore a suit very similar to the comic hero but with yellow and purple instead of the famous red and blue. Marvel would threaten legal action against WCW resulting in them dropping the character swiftly.
6 Best - Ultimo Dragon
Yoshihiro Asai started his career working with NJPW but wouldn't be given the Ultimo Dragon character until his early 90s work with CMLL. The gimmick started with him being claimed as the final student taught by Bruce Lee, but that was quickly dropped.
Ultimo Dragon would then start a legendary career where he captured championships in promotions including AJPW, NJPW, CMLL, and WCW to name a few. Dragon's mask features a design similar to an actual dragon and has been used in many colors but most famously either blue or black.
5 Worst - Mantaur
As mentioned earlier the WWE really fell into a slump during the early 90s. Also cutting some corners here as Mantaur never wrestled in the mask and only would make his entrance with it, it will still count as it just was insane.
The character of Mantaur was a wrestling Minotaur, an Ancient Greek mythical creature that was half bull and half man. The design of the mask was very literal with that concept and was just a furry head of a bull with very detailed eyes, nose, mouth, and horns.
4 Best - Hayabusa
Eiji Ezaki started his career with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling as a low card jobber mostly before venturing to Mexico and creating the Hayabusa character. Upon his return to FMW, he would become the Ace, or franchise player, of the promotion before his untimely retirement.
His style would influence countless names like Chris Jericho, Will Ospreay, AJ Styles, and Seth Rollins. His mask design features extravagant makeup on the eyes and a beautiful phoenix design accompanied by his colorful pants and entrance robes.
3 Worst - Max Moon
Legendary Mexican wrestler Konnan would help create the Max Moon character, initially named The Comet Kid before he had a falling out with the WWE and Vince McMahon. Due to McMahon's heavy investment in the character, the gimmick was given to someone else that fit the costume.
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Wrestler Paul Diamond would be the unlucky name that got strapped with the gimmick. The costume and mask were meant to be very futuristic and resemble a circuit board with white rings on the arms. The mask looked like a blue dollar store version of Big Van Vader's mask.
2 Best - Kane
Glenn Jacobs had a few failed characters in the WWE including Isaac Yankem, Diesel, and Unabomb. 1997 would see WWE finally create something good for the man as Kane emerged during a Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
The design of his mask and suit had a striking black and red fire aesthetic that immediately made the audience fearful of the gimmick. Much like other names, Kane would receive some different designs over his career, but many fans still have a fondness for the initial look.
1 Worst - The Shockmaster
One of professional wrestling's biggest jokes is that of WCW's usage of Fred Ottman, Tugboat in the WWE. The Shockmaster made his debut as was announced as part of Sting's team for a WarGames match. Ottman would infamously crash through a set wall, accidentally trip, and knock off his helmet during the entrance.
The costume was immediately laughed at as it was a puffy, black vest and a purple-painted Stormtrooper helmet covered in silver glitter. The debut would get the character repackaged quickly as a klutz and also lose the shiny helmet.
