Rey Mysterio Names WWE Hall Of Famer Who Floated His Name For WCW Unmasking
Just like any personal documentation that identifies who we are to others, a luchador's mask carries more than just personal meaning. It establishes an identity no one else can replicate nor take away from that performer. When that mask is taking off, the identity is lost; you become vulnerable to the world. On February 21, 1999, at WCW's SuperBrawl IX, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio had to bare his soul to world after losing a tag team contest against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, with the stipulation that he had to remove his mask. With this idea floating around for some time, Mysterio was frightful of what the consequences could be not just to his career, but the repercussions of breaking a traditional cultural practice. In an interview with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson, Mysterio revealed who was behind the cheap thrill at his expense.
"In WCW at the time, a lot of the luchadores were losing their masks," Mysterio noted on "No-Contest Wrestling." "There were a couple guys that they wanted to take the masks off, but they didn't agree to it. And then my name started to float around... Scott Hall, I guess he told Eric [Bischoff]... he said, 'Rey, why you wearing a mask, man? You're a pretty mother...' So, I guess that eventually got to Eric. Eric Bischoff didn't really understand the significance of the mask."
As Mysterio described, a luchador's mask gives any wrestler the ability to lead a double life: You are either a recognizable hero or villain that people admire or despise in the ring, but when you're away from the ring, you go incognito, with no one ever knowing your true identity. Luckily for him, the high-flyer returned to his roots by reclaiming his lucha masks, although he had to ask a special wrestling council to plead with him on wearing his mask again during his first run in WWE, when the promotion held shows in Mexico. They eventually agreed.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "No-Contest Wrestling" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.