10 Forgotten WWE Masked Men

WWE has always been just as much about theater as it is a series of athletic contests. If fans aren't engrossed in the storyline and logic of a match then it's doomed to fail. A mask is a great way to create a mystique and a unique aura around a performer and act as an effective shortcut for fans to be drawn into a character. Masks have also allowed existing workers to be reinvented and carve out a whole new legacy for themselves.

In WWE we've seen some amazing masked wrestlers with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Kane, Mankind and Vader all having a huge impact on the industry as a whole. Be they a luchador steeped in history and tradition or a more modern take that mirrors a movie villain, masks can make an even the most ordinary worker seem like an exotic attraction.

Masked wrestlers are few and far between in WWE today with only the former Lucha Dragons coming in and receiving a significant push. The resurgence of the Cruiserweight division has given us the likes of Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado but it is up to the WWE to make fans care about these competitors since, as proven by Rey Mysterio, popular masked wrestlers can be huge merchandise shifters and fan favourites.

In this list we look at 10 masked wrestlers from WWE’s past that never reached those heights and either failed from a poor concept or lack of fan interest. This is not a slight on the men behind the masks but an analysis on the characters that they portrayed.

Lace up your hoods and let's dive in.

Before the days of Too Cool and his attempted murder of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rikishi portrayed a mysterious Sultan for a short time in the late 90s. Looking like a velveteen version of The Shredder, The Sultan was managed by WWE Hall of Famers Bob Backlund and The Iron Sheik.

The Sheik honed the Sultan's in-ring skills whilst Backlund acted as his mouth piece, due to his supposed inability to speak for himself. We were told in a gruesome addition to the Sultan's backstory that he had had his tongue removed. This thread was only strengthened by the aggressive grunts he would emit during matches.

His Hannibal Lecter-esc mask left only the wild eyes of the Samaon wrestler visible and he did a good job with the task he was given but the character never got over with fans and simply didn't fit in with the direction the WWE found themselves going at the time.

The Sultan did manage to get a Wrestlemania moment, challenging The Rock for his Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania 13 in a losing effort. Despite the considerable clout of having two former World Champions to represent him on television, The Sultan was canned in January 1998 and the man behind the masked wouldn't be seen again until late the following year where he was repackaged into the more recognizable, bleach blonde Rikishi.