10 Masked Wrestling Gimmicks That Changed Ownership

Del Wilkes had a stellar career in the AWA, AJPW and WCW before being recruited to join the hodgepodge collection of emblematic Yankees feuding with the Hart Foundation in 1997.

Immediately inserted into a feud with WWF champion Bret Hart, the Patriot's WWF run would come to a quick halt after a tricep injury ended his career four months later.

So imagine Del Wilkes' surprise when, now working as car salesman, the Patriot started popping up at independent shows in the North East in the 2000s.

Sporting an identical mask and stars and stripe attire, the impostor Patriot was even allegedly claiming to be Wilkes when asked.

In one of wrestling's most carny moves, the faux Patriot was actually a former WWF wrestler himself Tom Brandi.

With his Salvatore Sincere 8x10s proving harder to shift than a package holiday STD, Brandi had donned the eagle mask - and forgot to tell Wilkes.

Upon finding out the news of the gimmick infringement, Wilkes condemned Brand's less than sincere identity theft, denying, as some had suggested, that he had never flogged the gimmick to him.

Brandi, however, was unstirred. Claiming there were "at least 12 other Patriots" and innumerable Doinks on the indies, Brandi went on to compete as the Patriot for well over a decade of weekend warrioring.