10 Most Iconic Masks In Wrestling History
4. Tiger Mask
Jushin Liger is a legend, but when it comes to Japanese wrestling stars based on anime characters, the book opens with Tiger Mask. Based on the lead character from the manga and anime, both of which came out in the late 1960s and early 1970s, New Japan licensed the character for use in the early '80s.
The reason for Tiger Mask's success is twofold. First, the men under the mask have been legends in their own right. The first, Satoru Sayama, revolutionized wrestling with his high-flying, martial arts-based style. The second, Mitsuharu Misawa, became arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. The third, Koji Kanemoto, was a staple of New Japan's bustling junior heavyweight division in the '90s. The fourth and current Tiger Mask is a legend in his own right, with a legacy not far off from Jushin Liger's
Secondly, there's the mask itself. It's beautiful and ornate, but it's also deceptively simple - it's just a tiger mask, as advertised, with fur and stripes. The construction is enough to make it memorable, growing the legend of Tiger Mask even further.