5 popular WWE superstars who used to wear masks

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has over the years, risen to become one of the most viewed programmes when it comes to sports and entertainment. One key reason for this, is the variety of characters that the WWE offers its fans.

There are always the ‘good’ guys and the ‘bad’ guys, but masked wrestlers have also always had an interesting place in the WWE. Hiding the identity of a wrestler not only piques the interest of the fans, it has also often been often used as a plot progression for the WWE.

It is no coincidence that the fans are mostly endeared to wrestlers who wear masks, as they are eager to know the personalities behind those masks.

While some wrestlers have passed through the WWE without ever revealing their true identities in the ring, others started with masks but subsequently revealed their faces as their careers progressed.

Below, we take a look at 5 WWE superstars who wore masks at some point in their careers:

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#5 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan was a masked wrestler when he was in New Japan Pro Wrestling

Daniel Bryan is famous in the WWE for his skillful moves and manoeuvre. The 38-year-old joined the WWE for his third stint in 2009, having wrestled all over the world.

However, what many people do not know is that Daniel Bryan previously wore a mask to wrestle. The four-time WWE champion was known as ‘The American Dragon’ while he was in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

In Japan, he won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, Heavyweight Championship in Pro Wrestling Noah and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in NJPW – all the while fighting in his mask. Daniel Bryan has definitely changed over the years.

#4 Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn used to wear a mask under the name of El Generico

Sami Zayn has undoubtedly been one of the most exciting wrestlers in the WWE in recent years. Since joining the WWE in 2013, the 35-year-old Canadian has endeared himself to the entire wrestling community.

However, prior to his stint in the WWE, Sami Zayn held a different personality and appearance to the one we currently know. He used to wrestle while wearing a mask and that only changed when he joined the WWE.

The one-time Slammy Award winner made his wrestling debut with the International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) in 2002 under the stage name ‘El Generico’. He went on to become a regular with the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), where he won the PWG World Tag Team Championship five times.

However, between 2002 (when he started his career) and 2013 (when he joined the WWE), Sami Zayn was fighting with a mask on.

#3 Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho used to wrestle in New Japan Pro Wrestling with a mask

Chris Jericho is undoubtedly one of the most popular figures in the WWE at the moment. The American professional wrestler has played varied roles in the WWE, including comic, antagonist and protagonist characters alike.

The 48-year-old first joined the WWE, then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1999 but left in 2005. He returned to the WWE after a two-year hiatus and established himself as one of the most prominent superstars in the industry.

He has won the Intercontinental Championship a record nine times and has also won the World Heavyweight Championship thrice, among other titles, in his illustrious WWE career.

Chris Jericho, though, used to wrestle in New Japan Pro Wrestling under the name ‘Super Liger’. Y2J also used to wear a mask while wrestling in Japan but decided not to cover his face when he joined the WWE.

#2 Kane

Kane also used to wear a mask

Nowadays, Glenn Thomas Jacobs, popularly known as Kane in the WWE, is a man of many titles. He is a professional wrestler, actor, businessman and also a politician. He is currently the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

Kane joined the WWF (now WWE) in 1995. He went on to team up with the Undertaker to form the ‘Brothers of destruction,' a tag team that became famous for its unorthodox approach to wrestling. When he first appeared in the WWE, Kane was nicknamed the Big Red Monster.

The 52-year-old used to cover his face with mask and referred to himself as the devil's favorite demon. He is a 12-time World Tag Team Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion and a three-time World Champion.

Although Kane’s personality seeks to portray a scary character, he is still very much loved and adored by fans of the WWE.

#1 John Cena

John Cena wore a mask at some point in 2010 under the name Juan Cena, on NXT

John Cena has been the face of the WWE since the turn of the Millennium. The 42-year-old is a popular figure around the world due to his additional roles as an actor, rapper, and TV personality. John Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 when he debuted for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW).

He joined the WWF (now WWE) in 2000 and has since risen to become one of the most impactful superstars on the roaster. He was also won multiple titles, including the United States Championship, WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship.

John Cena also wore a mask at some point in his WWE career. In 2010, John Cena was in a feud with The Nexus, a group made up of eight former NXT contestants. He later appeared on one of the shows as a masked man under the name Juan Cena, after being thrust into a new storyline.