Cageside Fave Five: Who is that masked man?!

Although not technically a mask, The Great Muta's face paint pretty much made me a fan of all things mysterious in wrestling. As much as I dislike lucha libre, I like its masks just as much.

Luckily, I can enjoy the masks without having to watch the match and a ton of Japanese wrestlers wear masks too.

My collection of masks is probably around 10 right now and will only continue to grow. I need to find Al Snow's number so I can get some of those plastic heads so I can properly display them in my home.

Honorable mentions go to Ultimo Dragon, Hayabusa, Mankind, Super Dragon and Mr. America (just kidding).

Without further adieu...

5. Histeria

I've actually never seen seen this guy wrestle. But every Halloween, Hot Topic sells a handful of luchador masks and I ended up buying this one back in the day. Look at that and tell me you wouldn't be scared witless seeing this guy coming flying off the top rope towards you!

4. La Parka

The Chairman of the Board! Who doesn't love La Parka? Apparently AAA head honcho Antonio Peña who forced the lucha libre star to start wrestling under L.A. Park due to copyright reasons.

That aside, I'm a sucker for skulls. If someone asked me who my favorite punk band was, I'd instinctively say, "The Misfits" before taking it back to reconsider and then saying The Misfits anyway.

I guess another cool part is the dichotomy of the character. The mask looks evil and haunting and spooky but the wrestler is goofy and weird and dances! The La Parka strut, baby!

3. Vader

It's time ... it's TIME ... it's VADER TIME! Maybe it's because I'm such a huge mark for Big Van Vader -- what does that name even mean? Does Vader own a Dodge Sprinter or something? -- but there's a fantastic simplicity to the mask. Part S&M bondage mask, part jock strap, all awesome.

I don't think anyone besides Vader could have made it work. The big, burly brute could have come out in a tutu and I still would have been terrified of him. More so then, probably now that I think about it.

2. Jushin Liger

Demon horns, fangs and a little star? Sign me up!

Liger is a puroresu legend, that much is certain. But his mask sets him apart from everyone else. My favorite part is the shear eyeholes, probably making it a pain in the ass to wrestle in.

But he's been doing it for nearly 30 years! Bully for him!

1. Psicosis

Let's be honest with ourselves: it couldn't have ended any other way.

Simply put, Psicosis' mask is the dopest in all of wrestling. Combined with his crazy head of hair -- it looked like an out of control mop -- and his full bodysuit and you've got the single most awesome image in all of lucha libre. It's a lot like Liger actually but Psicosis is my peeps so he gets the nod.

Shame on the WCW for making him lose the mask. Along with Rey Mysterio too. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of Rey's mask but who saw his face and thought, "Yeah, that'll sell tickets. A 12-year old wrestler."

Alright, I admit, I'd buy a ticket to that.

See you next week with ... face paint? What do you think, Cagesiders?

All photos courtesy of High Spots