The best Luchas de Apuestas (WWE/WCW only)

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read
Triple H vs. Kane, Title vs. Mask, Monday Night Raw.

not a typical choice, i know, as there have been a number of masks, titles and hairs on the line in both promotions. but this one got me.

Kane was on a monster push, challenging for titles and winning, just returning from an absence, etc. he was a mega face while teaming with RVD and Hurricane during this time.

prior to this, Kane's only WHC came for one night at King of the Ring and was gone the next. so i thought that he was long overdue for another WHC title and it would've been huge to have him go over Triple H for the title on Raw, kinda like Foley going over Rock on Raw. it doesn't happen often and so when it does, it's huge.

plus, not being a total dork, but i KNEW that Kane wasn't really scarred and burned from his kayfabe storyline. so how could he unmask? it'd make the WWE look really lame for unmasking a burned monster. but then came the "emotional scarring, not physical scarring" explanation, which was lame. even lamer. Kane unmasked. i just couldn't believe they'd unmask the monster.

to be fair, i thought Kane was amazing immediately thereafter and only got stale a bit later on. his entrance with the black tights and red barb wire was pretty cool, the black towel over his head as he made his way to the ring (hi Tazz!) and his initial feuds with RVD, Hurricane and Shane McMahon were sadistic. i loved it!

but still, it shocked me at the time.

honorable mentions goes to all the Luchadores that unmasked in WCW. interesting how Rey entered WWE with his mask back on and that Psichosis stayed unmasked. still, these were big surprises because of how meaningful those masks are in their culture.

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