WWE Set To Release Action Figure Of An Unmasked Rey Mysterio

Highlights

• Rey Mysterio's iconic mask has remained a constant throughout his wrestling career, even outside the ring, protecting his true identity.
• Surprisingly, WWE has allowed the release of an unmasked Rey Mysterio action figure from his WCW days, a first for the company.
• Mysterio's decision to continue wearing the mask in WWE has allowed him to stand out and maintain an aura of mystery, contributing to his longevity in the industry.

Rey Mysterio has wrestled for just about every major organization during his Hall of Fame career, but during that time one thing about him has never changed except for one point of his career: the mask he is known for stays on. Even if he's out in public, Mysterio wears the mask to protect his true identity.

WWE has protected Rey's image. There have been moments where the mask has come off during angles, but he has always been quick to cover his face. Because of this, it comes as a surprise that Mattel, who makes action figures for WWE, is releasing among its new collection, a figure of Rey Mysterio unmasked from his WCW days. While a figure of an unmasked Mysterio put out by WCW decades ago does exist, this is the first time WWE has allowed this.

At the San Diego Comic-Con, Ringside Collectibles showed off the new action figure line, with stars from today and the past. Among them was a prototype for an unmasked Rey Mysterio during the latter years of his WCW career.

RELATED: 8 Things You Forgot About Rey Mysterio's Time Without A Mask In WCW

Rey Mysterio Thought He Would Be Wrestling In WWE Without His Mask

Of course, there was a time long ago when Mysterio wrestled without his mask. During his time in WCW, the mask came off at SuperBrawl 9 in February 1999, when he was forced to remove it after losing a hair vs mask match consisting of Mysterio and Konnan vs The Outsiders. Instead of hindering his career, maskless Rey Mysterio's popularity only grew as a member of The Filthy Animals.

Mysterio kept the mask off for the rest of his WCW career. When the company was bought by WWE in 2001, Mysterio waited until the next year to sign with his current home. When he did, he assumed he would compete in WWE without his mask. Luchador tradition says that if you remove your mask during your career, you must never put it back on. However, when he signed with WWE, they wanted him to wear the mask, so Mysterio had to go to the official Lucha Libre commission and get their permission to wear his mask again.

That choice turned out to be the correct one, as it has allowed Rey Mysterio to stand out, with there being so few masked wrestlers left in major American promotions, while also keeping an aura of mystery around his character. At the age of 48, Rey Mysterio is still going strong, and the mask is a big part of that.