Damien Demento
50
Hailing from "The Outer Reaches Of Your Mind," Demento was known for his unique, nightmarish look - clad in black barbarian garb and with a pointy black beard, Demento could easily intimidate his opponents. The fact that he talked to voices in his head added to the overall scary persona.
Originally comprised of Moondogs Rex and King (and eventually adding Spot and others to the group), The Moondogs looked prehistoric, with shaggy blond beards, cut-off jeans and always brandishing huge soupbones as weapons. The team reinforced their fearsome look by having wild brawls with opponents.
49
The Moondogs
No, not the version who has appeared on independent cards and took on Dink as a lovable sidekick, but the original Doink was inspired by Stephen King's Pennywise character and was as scary as anything on television. Behind the greasepaint, Matt Borne created one of the most nuanced heels in wrestling.
Wanna hear something really scary?
Professional wrestling has always had its share of larger-than-life monsters, freaks and horrors that terrorized your favorites (or perhaps you root for the monsters?). They bite, they claw, they wear masks, fright wigs and makeup and generally, these aren't the type of people you'd want to meet in a dark alley.
In compiling this Top 50 list, we looked at some of the most offbeat, unusual and yes, scary wrestlers (particularly over the past three decades or so I've been a wrestling fan so that I can largely speak from experience). The more the wrestler looks like they'd be as much at home trick or treating as they would be inside of a Stephen King novel, the higher they rank on this list.
Ready? Here we go!
Any names missing or misplaced? Leave your feedback in the Comments section below...
How could we NOT include someone with that name in this list? Hallowe'en was a favorite in Mexico, with frightening orange and black makeup adorning his face. Later, when he wrestled in Mexico as Ciclope, he wore a mask with one eye in the center of it, which is only slightly-less creepy.
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While Raven doesn't fit the traditional look of a Hallowe'en horror - a grunge rocker, possibly - he more than made up for it with his brutality and the mind games he played on opponents. Raven was just as well known for finding ways to mentally manipulate as his rivals as he was for his actual wrestling style.
Raven
48
Ohhhhh yessssssss! While not as ghoulish as many of his charges, Paul Bearer had an eerie aura about him. Between the ghost-white face makeup, plastered-on air, funeral director suit and high-pitched voice, you always felt that Bearer would be at home hosting his own late-night horror movie show.
One of Dustin Runnels' creepiest personas over the years, Black Reigns was the dark opposite of Goldust. Clad in black spandex with black and silver facepaint and clutching his pet rat, Black Reign frightened fans and opponents alike during his run in TNA.
Black Reign
46
While Jim Mitchell was never a wrestler, he was nonetheless one of the scariest individuals in ECW for a time. Between his red suits, long fingernails and Satan-esque goatee, The Sinister Minister was as much an agent of the devil as anyone else you'd ever seen in movies or on television.
The Sinister Minister
45
Claiming to be a mysterious figure from Sting's past, The Black Scorpion terrorized The Stinger for the second half of 1990 by stalking him and playing mind games. His distorted creepy voice (really Ole Anderson's) added even more horror to the package and made Sting question his friends.
The Black Scorpion
44
So dedicated to his vampire look that he shaved two of his teeth to look like fangs, Gangrel and his Brood were early staples of the Attitude Era, rising up to the stage through a ring of fire, spitting out blood and covering opponents in his dreaded "bloodbath".
Gangrel
43
What's more terrifying that a man of the cloth? Mordecai was a quasi-religious character with a white robe, white hair, goatee and eyebrows who carried a thorny staff to the ring and threatened to use it on his opponents. If only he'd stayed around longer, it may have been one of the more horrific characters.
Mordecai
42
With all due respect to his recent passing, Baker looked like a cross between an evil biker and devil worshipper, with his bald head, Satanic eyebrows and long, flowing fu manchu. Baker even wore a T-shirt that said "You will hate me", driving the point home of how fans should feel about him.
Ox Baker
41
Hallowe'en
40
Top 50 Lists
Dubbed "monsters of the midway" during their WWF run, The Warlord and The Barbarian were post-apocalyptic, muscular giants with frightening facepaint and partially shaved heads to intimidate opponents. Adding the diabolical Mr. Fuji to the corner only added to their "scary" factor.
The Powers
of Pain
39
Dreamed up in the late-1990's through a partnership between WCW and KISS, The KISS Demon dressed like (pre-plastic surgery) Gene Simmons, with the famous Demon facepaint, blood spewing from his mouth and platform boots. In fact, KISS with facepaint would have been an intimidating wrestling faction.
38
The KISS Demon
The originator of hardcore wrestling, The Original Sheik was a staple on the East Coast, decked out in Syrian headgear with a scarred forehead and eyes that bulged out of his head. He made his name by drawing blood from opponents through fireballs, pencils and a variety of other foreign objects.
The Sheik
37
Debuting on WWE's main roster last year, Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper have all the charm of being cult members. They use symbolism from classic horror films in their vignettes, promos and in-ring action to frighten anyone who dares cross their path.
The Wyatt Family
36
Half-man and half-bull, Mantaur could have been quite an intimidating figure if he wasn't presented to fans as all-joke. Between his minotaur costume and facepaint and penchant for trampling and charging his opponents, Mantaur could have caused some serious damage, and that's no bull.
Mantaur
35
Doink The Clown
34
In the early 1990's, Nailz was presented as a prisoner that was about to get his release and get revenge after years of alleged punishment from ex-prison guard The Big Boss Man. Decked out in an orange prison jumpsuit, with a scary face and distorted voice, Nailz could have been the lead heel in a slasher flick.
Nailz
33
The Berzerker was another WWF character that went the comedy route far too soon. Decked out in traditional viking gear and a clutching a sword that was once used to nearly impale The Undertaker, The Berzerker could have been a brutal heel character.
The Berzerker
32
Jason The Terrible
31
Canadian ring veteran Karl Moffatt decided he needed to do something to shake up his character in the 1980's and became Jason The Terrible. With a hockey mask, white jumpsuit and wielding a chainsaw a la Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees, Jason was a horror character come alive in Stampede Wrestling.
No, not the version of Sting with spiky blond hair and All-American makeup. We're talking about the version based on The Crow that debuted in the mid-1990's to combat the nWo. Between his jet black hair, trenchcoat and black and white makeup, this version of The Many They Call Sting had an eerie attitude.
Sting
30
Clad in Mortal Kombat-esque ring gear, Mortis and Wrath were brought into WCW in the late-1990's to combat newcomer Glacier. While they didn't amount to match in those characters, Mortis and Wrath always looked quite imposing.
Mortis and Wrath
29
When Fabulous Freebird Terry Gordy debuted in the WWF in the late 1990's, it was as a hooded hangman, complete with black robe and an oversized axe. While he didn't last long, The Executioner was aligned with Paul Bearer and Mankind in their plot to overthrow The Undertaker.
The Executioner
28
Another executioner gimmick, this one in WCW. Black Blood (Billy Jack Haynes quite literally underneath a hood) was managed by Kevin Sullivan. During his brief run, Black Blood had a noose around some of the company's fan favorites.
Black Blood
27
Known alternatively as 7even and Se7en depending on who's telling the story, Dustin Runnels was preparing to debut as a creepy Dark City-esque character upon returning to WCW in the late-1990's. However, the gimmick was killed by Turner Broadcasting before he had the chance to wrestle.
26
Seven
Anyone who hangs around with pythons and cobras is cold-blooded enough to earn a spot on this list. What Jake "The Snake" Roberts lacked in an intimidating look was negated by his likelihood to drape said pythons all over his unconscious opponent after a match, as was his evil smirk and attitude.
25
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Even for wrestling, The Missing Link's character was an anamoly. He painted his face green and black and only had patches of hair. But beyond his head, he looked like a typical wrestler down to the black boots and trunks. Link appeared lost at all-times, like some sort of cro-magnon man.
24
The Missing Link
"The Taskmaster" started his wrestling career off as a blond-haired, bodybuilder type but somewhere along the way, his entire look changed as he began worshipping the devil. For the next quarter-decade or so, Kevin Sullivan recruited a variety of wrestlers and factions to help do his evil bidding.
23
Kevin Sullivan
Less a vampire and more a goth-rocker-cum-juggalo, Vampiro terrorized rings in Mexico before joining WCW towards the end of its run. Sporting dreadlocks, tons of tattoos and pancake-white zombie makeup, Vampiro was very much the "freak" that WCW announcers liked to refer to him as.
22
Vampiro
Speaking of Kevin Sullivan (#23), one of his most monstrous creations was The Dungeon of Doom, a faction that included The Yeti, The Shark, Kamala, The Zodiac, Meng and half-a-dozen others. Even if you knew nothing else about the ghoulish group, their names along are enough to be Hallowe'en characters.
21
The Dungeon of Doom
To be fair, her name in 1989 was actual Sensational Sherri, but thanks to Brutus Beefcake, the Scary Sherri nickname stuck for former WWF and AWA Women's Champion Sherri Martel. Her penchant for painting her face and cackling like a witch didn't help her try to scrap the Scary moniker.
20
Scary Sherri
Ax and Smash may have been labeled as Road Warrior ripoffs early in their career, but they turned to be almost as intimidating as their predecessors. Demolition came into the ring not only with silver, white and red face paint, but also black studded vests and matching hoods, making a scary impression.
19
Demolition
Although only briefly in TNA and tasked with the sole objective of taking out Abyss, Mesias was a demon type managed by Jim Mitchell. In addition to wearing black studded outfits to the ring, Judas had contact lens that made it look as though his eyes didn't have pupils.
18
Judas Mesias
Even though Sabu never claimed to be a monster, he still had the look of one. Not only did the ECW icon have scar tissue covering his body and other scars covered up by masking tape and crazy glue, but his penchant for breaking tables and getting caught in barbed wire made you think he was was barely human.
17
Sabu
Much like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre character he emulated, Leatherface had a mask made of human skin (or at least it looked like one), ratty clothes and a maniacal personality. While in Japan's FMW, he largely grunted and screamed before matches. Fun fact: Leatherface was originally played by Cpl. Kirchner!
16
Leatherface
While he was certainly intimidating at nearly 500 pounds as the Men on a Mission star Mabel, a transformation in 1999 made him downright frightening. Sporting a closely-cropped blond mohawk, freaky-looking contact lenses and black-studded ringwear, Viscera served his master The Undertaker quite well.
15
Viscera
Again, this is another situation where the character had size but only became a monster once he changed gimmicks. As El Gigante in WCW, he wasn't taken seriously as a contender, but when he arrived in the WWF in 1993, Giant Gonzales had a furry sasquatch look to him that better suited his 7"7 frame.
14
Giant Gonzales
Speaking of giants, no one wrestler ever legitimately scared opponents like The Eighth Wonder of the World. At 7"4 and 525 pounds, Andre was the complete package of what a giant should look like. And once he turned heel in 1987, the entire look was made even more frightening because he no longer smiled.
13
Andre The Giant
What - time - is - it? It was Vader's time to shine in the 1990's as he crushed his opponents with 450 pounds of mass, routinely tried to maim his rivals and wore an elephant-like headdress to the ring that seemingly spat out steam on command. Vader was one of WCW's most dominant champions and monsters.
12
Big Van Vader
Kharma is another character that didn't last long in WWE, but had she stuck around longer could have done some real damage to the Divas division. Large, destructive and the female Vader in many ways, Kharma had several competitors literally running away from her in fear.
11
Kharma
In the earliest part of his career, fans believed that Kamala (then known as Kimala) was a legitimate Ugandan cannibal that was trying to devour opponents such as Jerry Lawler and Andre The Giant whole. He was also one of the only wrestlers so terrifying that he needed a manager and handler to control him.
10
Kamala
While The Powers of Pain (#39) and Demolition (#19) were built to intimidate opponents, Hawk and Animal were the original Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic warriors. When they debuted in the early 1980's, absolutely no one looked competitive next them - a feat that few others have been able to replicate.
9
The Road Warriors
Mick Foley's Mankind character borrowed quite a bit from Hannibal Lecter when he debuted in the WWF in 1996. He was cerebral and could speak intelligently and had an intimate knowledge of the human body, but Mankind also needed to be hidden behind a mask for everyone's safety.
8
Mankind
He's The Boogeyman.... and he's coming to getcha! What could be possibly scarier than a character that eminates from people's nightmares? While The Boogeyman's character eventually went to the comedy route, his penchant for eating worms and smashing clocks over his head is still extremely scary.
7
The Boogeyman
Brock Lesnar is called The Beast Incarnate for a reason. He has accomplished in the 21st century what The Road Warriors did in the 1980's. Larger than most of his foes, with a menacing size and physique when compared to almost all of his rivals, Lesnar is not the type you'd like to meet in a dark alley.
6
Brock Lesnar
Years before horror characters were played for laughs in wrestling, Papa Shango had the look of a voodoo priest, wearing white skeleton facepaint, a top hat, skull jewelery and black fingernails. His powers of voodoo set some opponents on fire and made others, like The Ultimate Warrior, vomit on command.
5
Papa Shango
While the comparisons to Kane are justified, Abyss is called The Monster because he's acted like one throughout his wrestling career. Between his Mankind-esque face mask, barbed-wire board and trusty bag of thumbtacks, Abyss has been the de facto Hallowe'en Horror throughout TNA history.
4
Abyss
During an incredible 17-year run in WWE, Kane has been everything from a Frankenstein-esque villian willing to do his father Paul Bearer's bidding to a ruthless psychopath who sets opponents on fire and chokeslams them to hell. Jason Voorhees only wishes he could become a Kane caliber of monster.
3
Kane
Talk about your Hallowe'en Horrors.... Abdullah The Butcher has been carving up his opponents for nearly five decades. His own head looks like a roadmap because of the deep scar tissue that his formed on his bald skull, and he truly is only at home when both and his opponents are bleeding like stuck pigs.
2
Abdullah The Butcher
Where else could The Dead Man be on this list but number one? He's become wrestling's Grim Reaper in many respects, resurrecting his soul on many different ocassions and still putting fear in the hearts of his opponents for nearly 25 years. From his supernatural powers to his fondness for locking opponents in caskets, The Undertaker is truly the terror you don't want to face, dead or alive.
1
The Undertaker
Paul Bearer
47
