Masks represent one of the most interesting and fascinating aspects of women's pro wrestling. Why would a beautiful wrestling girl want to hide her face behind a mask? There is no simple answer to that question unfortunately, so here goes:Female wrestling masks generally originate from Mexico's Lucha Libre Femenil (Spanish for women's pro wrestling, not the promotion with the same name). In Mexico, masks carry quite an intricate and far-reaching significance, dating back to the age of the Aztecs. Most female wrestlers start their careers wearing a mask. The mask is not simply a part of their identity: until they lose it (usually in a bout in which they stake their masks and lose), the mask IS their in-ring identity. The unmasking of a lady wrestler means that the character she used to represent no longer exists. It usually signifies either her retirement or her moving on to a different gimmick. Losing a mask is like the ultimate insult and humiliation to any red-blooded Mexican lady wrestler, and thus when someone puts her mask onto the line in a bout, it truly carries immense weight. Such bouts usually happen between opponents who really hate each other, as a means of settling a prolonged feud.
The unmasking of an opponent can even carry consequences for the wrestler doing the unmasking: sometimes the careers of the girls who unmask their opponents take a dive right after the act. Therefore, putting the masks onto the line in a bout puts huge pressure on both parties involved.

    Now that you know why the stereotypical Mexican (latina) lady wrestler is most often represented with a curvaceous and well endowed body, tight leotard, shiny pantyhose and a mask, the question naturally rears its head: how come some Japanese and US lady wrestlers wear masks too? Do they adhere to the same unwritten codes governing the use of masks for luchadoras? Obviously, most of the time they don't. Some female wrestlers wear masks to simply conceal their identity. If you step into a ring and you do not want anyone to recognize you for whatever reason, wearing a mask is just about the most straightforward solution there is. Besides, masks induce an aura of mystery, making female pro wrestling even more exciting for the viewers and participants alike.

Promotions working out of a shallow pool of talent have been known to use masks to create multiple personas for the same ladies, making it look as though they had a whole bunch of female wrestlers working for them, when in fact they only had a handful. Masks conceal facial expressions too, hiding the fact that you're about to have your will broken in a submission hold or that you're intimidated by your opponent. Masks can be intimidating too, so they actually play an active role in the intricate spectacle of domination and submission involved in professional wrestling.

Let's take a look at the types of wrestling masks used by various female wrestlers around the world.    Some of the ladies wear masks which only conceal their face or a part of their face. Others opt for masks that cover their heads entirely. The advantage of such masks is that they do not shift around or get pulled off in the heat of the wrestling action. Masks covering only the eyes are much more prone to accidental removal.

Without a doubt, some of the most practical and impressive-looking full-head masks are made of latex or a latex-like material. Provided they fit well, such masks do not restrict breathing in any way, nor do they impede sight. Loose-fitting materials are unsuited for masks, because they tend to shift around on the head of the wearer, restricting her breathing and often rendering her virtually blind. The eye opening of the mask should be large enough to showcase the wearer's eyebrows as well. Unrestricted vision is extremely important in the ring for obvious reasons. Full-head latex masks come in various colors and textures. Colors should reflect the gimmick the wearer is trying to push (wear light red/pink or gold/silver if you're a face, wear black/purple if you're a heel). While some latex masks are simple, others feature orifices and small tubes through which the wearer can pull her hair out.

   Still other such masks feature artificial pony tails to enhance the overall effect. Artificial pony tails can be ones made of hair-like fibers or shiny latex ribbons. The aim here is not to look natural, but to impress and intimidate and there are few things as intimidating as a powerful lady wrestler in a domina-like mask standing across the ring, ready to rumble. Ladies' wrestling masks can also be made of shiny nylon-lycra. Because one can breathe through nylon-lycra, many of these masks come without an opening for the mouth.

Some ladies use pantyhose masks for wrestling. All you need to do to come up with a pantyhose mask on the spot is to pull the leg of a pantyhose (or even a stocking) over your head. The thigh-part will be your mask, while the lower-leg part will act as your pony-tail. Pantyhose masks work just fine, there's just one itsy-bitsy problem with them: they restrict vision quite a bit and they restrict breathing as well. After a match wrestled in a pantyhose mask, you'll feel extremely relieved when you get to remove it.

Masks may not be a mainstream part of women's wrestling, but they're certainly a colorful speck, and they're definitely here to stay whether they represent tradition or just some sort of a quirk.