The costume is often an essential part of a wrestler’s identity. It helps him get into character, emphasizes his best qualities, or simply intimidates his opponent waiting inside the ring. Throughout the history of professional wrestling, there have been countless costumes, which made people laugh and cry, smile and gasp, never failing to make an impression. With the Halloween approaching, it’s time we take a look at some of the most memorable in pro wrestling history. We’re in for quite a ride.
Giant Gonzalez
The first one on the list is Jorge Gonzalez, better known by his nicknames of Giant Gonzalez and El Gigante. Though his professional wrestling career only lasted 6 years, he still managed to make quite an impression in the sport. This Argentinian man suffered from gigantism, which made him very tall – astounding 7’9’’, which made him the tallest professional wrestler in the history. However, being such an imposing figure wasn’t enough for him. In the ring, he wore a costume that made him look like a prehistoric savage. He was a truly memorable sight in wrestling.
Ted DiBiase
Next up is Ted DiBiase. He was something of a personification of capitalism. He would often appear in a flashy suit with embroidered dollar marks, carrying a “Million Dollar Belt,” which parodied the champion’s belt. Ted DiBiase is considered by many to be the greatest heel in pro wrestling. He would often use his “wealth” to corrupt other wrestler and win, like that one time he bought off World Heavyweight Championship title from Andre the Giant, although WWE does not recognize it officially.
Doink the Clown
Clowns are pretty much always scary, especially when they’re trying to kick your ass from the opposite side of the ring. Doink the Clown was a character played originally by Matt Osborne, and later by countless other wrestlers. The colorful suit, green hair, and a flower, which sprayed something into his opponent’s eyes – Doink was certainly a memorable, if not really loved wrestling character. In 2010, Osborne returned to the character and re-imagined him in the light of the Joker from The Dark Knight, making it even creepier.
Vito LoGrasso
Vito LoGrasso was quite a unique character in pro wrestling. His costumes often included dresses and female bags, which were in great contrast with his muscular physique and menacing baldness. His opponents would be perplexed by his appearance, which gave him a psychological advantage over them. Vito was often criticized for his cross-dressing, but he kept doing it for as long as he could. As simple as it may be, when combined with his tough Italian appearance, a dress made for an amazing costume.
The Road Warriors
Next up are the Road Warriors. This tag team relied much on the Mad Max dystopian look with NFL shoulder pads, face paint and mohawk hairstyle. Of course, all of their costumes were further embellished by tall and intimidating spikes. With a Black Sabbath intro song, Hawk’s catchphrase and these costumes, the Road Warriors were a full package. These face paint pioneers were active till 2003 when Hawk died from a sudden heart attack. Many believe the Road Warriors were the greatest tag team ever.
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat is one of the veterans of pro wrestling. Ge debuted for AWA in 1976 and went on to create a successful career. However, in the 90’s, it was decided that Ricky’s attire wasn’t memorable enough for the fans out there, so they made him into a new character named the Dragon. He would appear in a red suit with wings, a crest on his head, and would even blow fire from time to time. As unnecessary as it was, it was still a memorable costume that put Ricky back on the map.
Bret Hart
Next up is the legendary Bret Hart. His attire consisted of a pink wrestling suit, matching wide sunglasses, and a black leather jacket. He single-handedly made color pink manly enough for fans all around the world. The color scheme was supposed to contrast the Hart Foundation’s black and blue and made Bret stand out more. As slick as he looked in this, the costume was only an addition to the legend status he made with his superb in-ring skills.
Randy Savage
The late Randy Savage was truly a wrestling icon. He had a variety of looks in and outside of the ring, but they were all grand and imposing like a leopard shirt, flashy cowboy suit, or star-striped pants. However, elements that were always there were his wide sunglasses and a hair-beard combo. Of course, in accordance with his entire muscular figure, Macho Man also had an extremely deep, sandy voice that completed his character. Randy was a true wrestling legend.
Mick Foley
A man of many names, faces and costumes, Mick Foley is one of wrestling’s greatest performers. He took on various characters, all thoroughly developed and loved by the crowd. Among the most famous ones is, of course, The Mankind, one-half of the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection tag team. Mankind was a deranged, unkempt character that often performed wearing a plain white, work-shirt and a disfigured leather mask. From time to time, he would also introduce a sock puppet, with whom he talked. Foley always made any show great.
The Undertaker
Finally, no list can ever be complete without the Undertaker. A pro wrestling icon, the Undertaker introduced a whole new level of fear to the wrestling world. With a long leather coat, flat black hat and madness in his eyes, the Undertaker induced more nightmares than all other wrestlers together. Back in the day he was even scarier with a creepy leather mask that was either white (reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera), or blood-red (reminiscent of… well, blood). Cryptic in nature, the Undertaker has withdrawn from the eyes of the public, but rumors say that he still hasn’t retired.
Are you going to dress up as one of these wrestlers for the Halloween? Which one? And let us know what you think are the Best Pro Wrestling Costumes in the comment section below!
