The first Lucha-Libre mask was a gimmick, a device whose sole purpose was to exite the audience. In 1934, an American came to wrestle in Mexico City from Chicago and brought a mask with him. The promoter liked the gimmick and dubbed him El Enmascarado or "The Masked Man". That first mask provided the model for all those that have followed: form fitting and covering the entire head.

Two years later, another American wrestler named Cyclone McKay donned the mask and became El Maravilla Enmascarado, or "The Masked Marvel". He was called "Hated and Mysterious" by the newspapers, but he was drawing crowds - The mask was a huge success.

Later, a young wrestler named Rudy Guzman decided to model his persona after his favorite book, "The Man in the Iron Mask". He became El Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata ("The Saint", "The Man in the Iron Mask") and is the most famous luchador of all time.

Today almost all young luchadores start their careers masked. The streets in front of Mexico City's many arenas are filled with vendors selling wrestling masks. And there's nothing that Lucha-Libre fans love more than a Mascara versus Mascara match....Because no matter what happens, no matter how much blood is spilled, or how many bones are broken, the loss of the mask is the ultimate defeat: the one a luchadore can never come back from.