23 Wrestlers Who Are Unrecognizable Without Makeup
Makeup and face paint can add something to a particular wrestler. At times, it can make them look more formidable, but almost always at least more memorable. Over the years, many stars have completely committed to their painted gimmicks, sitting in makeup chairs with brushes to their faces for hours on end before going out to wrestle in front of thousands of fans. And that's even knowing all that hard work could quickly be for naught as it sweats or is smeared off. For many, makeup is just as important to the story of a character as their move set or entrance theme.
So many wrestlers' looks have become ingrained into fans' brains — and even sometimes, their nightmares. And for those who sport face paint, many are rarely seen without it, always presenting with their iconic looks intact, never bare-faced.
When a star's makeup or face paint is so attached to their identity, it can be difficult to imagine what they look like outside of the ring. For these 12 stars, their makeup became synonymous with their character, and often, even their biggest fans don't know what they really look like without it.
STING
Sting is a timeless legend who has wrestled all across the wrestling landscape — from WCW to Impact to WWE to now AEW. After his more colorful beginnings, Sting has settled into his iconic black and white look, which he embraced in his later WCW years. Sting may have shown different iterations of his character throughout his career, but he's almost always appeared on television with a covered face (the primary exception being his run with the Main Event Mafia in TNA, which is now Impact Wrestling).
Sting's black-and-white look was inspired by the late Brandon Lee's character in "The Crow." He's also taken inspiration from Heath Ledger's Joker from "The Dark Knight" with the look having been referred to as "Joker Sting" or the "Insane Icon." He also went the red-and-black route during his time in the NWO Wolfpac — featuring that faction's primary colors.
While he's more recognizable than others without the paint, he is rarely ever seen in such condition — that is, outside of the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2016, when he was inducted by fellow Hall of Famer Ric Flair. At that point, Sting had announced his retirement after suffering a neck injury in a 2015 PPV match against Seth Rollins. But the Stinger would make his return to wrestling after signing a multi-year deal with AEW in 2020, bringing his iconic look with him.
THE ROAD WARRIORS
The Road Warriors (or the Legion of Doom) will forever be an iconic tag team from their days running roughshod in the AWA, NWA/WCW, and WWF. Hawk and Animal were always known for their trademark face paint seen every time they stepped in the ring. Like Sting, many fans had never seen them without their "war paint" until their 2011 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, for which only Animal was present, given Hawk's death in 2003.
The team was one of the first to bring the big screen into the squared circle with their spiked armor and face paint inspired by the 1981 "Mad Max" sequel "The Road Warrior." Hawk's wing-like design would evolve into what he called "The Joker" and Animal adopted a spider on his forehead.
The Road Warriors' face paint would later go through a series of changes, but the iconic looks of the late greats that stayed with them through their peak years will live with wrestling fans forever.
ULTIMATE WARRIOR
Another WWE star so iconic that it's difficult to imagine them without their face paint is the Ultimate Warrior, who wore many iterations and styles of face paint throughout the years.
The Warrior debuted for the company in 1987 and rose to fame quickly with his style almost straight out of a comic book — fitting for the WWF's era at the time. His face paint designs were always colorful and attention-grabbing as he stormed to the ring. His face paint became so popular, that depictions of it are still sold today on everything from t-shirts to masks.
The star was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014 and delivered his acceptance speech without his iconic face paint. Ultimate Warrior died just three days later, leaving fans with memories of his iconic looks over a tumultuous career.
ROSEMARY
Rosemary — currently signed to Impact — is a former Knockouts World Champion, and one of the more recognizable with her intricate face paint and makeup designs.
The former Shimmer talent made her debut in TNA in 2016, complete with macabre facepaint, as the manager and valet for Abyss and Crazzy Steve in the trio known as Decay. One of her creepiest looks was showcased in a storyline with House Hardy, when Rosemary appeared to kidnap Hardy's then-infant son King Maxel. The intricate makeup on the star made the sight of her "stealing" a baby all the more terrifying to fans.
Rosemary, whose real name is Courtney Rush, has also appeared in several independent movies, such as "Monster Brawl" and "Exit Humanity." Her various demon-inspired looks populate her Instagram account.
DOINK THE CLOWN
While there have been several who have portrayed Doink the Clown since the character's conception in 1992, the most famous was Matt Borne. Borne served as Doink from 1993 through 2013. Yet, as Bruce Pritchard once told Steve Austin on his podcast, the person who came up with the Doink character wasn't Borne, but fellow face-painted wrestler Hawk of the Road Warriors.
Appearing in clown face paint, Doink would often play tricks on other wrestlers, including Big Boss Man, Randy Savage, and Jerry "The King" Lawler, as well as on fans in attendance. Without the white face paint green wig, you likely wouldn't be able to pick Borne out of a crowd as the man behind Doink.
Borne passed away in 2013; he was 55 years old. His final WWE appearance as Doink was during the 15-anniversary of "WWE Raw" in 2007, leaving fans with one last memory of the mischievous clown.
PAPA SHANGO
The man who would later become the Godfather was unrecognizable in makeup as Papa Shango — a sinister practitioner of voodoo — in WWE in 1992. Papa Shango debuted on television with skeletal face paint and completed the look with a necklace made of bones. The character was based on Baron Samedi from the 1973 James Bond film "Live and Let Die." The supernatural figure became engaged in a rivalry with the Ultimate Warrior and used his affinity for the occult to cause other stars pain or even induce vomiting in his opponents.
During an episode of Steve Austin's "Broken Skull Sessions," Charles Wright — the man behind the gimmick — said the company had plans to reboot the character in a less cartoonish fashion in 1997, with a facepaint design created by Jerry Lawler. The reboot, however, was nixed by Vince McMahon ,and Wright was placed with the Nation of Domination instead. While the Papa Shango character only wrestled in WWF from 1992 to 1993 before being repackaged, Wright's voodoo practitioner lives on in the minds of fans, thanks in part to the face paint.
GOLDUST
While many fans now would recognize Dustin Rhodes without his face paint, as Goldust — one of the most over-the-top face-painted wrestlers — it was tough to see the son of Dusty Rhodes, who had gone by "The Natural" in WCW not too long before. Goldust was an eccentric, androgynous character who infuriated his opponents, as well as fans, with his antics.
Rhodes has gone on record and said the character was so over the top, he thought Vince McMahon was "ribbing him." He explained that McMahon wanted the character to wear a wig and makeup, but it was Rhodes who came up with the idea to wear face paint. He had explained he was a fan of Sting in WCW, and that was his inspiration to do paint instead of regular makeup.
"We made it to where at the beginning, it was a gold face, two black eyes, and black ears. It looked really out there with the wig and all the stuff," Rhodes told Thunder Rosa on an episode of her "Taco Vlog."
In 2023, Rhodes finally let someone else do his iconic face paint. He explained via social media that he was always the one to do his own, and it was difficult trusting something else. However, the cosmetologist he had been working with in AEW was fantastic, in his eyes, and more than earned the honor.
DANHAUSEN
Very nice. Very evil. That's how Danhausen describes himself, but we would also say that about his makeup. Danhausen most often stays in character, even in interviews outside of the ring, but in 2021, he spoke with Chris Van Vliet about the origins of his gimmick and appeared on camera bare-faced.
Danhausen created the painted gimmick when appearing on the indie scene, and the face paint and silly antics have charmed fans across wrestling since. He explained that his kind of "out there" character is more authentic than the Donovan Danhausen character he had previously been portraying on the independent scene before painting his face. He explained he switched over to a horror-based character and donned the Pazuzu makeup from "The Exorcist."
"I was like, 'Oh, this one is pretty cool, I'm gonna try to morph it, and make it my own thing,'" he shared.
Complete with his black outfits and cape, Danhausen looks like a villain from an old-school horror film. The charm of the Danhausen character is that he's more funny than scary, but seeing him without the face paint can be jarring.
ABE KNUCKBALL SCHWARTZ
The ridiculous gimmick that was Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz that came to be during the Major League Baseball strike in 1994 was one of the WWF's biggest D.O.A. gimmicks. Schwartz made his debut on an episode of "WWE Raw" on the mic, telling fans he had the baseball strike "all figured out," speaking directly as a player and defending MLB owners — all while dressed in baseball gear, with his face completely painted.
While it's difficult to imagine Schwartz without the ridiculous makeup that turned him into a living baseball walking to the ring, it's even more jarring for fans when they realize "Knuckleball" is actually the Brooklyn Brawler (Steve Lombardi). When you see photos of the hardened New York City fighter, it's hard to believe he was ever placed in a face-painted gimmick of the most ridiculous nature. Thankfully, the character that was "Knuckleball" did not last long within the WWF, but Lombardi's Brooklyn Brawler has through the company's history.
VAMPIRO
Vampiro is one of the more notable spooky characters in wrestling history, portraying a pyromaniac vampire when he signed with WCW in 1998. Vampiro was a shock performer who took on the likes of Eddie Guerrero and aligned himself with The Insane Clown Posse, the Great Muta, and even the Kiss Demon to be known as "The Dark Carnival." Vampiro's origins were in Mexico and with lucha libre, where faces were often painted if a performer wasn't wrestling in a mask.
The face paint, however, got him heat with Sting backstage in WCW, as Vampiro noted in a podcast interview. That led to a storyline feud between the face-painted men in 2000 during the "New Blood" era.
Sadly, Vampiro never made the jump to WWE to scare a different audience of fans with his gothic look and pyromaniac ways. He told Wrestling Inc. in 2020 that Bruce Prichard had impressed upon him that WWE had nothing for his character during the "Invasion" angle. However, Vampiro harbored no ill feelings. He went on to appear in Lucha Underground, going back to his roots.
ABADON
"The Living Dead Girl" Abadon might be arguably the scariest wrestler in all of AEW, thanks to the incredible makeup they are rarely seen without. There are photos circulating the internet of the former indie star, but their Instagram remains in character to show off their most intricate and terrifying looks throughout the years. In any photos or videos of Abadon training in the ring, their face is hidden with emojis or other clever tricks to keep kayfabe alive, even in this day and age of wrestling. Abadon reportedly looks to Japanese metal bands for inspiration for their looks, including a performer known as Kyo of the band Dir En Grey. Initially, their gothic look was inspired by the likes of Marilyn Manson and "The Crow."
Abadon made their AEW debut on an episode of "Dark" in 2020 and appeared on their first episode of "Dynamite" that summer. While Abadon is not too often seen on AEW television, they are seen even less without their horror movie-esque makeup that has stricken fear into the hearts of their opponents since their time training in Rocky Mountain Pro Academy. Abadon was last seen in AEW, fittingly around Halloween, when they unsuccessfully challenged then-AEW Women's Champion Hikaru Shida for the title in a "Fright Night" match. It was only Abadon's second loss with the company, a testament to how novelty their spooky character is.
THE BOOGEYMAN
Perhaps one of the most unique characters in WWE history was The Boogeyman. Played by Martin Wright, The Boogeyman appeared on television with terrifying makeup right out of a Halloween film, often putting worms in his mouth to complete the grotesque look while claiming he was "coming to getcha!" The Boogeyman made his debut on an episode of "SmackDown" in October 2005, just in time for Halloween.
Speaking on an episode of the "Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw" podcast in 2022, still wearing the makeup despite not speaking in character, Wright said the terrifying look "developed overnight." He said everything he put on his face had a meaning, from the tree of life on his forehead to the red painting on his cheeks. Wright said the process of getting into the makeup took at least three hours.
When Wright appeared ringside during an episode of "SmackDown" in September 2023, he was completely unrecognizable, smiling and posing with fans — sans Boogeyman makeup. The difference between the Boogeyman character and Wright's natural look might be the biggest ever when it comes to makeup or face paint in wrestling history. Wright still remains on a Legends contract with WWE, so his terrifying Boogeyman appearances in the epically terrifying makeup could continue for a new generation of fans to see.
Rhea Ripley
Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley is always seen in heavy, dark, gothic makeup whether she's defending her title or accompanying Dominik Mysterio to the ring. Without the eyeliner and dark lipstick, Ripley is naturally stunning. Ripley posed for WWE.com's first-ever photo shoot that featured the women's roster without makeup when she was still "WWE NXT" Women's Champion, alongside Charlotte Flair, Carmella, Bianca Belair, and others.
"I'm terrified of photoshoots. I clam up and get nervous and don't feel comfortable," Ripley explained, but also said on her Twitter/X account that the makeup-free photo shoot was her favorite. "Mami" is no stranger to posing for photos sans makeup, often sharing images to her X and Instagram accounts.
Ripley works with Jetmira, the official hair and makeup artist in WWE's women's division, who works with the likes of Samantha Irvin, Charlotte Flair, and more. Jetmir, however, works mostly with Ripley to create her dark, gothic looks seen on TV each week. Before SummerSlam, WWE also did a live TikTok that showed Ripley working with celebrity makeup artist Laura Lomonaco, who has worked with Lady Gaga.
DEMON FINN BALOR
Though the Judgment Day member doesn't bring it out often anymore, Finn Balor's "demon" persona has been extremely well-loved by fans since even before the star competed in "NXT." Balor dons a headpiece and impressive face and body paint when he brings out the demon. Balor has explained that the paint changes his mindset before a match. Balor is no stranger to bodypaint, as he began using it to cosplay as his favorite comic book characters.
Balor revealed in a 2017 interview that the demon character was initially questioned by a close friend. Fellow former Bullet Club member Karl Anderson told him he "would be laughed out of the building." Balor explained in the interview that the demon character was "designed for people to hate him more or be scared of him." As history tells us, the persona had the opposite affect.
The former tag team champion said on an episode of "After The Bell" that the look is extremely time-consuming, especially for something that's going to be sweat off in a match. He explained he normally allotted himself six hours to pull off the demon's face and torso paint. Balor explained in July 2023 that he doesn't bring out the painted persona any longer, because it became a "crutch" for his character, in addition to the time-consuming nature of the look. The person behind Balor's demon body paint is Orlando Pagan, who has been helping Balor since his "NXT" days.
The demon character is booked as seemingly incredibly strong in WWE, Balor has lost a handful of times while using it, including once to Samoa Joe in "NXT" and also to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules in 2021. The last time we saw the demon on TV was also in a loss. Balor was implored by Edge to bring back the look in March 2023 for a match inside Hell In A Cell, where the Judgment Day member was also defeated. With the way things in the Judgment Day stable are going, it's not looking likely WWE fans will be seeing the demon persona anytime soon.
THE GREAT MUTA
The Great Muta is a legend in professional wrestling, and as we've seen in this list, many legends go through a face-paint phase. The Japanese star had various face-paint designs throughout this phase of his career and every design was a fresh, new look every time he went out to the ring. A simple Google Image search will get you hundreds of pictures of the legend's now iconic — and sometimes even creepy — face-paint designs.
The designs may look simple, but Muta even took the time to paint his tongue. Muta now wears a mask rather than face paint, but the WWE Hall of Famer will forever be remembered in North America for his appearances, mostly in WCW. Not being able to speak much English when he competed for the now-defunct company, face-paint was a great way for Muta to stand out and have American fans remember him.
AJA KONG
Aja Kong is a standard bearer when it comes to women's wrestling, and is another who dons face paint before heading out to the ring. Kong has done so throughout her nearly three-decade-long career, though the look changed a few times before settling into what it is today.
Kong's iconic look consists of a crescent moon drawn on her forehead with red paint covering her cheeks and a striking blue color around her eyes. Whether it was her two short years in WWE, her vast career in Japan, or even most recently in AEW in 2019, the multi-generational talent has always donned paint to make her look extra unique and strike fear into the hearts of her competitors.
TATANKA
A member of the Lumbee tribe, Tatanka always paid homage to his roots, from his ring name (a Lakota word for "bison") to his gear, to his face paint. He's most remembered for his work with WWE, then WWF, and is currently signed to the company on a Legends contract.
In Native American cultures, paint was seen as power, including in the spiritual sense. Even the act of painting the body was sacred, like a prayer for survival. The various colors of paint also have their meanings as well. Red symbolizes strength in battle (in Tatanka's case, strength in the ring), white was a color of peace or safety, and blue means wisdom, confidence, or hope.
The tribal face paint he wore appeared simple, but effective when it came to his character, as he was depicted as a warrior when he went on a nearly two-year undefeated streak when he first joined the company. Though never the most popular superstar, and he never won gold within the company, Tatanka, his pride for his heritage, and even his war paint are recognizable to wrestling fans everywhere.