Underrated Face-Painters in Pro-Wrestling History?

[It's Damn Real!]

When you talk about face paint in pro-wresting, the obvious names like Sting, The Ultimate Warrior. the Legion of Doom/Roadwarriors and even Goldust are often brought up as prime examples of some of the most legendary and recognizable patterns/styles, but this thread is designed to shine some light on some of the lesser-knowns and the underrated ones.

While you don't have to rank them if you don't want, who do you think are the top-5, or five of the most underrated face-painters in pro-wrestling history, and why?

Mine are as follows:

5. Samoa Joe

I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for it, but I thought Joe's ascension (or is that descent?) into his tribal/Samoan roots role with the Nation of Violence gimmick really took off when he re-debuted his character with that face paint. I wasn't a fan of the new tights (well, pants), or the sleeveless leather jacket, but I thought they were on the right track with the paint, and the tribal sword. It didn't last long, and didn't garner many fans, but I was one of them.


4. Vampiro

While it may be cliché to some folks, I thought Vampiro really delved into the gothic/vampiric look perfectly, and his paint, while simplistic in nature, worked for his character extremely well. It managed to draw on both the aspects of new-age gothic, as well as vampiric/zombie-esque.


3. The Boogeyman

While not the greatest wrestler or wrestling character in history, Boogeymans actual face paint truly worked to accentuate his character, and gave it a fantastic tribal feeling that he matched with his mannerisms and character tendencies.


2. Papa Shango

Again, a lot like Vampiro, Papa Shango's character was dark and based in voodoo, and as a result he painted a simple skull on his face to emphasize his character, but to me, it absolutely worked.


1. Jeff Hardy

While it's rare it's ever duplicated, Hardy's enigmatic character really acclimated to the choice to start painting his face into his gimmick I thought, and it's taken on an almost mandatory role in his future at this point, as the paint as well as his arm bands, t-shirt tied in the back pocket, etc. have really become of him and helped to define an otherwise rather bland personality.

 

[Tenta]

The thing is, none of these wrestlers, with the exception of Hardy, will bring up the images of face paint when we remember them.

Let me explain; Vampiro will be an afterthought in wrestling, Shango is more remembered for his voodoo magic, and that itself was ripped off a Bond character. The Boogeyman will be remembered as a shit character, and Joe will be remembered for being an all around bad ass. The face pain never really did anything to add to the character, aside from Shango, who had character to spare. I never got Vampiro's makeup, as he isn't supposed to be a skeleton, but rather a vampire warrior. At least, that's what the name suggests.

Still, you have a point. Face paint is a fantastic way to get a mysterious wrestler over, as it leaves an undefined image of the face for the wrestler. Much like a mask, face paint can conceal a visage, and keep people from noticing the wrestler's face, and realizing its a human. The wrestlers you mentioned were more or less mythical beings, and that's what the paint helped to lead to. Naturally, Hardy is human.... we think. Still, It's a good topic, and one I'll add to the list of.

5. Kamala.

He was a member of a tribe, and wore war paint. Made total sense given his character, and was something that added to his mystique. He also gets point for having stars and moons on his belly. It's like looking into a bowl of Lucky Charms, except it's a fat guys stomach.

4. Demolition.

Oh Come Now, IDR. An old school list about face paint, and no Demolition?! of course, I kid. Were they Road Warriors rip offs? Yeah, probably. Did the face paint make them look even more bad ass? You bet your ass. Everything about them just said that we're going to kick your ass, and do so happily. The face paint was no different. Hell, it was so good, even Mr. Fuji got in on the action.

3. The Great Muta

Muta's face paint as a kid totally creeped the fuck out of me. No lie, there was something about him that just seemed to scare me shitless. And the face paint surely didn't help matters. The man wore it to hide his age, and eventually he'd resort to masks, which may have been cooler. But there's no denying that Muta looked downright devilish with his face paint.

2. The Missing Link

The name fit perfectly for this man. Absolutely bizzare, and you got that from his face paint.He was just scary, as well, but in a much different way. His paint may have been less subtle, but it really did do the trick. Any list is not complete for face paint if you don't have The Missing Link.

1. Sting- The Crow

Not only was the face paint perfect, it actually told a story. What was once a man of color and flair was now a cold heart, with no expression either than sorrow, and no color on his face. His spirit was drained away from him, and thus, so was his face paint. Yes, it was stolen from Eric Draven, but that didn't make him less bad ass. It's just a cool look, and one that, while cliche, gets the top spot on my list.

Good thread, IDR.

 

[smfiscus1]

5. Doink the Clown - He was a clown and his face paint showed that. Easy pick. Besides that, for the better part of his career he was played by one of the best jobbers in history, the Brooklyn Brawler. That guy knew how to take an ass-whooping!

4. Luna Vachon - those vein-like marks on her shaved head coupled with her grizzly voice, kind of scared me...

3. Umaga - May he rest in peace, Umaga's face paint is right on with his Samoan savage character. He played the role very well and he could have easily been one of the best "monsters" to wrestle had his career not been cut short.

2. Muta - I agree with Tenta, Muta has some kind of mysterious creep about him. I don't know what it is, but he weirded me out as a kid.

1. Anyone who faced Abdullah the Butcher - I'm throwing this out on a technicality because I'm saying blood, in this case, is face paint because of how much there always was. The Butcher was a straight up maniac...If you were facing him, you knew you were in for a blood transfusion.

 

[Genius_Deadman]

in no particular order:

the Road Warriors: Demolition lovers should remember the Road Warriors were the inspiration for Demolition, which Vince first formed to rib them

Ultimate Warrior: trash promos, but the guy will always be remembered for his face paint

Sting: any version, guy was creative. he changed it every week and even with the Crow in WCW, he changed the look some (albeit a little)

Doink: face paint makes a clown. the original Doink was awesome, if you saw last Monday's RAW, you know which Doink is the real Doink

 

[XgringolocoX]

Sting? Road Warriors? They're not underrated. And Warrior was/is WAY overrated.

Doink for me is the most under rated face painter that once was. Sure it was a shitty clown gimmick...but he worked it to perfection. I loved the Whoopie Cushion finisher off the top rope!! Dink was a riot as well.
I actually saw both at a house show way back. Funny, and can wrestle his painted ass off.

 

[marklouis]

3 I would add:

1. Demolition: Really good tag team, multiple time world champions. They were overshadowed by other teams, & the gimmick wasn't completely original, but they were tough & had a good run.

2. Great Muta: One of the 1st wrestlers I really liked. There was just something cool about him. The 1st wrestling T-shirt I had was a Great Muta shirt, & the 1st card I saw in person featured him @ the Omni in Atlanta.

3. Goldust: I'm talking about the original Goldust, the weird, uncomfortable guy with his wife sitting in the director's chair @ ringside. He's had a really long run in WWE, and he was always entertaining.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Crow Sting

Well Sting is probably, for me, The Greatest Face-Painted Wrestler.
I mean his crow gimmick was so over! And told an amazing story of mistrust and retribution.
I always loved how his lip-paint would go downwards, which would give an air of sorrow & betrayal to his expressions.

Samoa Joe
I really did like it when Joe went back to his roots.
His face-paint was simple yet gave him that extra menace.

Jeff Hardy
I remember Jeff's promo of a lifetime that he cut on the Undertaker where he talked about how everything is not white and black and there is a world of gray.
Very reminiscent of The Joker (Ledger) was that promo and his face paint just fit his character perfectly and I was hoping that he was gonna be a tweener after that.

 

[The Prod1gy]

Awesome thread IDR, Their is a pretty long list but I think I like Tenta's list so mine will be a fair bit like his.

5. The Ultimate Warrior

Man, this guy was overated but his facepaint was who he was and represented the character perfectly.

4. Demolition

Awesome face paint for a great tag team, their face paint was recognisable and iconic to all 80s wrestling fans.

3. Goldust

This is one of the weirdest gimmicks ever and it is unbelievable how long it has lasted.

2. The Great Muta

This man was awesome, he was one of the few great Japanese wrestlers who got over in the states.

1. Sting

For the same reasons of Tenta, Just... Iconic

 

[Judah's Lion]

this is a really fun thread. made me think a little bit about not-often-thought-about guys or guys that i didn't separate for this aspect. good idea, IDR.

1. Sting. not the old school one with the crew cut and Warrior-like face paint. of course we're talking about "the Crow" Sting. even when he was in the Wolfpac and it was red and black instead of black and white, it was still really cool. the black trenchcoat and bat just added to the look. ripoff? admittedly. amazing? totally!

2. Ultimate Warrior. perhaps an over-rated guy with a massive ego, but he could not be separated from his face paint. let me explain: i love Jeff Hardy's face paint. but, i could see Jeff without it. in fact, i have many times and for many years. but Warrior would not and could not be the same without it. the two cannot be separated.

3. Umaga / Samoa Joe. i thought Umaga's was better if only because it was there from the very beginning. the drums, attire, language, paint, etc. it was always there and it was a cool way to connect him to Samoa. it could have been a bit overkill at times, which is why i put Joe on here with him. Joe's, as IDR stated, was a bit more subtle and so it really made it work. the attire sucked and the sword was a bit much since we all know that he cannot ever use it (that's called murder) but that face paint was pretty freakin' sweet.

4. Legion of Doom / Demolition. yeah, it's almost hard to tell these teams apart sometimes if they're standing too close together. but regardless, they were amazing talents and two of the greatest tag teams of all time. coincidentally, both had really awesome face paint that just added to the legitimacy of the feeling that at any given moment, these guys would beat the crap out of you and enjoy doing it.

5. Goldust. perhaps one of the most under-rated guys in the business. Black Reign was terrible, but Goldie is pretty amazing. and the gimmick has lasted for a very long time. what made this perhaps one of the most under-rated face paints in history is just how far he went to make the whole look work --- in this case, bleaching his hair and even painting it to finish the design on his face. just haven't seen that much from other guys.

seriously, IDR, a really cool idea. maybe doing one with masks is up next...?

 

[Whatsinaname696]

all of mine have been posted I think, but what the hell?
5. Vampiro - simple, effective

4. Papa Shango - ditto

3. Kamala - giant? check, savage? check, face paint? check, belly paint? what the... check

2.Demolition - really thought these guys were from hell

1. Great Muta - Creepiest son of a bitch... ever, and his paint def contributed, and I'm still not sure he ISN'T from hell... creepy bastard (also maybe the best wrestler of all time IMO)

also a mention for bam bam... tech it wasn't face paint... but c'mon... flaming skull, how bad ass is that?

 

[MMK]

I think a lot of people are missing the point of this thread. This thread is for the the lesser known facepainters. Not well known facepainters like Sting, Warrior, LOD, Demoltion (who are my personal favorites).

My top 5 underrated facepainters:

5)Vampiro. He was never truly appreciated during his WCW stint as his look was too similar to Sting's for him to truly standout.

4)Doink. The original Doink's facepaint was surprisingly creepy (thanks mostly to Matt Bournes performance).

3)Bull Nakano. I'm pretty sure she's the only female facepainter. That alone warrants recognition for being underrated.

2)The Great Kabuki. Everyone knows the Great Muta and his facepaint design, but not many think of Kabuki's who's look was much creepier.

1)Papa Shango. Based on Loa Baron Samedi, as a kid I was genuinely afraid of this man.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Most underrated for me was Hakushi... The face/bodypaint writing/tatoos was a very striking look, in fact he was one of the first guys to have body tattoos in the WWE.

Also Adrian Street... wearing make-up back in the early 80's was a very effective gimmick...