WATCH: Randy Orton unmasks Rey Mysterio in controversial SmackDown attack
Last Updated: 21/11/18 12:42pm
Randy Orton plumbed new depths of villainy on SmackDown this week when he removed Rey Mysterio's famous mask.
Mysterio is known as "the man of a thousand masks" and wears a different one from his vast collection to each of his matches.
But his selection for SmackDown this week ended up in the hands of Orton after he ripped it from Mysterio's head after a brutal - and completely unnecessary - post-match attack.
The removal of a mask against a competitor's will is seen as a great sign of disrespect as lucha tradition dictates that the mask represents the person's character.
It is not unknown for wrestlers in Mexico to not only wear the mask for the entirety of their career, but also when making public appearances away from the ring - legendary wrestler El Santo was buried wearing his iconic silver mask when he died in 1984.
What Mysterio will make of this action is not known at this stage but is likely to be meted out in physical terms in the coming weeks.
