5. King (Tekken)
Mask got slightly more realistic as time went on.
From one legendary fighting series to another, King's based upon two different real-life wrestlers. The jaguar mask he wears in the ring and his gear is very reminiscent of the famed Japanese wrestler Tiger Mask, while his character's story of using his winnings to help out poor children is reminiscent of Mexican wrestler Fray Tormenta, whose story ended up becoming the basis for Nacho Libre. King was the one who actually reincarnated the "Kinniku Buster" as the Muscle Buster.
4. Wolf Hawkfield (Virtua Fighter)
Stands on guard for thee.
The legendary Canadian professional wrestler still shares a highstyle with many a performer from the True North. His First Nations background and supposed "discovery" by a wrestling promoter harkens back to the stories of Emile Dupree's "Death Tours" of the Western Canadian wilderness in the 1970's and 1980's. His feud with El Blaze (honorable mention on this list) and dreams of the impending apocalypse leads to our fears about some sort of Canadian-Mexican war, which worries us, since we're in the middle.
3. Fighter Hayabusa (Pro Wrestling)
Not at all based on Inoki.
OK. It was hard to separate Fighter Hayabausa from the second-ranked wrestler on this list; after many simulations and significant analysis, we pushed Hayabusa down a spot to third because of their nicknames. Hayabusa's known as "The Invincible Warrior", which is a start, but it doesn't compare to the next guy.
2. Star Man (Pro Wrestling)
Did they have Lycra in the seventies?
The Super Space-Traveller is based loosely on Mexican luchador Mil Mascaras, lionized in Mick Foley's book for refusing to lose and basically acting like a sissy. Mascaras' stories of prissiness are legendary in the wrestling business, but he was a consummate performer and the only man, for decades, allowed to wear a mask in Madison Square Garden. He may not have travelled through space to get to professional wrestling, but it's impossible to understate his influence. Star Man's flying cross chop took down many a backyard foe.
1. AKI/THQ Man (WCW/NWO Revenge)
When worlds collide.
Number one, though, is the legendary man of a million moves. Very vaguely based on iconic Japanese heavyweight Mitsuharu Misawa, AKI Man can transform into THQ Man with the press of a button. Named after the developers of the game, the moves AKI Man possesses are astonishing, climaxing with the Tiger Driver '91, Misawa's double underhook piledriver that looks like the Pedigree with some sort of deathwish. Putting anyone else at the top of our list would simply be dangerous to our health.
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