Watching wrestling, have you ever looked at a guy (or gal) and thought, now that’s a face tailored made to be in a horror movie? I’m talking as in the source of the terror?! Recently I discussed the lack of good villains/monsters currently in horror. What I failed to mention is that the world of professional wrestling has always been a good breeding ground for whacked-out, twisted characters.

I’m not talking about aspiring thespians who have taken on roles of killer giants. You know about wrestlers who have appeared in horror films like Kane (See No Evil), Tyler Mane (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) and Diamond Dallas Page (The Devil’s Rejects). No, what I’m talking about are wrestlers who could easily be mistaken for bloodthirsty monsters, having walked straight out of the screen.

With Friday the 13th taking place this week, let’s take a journey to the dark side and come face to face with 10 creepy sports entertainers!

Bray Wyatt

If Jim Jones and Max Cady (Cape Fear) had a child and that child was raised by The Saywer Family (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), it would grow up to be Bray Wyatt. “The Eater of Worlds” is the ringleader of The Wyatt Family, a collection of bearded, sheep-mask wearing giants, with a habit for creating carnage. You could write them in as the villains in True Detective or any horror film set in the backwoods.

Did I also mention from time to time, Wyatt gets possessed to do this:

Only Regan from The Exorcist could give him a run for his money:

Papa Shango

Wes Craven’s The Serpent and the Rainbow explored the world of Black Magic and Voodoo. The only thing missing from that movie was the demented witch doctor known as Papa Shango. Every kid in the early '90’s (including myself) was terrified of Shango. He put a curse on The Ultimate Warrior for crying out loud! If you could make the Warrior vomit as well as bleed dark mystic liquid, you qualified as scary. Even though his time in the ring was short, many fans will never forget the skull face painted monster and his dark magic, loving ways!

Mankind/Cactus Jack

Mick Foley is a pretty happy-go-luck guy nowadays. But before Mick went full on Santa Claus mode, the man had various psychotic personas.

With a leather mask that went around his torn off ear, he channeled Leatherface and Norman Bates as Mankind. Not only did Mankind manage to make The Undertaker look tame, but the nut job would rip out his own hair while squealing in delight!

If hardcore violence and torture porn is more your speed, than Mick had you covered with his Cactus Jack persona. Concrete floors, barbed wire, explosives and nails, were just some of the items that scarred his body and brought pleasure to this twisted being. Bang! Bang!

Doink

I think clowns are lovable. Many people don’t share that opinion. Pennywise’s distant cousin, Doink, brought scares to arenas across the country. The last thing you’d want is for this malevolent clown to show up at your birthday party!

Luna Vachon

I’m still not convinced Luna didn’t pop out of a horror film. Have you heard this woman talk? It puts possessed individuals to shame. She looked like one of Pinhead’s Cenobites, with the piercings, leather attire and spikes. I would rather hang out with Samara (The Ring) and Kayako (The Grudge) than to have the late, great Luna haunt me.

I dare you to watch this with the lights off:

Gangrel

What kind of man could marry Luna Vachon? Well a vampire of course, as Gangrel and Vachon were married in real life. Most fans forget that when Edge and Christian joined the WWE, they were part of Gangrel’s Brood—a gothic vampire faction that could easily inhabit any Anne Rice novel. At that time, the film Blade was popular so naturally, the WWE tried to get some of that gleam. The best thing about the gimmick was his Top Ten entrance:

Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Never invite Jake the Snake to your wedding! “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth learned the hard way, as Jake’s wedding gift ended up being, you guessed it, a snake. Pro wrestling’s resident Hannibal Lecter was an evil mastermind. What he lacked in size and appearance he made up for in torturing you with his sadistic mind games. He’d ask you to “trust him” with an unsettling calmness and sly grin. If Jake ever mentions fava beans and a nice chianti, run!

The Undertaker

The “Undertaker’s Father” hasn’t been scary for some years now. His early years were a totally different story. In the '90s, he truly was The Deadman. Your blood would go cold as soon as the bell tolled, with Paul Bearer leading him to the ring in his classic grey and black attire. That version of Taker deserves a big screen horror adaptation.

Abdullah The Butcher

The name, the look, the savagery…all this monster was lacking was his own horror franchise. Butcher falls under the “reality scary” category, as in you didn’t know if he was playing a character or not. He’s the equivalent of wrestling’s bogeyman or campfire story. Fans and competitors were truly afraid of this guy and with good reason, considering his high tolerance for pain, blood and mutilation.

Say his name three times in the mirror and check to see if he appears behind you. You are braver than I.

Need further proof of his inhuman abilities, watch as he survives the electric chair:

Mantaur

Truthfully, I just wanted to include him. The only thing scary here is that the WWE creative brain trust thought this character was a good idea. However, if you see a guy on Hollywood Blvd. walking around with a Bull’s head, call the cops.