Following an injury to her orbital bone suffered in October, Rhea Ripley took some time off TV before making a big “WWE Raw” return last month, complete with a facemask for protection. During Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series WarGames, Ripley appeared with a special horror-themed mask to go along with her gear, and the creator of that mask, Jason Baker, took to social media to share some details on the hectic process of creating the prop.
“Such a unique challenge incorporating Rhea’s actual protective face mask into something elaborate and still functional,” Baker wrote. “A huge thank you to my awesome crew who worked a 14 [hour] shift with me on Thanksgiving Day to make sure we made our quick turnaround deadline.”
Baker’s history in special effects dates back nearly 20 years, and Ripley’s mask wasn’t his first rodeo with WWE. He’s also responsible for designing the mask for Windham Rotunda’s Fiend character and many others, as well as creating masks for the band Slipknot and various Hollywood productions.
Ripley performed in one of the two WarGames matches on Saturday, helping her team pick up the win. Their WarGames match concluded with Ripley putting Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan through a table and pinning her, furthering the ongoing feud between the two that dates back to earlier this year. The former world champion’s next move will likely involve her attempting to win back the Women’s World Championship from Morgan. However, she’ll have to wait in line, as IYO SKY has already earned the next shot at the title.
