WWE has announced the passing of legendary wrestler and pioneer Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer at the aged of 88. 

Beyer had a varied career which began in the mid-1950s before donning his "masked" wrestler gimmick in 1962 in Los Angeles. He was famed for his rivalries with legendary names such as Freddie Blassie and Gorgeous George.

Beyer famously defeated Gorgeous George in a Hair vs. Mask Match at the hallowed Olympic Auditorium in 1962, resulting in Gorgeous George losing his trademark golden locks. In 2010 he inducted George into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Beyer also had an extensive career in Japan, becoming one of the first foreign wrestlers in the country and in 2017 he was awarded one of the country's highest honors, the Order of the Rising Sun.

Beyer went into semi-retirement in 1984.

WrestlingNewsSource.com extends our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Beyer's family and friends.