Of the four remaining celebrities on “The Masked Singer,” the Rhino is the one we are most surprised to see in the semifinal on May 13. He is vying for one of three slots in the final against famous folk disguised as the Frog, Night Angel and Turtle. While the other contestants still standing are best known as singers in real life, the Rhino came to fame as an athlete.
Although the four judges (Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke) got this right, they have been off base when it comes to guessing who the Rhino really is. We think we have his true identity figured out after watching all of his clues videos again as well as his performances.
Keep reading for all “The Masked Singer” spoilers, including the real name of the Rhino.
SEE ‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers: The Frog is …
We are certain that the Rhino is Barry Zito, the one-time major league baseball pitcher who is now a rising country music star.
The most recent round of clues from the quarterfinal confirm our guess. In the video, there was a sign that read: “Hill Ahead: 15 mph. $30 fine for High Speed”; Zito played 15 seasons in the MLB starting in 2000. In 2002, he won the Cy Young Award for his pitching prowess, including his signature fastball.
The Rhino refers to himself a “gentle giant.” Zito was an all-star pitcher for the San Francisco Giants for seven years starting in 2007.
The photo of the sliced hamburger slider bun in one of the clues videos must refer to Zito’s signature pitch, the slider-cutter hybrid.
In another of the clues videos, we see a shot of three quarters (25 x 3 = 75). Zito wore #75 for all but his first season as a professional baseball player.
While singing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” by The Righteous Brothers on the May 6 episode, the Rhino brought a navy cap onstage; in 2003, Zito played a naval petty officer on an episode of “JAG” in 2003.
SEE ‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers: The Night Angel is …
The Rhino is effusive when he speaks about this three baby elephants: Zito has three sons: Mars, Mercer and Roma. His wife, Amber Seyer, was Miss Missouri in 2007. An earlier clues video included a photo of the Show Me state with a crown.
The Rhino readily admits he was unhappy meeting his true love; Zito detailed his struggled in his memoir “Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame.” It made the New York Times bestseller list; three of “The Masked Singer” contestants can claim this bragging right.
Zito has a tattoo of a golden calf on his right bicep; collectively, “The Masked Singer” celebrities sport a whopping 160 tats between them.
SEE ‘The Masked Singer’ guesses: Final four spoilers of Frog, Night Angel, Rhino and Turtle
In another of the clues video we see the words “Grand Ole Opry” embossed on a guitar; Zito ended his baseball career in 2015 on the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, which is home to this famous music hall venue. He wrote and recorded a theme song for the team.
Zito co-wrote the song “Butterflies, which was heard in the Eddie Murphy movie “A Thousand Words.” Robin also had a song on that 2012 soundtrack, which explains the Rhino revealing, “Robin, we think alike – you and I were on the same track, literally.”
The yearbook quote — “performing for a king being in your blood” — is a reference to Barry’s dad, Joe Zito, a long-time collaborator with the legendary singer Nat King Cole.
We will only know if we are correct that the Rhino is Barry Zito when he is unmasked. That will happen only when he loses an audience vote or wins the show. Do you think we are right about the true identity of the Rhino? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.
