10 Times The Undertaker Has Done What's Best For Business
8. Instantly Making Mick Foley A Main Event Star (1996)
By far The Undertaker's most well-received program of 1996 came against the incoming Mick Foley. Recast as Mankind for his WWF run, Foley really needed some instant credibility. Working against Undertaker would have perhaps provided that anyway, but it was notable that 'The Phenom' seemed determined to make the newcomer look awesome.
At the King Of The Ring 1996 pay-per-view, Mankind would defeat Undertaker when Paul Bearer nailed his longtime client with his trademark urn. This was shocking, and gave reason to the defeat, but Mankind immediately looked important to the fans. That perception would stick with him for the rest of his career.
Later matches between the pair took on an entirely new edge, and that was thanks to The Undertaker's unselfishness when it came to their first clash. The WWF roster was pretty thin on the ground in terms of headliners in 1996, which is clearly something The Undertaker realised himself. Enhancing Foley wasn't only the right thing to do, it aided the promotion as a whole.