10 WWE Disasters That Became Life-Changing Moments

10. Mankind Thrives Despite Cartoonish Gimmick

It’s fair to say that Mick Foley feared the worst when Vince McMahon laid out plans for “Mason The Mutilator” and “Mankind The Mutilator” in 1996. WWF newbie Mick likely reconciled with the thought of becoming a crummy mid-90s cartoon gimmick typical for the time, wrestling The Undertaker a few times then fading away.

Then, something magical happened.

Foley compromised with Vince. He would wear the cheesy/gimmicky mask, but only if his ring name was shortened to Mankind. McMahon agreed, but no-one was prepared for just how great Mick would be in the role. He wasn't the one-dimensional monster the WWF's "creative services" department had envisioned.

Later, Mankind sucked fans into Mick's real-life story to become a household name and one of the biggest stars in the entire industry. He thrived in spite of a cartoony guise that would've strangled less savvy workers. Disaster (which most hokey WWF gimmicks were at the time) averted!