10 Best WWE Pay-Per-View Debuts Ever

2. Mankind (King Of The Ring 1996)

Mankind The Undertaker
WWE.com

Debuting the day after WrestleMania XII, Mick Foley's new Mankind guise was a success from the start. Foley played the character brilliantly too, rescuing a gimmick that could've went the way of Mantaur or Max Moon and turning it into The Undertaker's best foil for years.

Still working elements of the slower, zombie-like style he had favoured previously, The Undertaker was forced to show more speed and agility than ever before when brawling with Mankind and the result was one of his best pay-per-view matches yet at the 1996 King Of The Ring. Foley brought something out in 'Taker that nobody else had, and he did so without sacrificing the supernatural 'Monster vs. Monster' story the WWF wanted to tell.

Winning his first pay-per-view match against The Undertaker must have thrilled Foley, but doing so with the Mandible Claw would have been a dream. Instantly, Mankind was made to look like the biggest threat Undertaker had ever faced.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.