Mick Foley's 'Cactus Jack' character was popular everywhere it went, including in the WWF. Mankind was by far Foley's most well-received persona in the company, but the ultra-violent Jack appealed to many, too. Crucially, Mick did a fantastic job of bringing the character out of hiding when it would be most effective. That was the case for his impending 'Street Fight' against Triple H at the 2000 Royal Rumble. In the lead-up to the event, 'The Game' had battered Mankind relentlessly. It was said that the babyface had no chance of taking the WWF Title from Triple H at the Royal Rumble, that is until Foley revealed that he'd be competing as Cactus Jack that particular evening. Fan response to the announcement was huge, and there was a tremendous buzz in the air as both men squared off inside Madison Square Garden. Piecing together a wonderfully hard-hitting Street Fight, the pair displayed incredible chemistry. Triple H genuinely looked like the biggest heel around when he came out on top, Pedigreeing Mrs. Foley's baby boy face-first into thumbtacks, but Foley wasn't hurt by the loss. He left the World's Most Famous Arena a bigger star than when he went in and Triple H proved that he was going to be a huge part of the company's year.
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.
