10 Brilliant WWE Success Stories That Should Have SUCKED

3. Mankind Is…Dude Love?

Rhea Ripley Damian Priest Dominik Mysterio Judgment Day
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Sami Zayn has taken a page out of Mick Foley's playbook, and that's meant as a sincere compliment. The Mickster was a worker un-fancied by WWF higher-ups for years, but he went on to become a champion babyface who clicked as four different characters: Mankind, Cactus Jack, himself and Dude Love.

Ow, have mercy!

The Dude was actually created in Foley's youth, then got introduced to federation fans in the summer of 1997 ("The Summer Of Love"). It was everything teenage Mick had wanted to be - a ladies man loved by everybody, and it knocked down barriers placed in front of the more macabre Mankind persona.

His dad dancing, 1970s "cool" and outright absurdity shouldn't have facilitated matches opposite the gritty 'Stone Cold'. Then again, there's a lot about Mick's WWF/WWE career that "shouldn't" have happened. He remains one of the most unlikely success stories, and even mesmerised as the ridiculous Dude Love.

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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.