10 Brilliant WWE Success Stories That Should Have SUCKED

2. Mr. Socko Takes Off

Rhea Ripley Damian Priest Dominik Mysterio Judgment Day
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The guy even got a f*cking sock over!

"Mr. Socko" debuted as a throwaway gag during a hospital segment with Mr. McMahon in 1998, but something magical happened soon thereafter: WWF fans brought Socko signs to arenas with them, and the footwear started popping up on fan hands like Hulk Hogan's foam fingers in the 1980s.

Even Mick himself has admitted that this was preposterous. His rejigged Mankind character, which was less frightening and more bubbly (if a hardcore icon can accurately be described as such), nonetheless ploughed forward with a sports sock on his mitts. Foley even drew a wee face on the thing, and spoke to it like his best mate.

This formula was so successful that WWE revisited it several times. Perry Saturn's "Moppy" would be the prime example, but Santino Marella's "Cobra" could also be considered a homage to Socko. What did the intro say? Sometimes the strangest things get over in pro wrestling? Yep.

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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.