10 DUMB WWE Signings (We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS!)

6. Mick Foley (1996)

Lord Tensai WWE
WWE.com

Admittedly, this is cheating, but it's too much fun to leave out.

Poll any number of hardcore wrestling fans in 1996 and they'd likely have agreed that signing Mick Foley was a very, very good idea. Vince McMahon, in his infinite wisdom, thought committing to Mick would be a frankly crap idea. He told Jim Ross that he'd only sanction the move so the iconic announcer knew what it'd be like to have a wrestler he believed in break his heart.

Ow! Have mercy. Ross brought the smarts to this story - he knew Foley would be an excellent addition to the roster, and had him pencilled in as a possible opponent for The Undertaker. Jim's plot included mixing things up for 'Taker and giving him a more mobile monster to work with. Thus, Mankind was born and Mick seized the day.

JR knew Foley from their time together in WCW, and he figured Mick would bring some of his wild man Cactus Jack danger to the WWF. Meanwhile, McMahon could be found sniggering in the background and waiting on everything to blow up in Jim's face.

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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.