10 Fascinating WWE King Of The Ring 1997 Facts
5. WWE Ran A Pre-Show Angle To Ensure That Mankind Would Be Cheered
The new direction of WWE in 1997 had plenty of potential for a man like Mick Foley, whose masochistic performances and line-blurring promo ability were far too good for the family friendly circus he'd walked into the previous year.
In the spring of 1997, Foley took part in a series of sitdown interviews with Jim Ross that were functionally worked-shoots, showing the true passion for the business that Foley had, that he was more than just crazed, masked Mankind. The revelation of humanity was meant to mark Mankind's babyface turn, despite working as a heel at the recent pay-per-views.
Before King of the Ring went on the air, Foley was made to cut a babyface promo before the arena crowd, while opponent Jerry Lawler appeared on the video screen, verbally dressing him down. Since Mankind's babyface status was still ambiguous, WWE wanted to ensure that he would be cheered that night, as he was working two matches, including the important tournament final.