10 Genius Ways Wrestlers Survived WWE Humiliations

6. Mankind Tricks Vince McMahon

Bray Wyatt Fiend
WWE

Mick Foley successfully tricked his old boss.

Vince wanted to call Foley 'Mason The Mutilator'. Later, that was going to be tweaked to 'Mankind The Mutilator', but Mick could see disaster around the corner. He didn't fancy becoming another short-lived WWF gimmick failure like Mantaur or Kwang, so he showed off his smarts.

Foley bartered with McMahon - he'd still wear the clumsy leather mask the WWF chief wanted him to if Vince would agree to shorten the name to just Mankind. Somewhat surprisingly, the boss acquiesced, and Mick was able to turn what could've been a one-dimensional monster foe for The Undertaker into a company treasure.

Mankind blossomed into a childlike extension of Foley's real-life personality. That wouldn't have happened had Mick been unable to trick McMahon into thinking he was the one in charge and still getting his original idea on TV.

Mind games! In Your House: Mind Games!

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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.