10 Most Emotional Title Wins In WWE History
3. Mankind Wins WWE Title (Raw, 1999)
Mankind’s WWE Title win in 1999 isn’t just one of the most emotional in company history, but one of the most important. WCW infamously tried to ruin the occasion by spoiling the title change live on Nitro, but commentator Tony Schiavone’s big reveal proved to be a huge mistake. Over 600,000 fans immediately changed the channel to witness Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy’s crowning glory, and Nitro never outdrew Raw in the ratings war ever again.
Mick Foley was already one of the most beloved performers in wrestling by the the late ‘90s, but he didn’t really find his WWE main event footing until 1998. As Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack, Foley’s two-year WWE run had won the fans over, and while he’d become one of the company’s biggest heroes, the idea of him as champion almost seemed alien.
Two weeks removed from knocking The Rock out at In Your House: Rock Bottom, Mankind fought the Corporate Champion with the gold on the line. The crowd were behind him, and with both the Corporation and DX at ringside, it was an overbooked, messy affair. It predictably devolved into a huge brawl, with Stone Cold Steve Austin proving the deciding factor. He cracked The Rock with a steel chair, pulled Mankind on top of him, and just like that, Foley was champion.
Hoisted onto DX’s shoulders, Mankind’s celebration was full of passion. He sprinted around the ring in utter jubilation, celebrating with the fans who’d always been an integral part of his success. It remains a huge highlight in a career full of them, and Mankind’s first title win will always be remembered as one of WWE’s most memorable.