There can be little doubting that WCW announcer Tony Schiavone regrets uttering the words, "boy, that'll put a lot of butts in seats', in reference to the news that Mick 'Mankind' Foley was about to win the WWF Title on an episode of Raw Is War in January, 1999. Looking to make the WWF look tired and rotten compared to WCW, Schiavone instead directly spurred people on to change channel. The main reason for this is because Foley was cherished by wrestling fans, who very much see the Long Island native as just like them. As unlikely a WWF Heavyweight Champion as there's ever been, Mankind captured the hearts and imagination of fans around the world, as people sat enthralled by the man's passionate performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSa80CxTbCU Foley's capture of the gold remains one of the best moments in Monday Night Raw history, and a perfect example of what can be achieved with the classic underdog story. The whole thing may not have been as drawn out as the earlier Daniel Bryan entry, but Mankind was written as an unlikely champion, something which worked remarkably in his favour. Fans on Raw were in tears of joy upon Foley's victory, living vicariously through his achievements.
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.
