10 Most Messed Up Moments In Wrestling Matches

3. The Rock Goes Ham On Mankind's Head

Knives GCW
WWE

Well, it's not as if WWE didn't have a lesson imparted to them 17 years prior.

They are excused.

At the 1999 Royal Rumble, The Rock defeated Mankind for the WWF Championship in an I Quit match so harrowing that it reduced Mick Foley's family to a state of overwhelming trauma.

It was nonetheless incredibly dramatic. The very pitch was inspired, which, combined with the event at which the match was held, elevated the story into seminal Attitude Era greatness. Mankind was never going to quit, and yet, The Rock was always going to work Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XV.

Historically, the road to WrestleMania was always strong, if predictable. In his greatest ever swerve, Vince Russo paved one of the best during the gothic nonsense of 1999.

The finish was the sort of creative, dastardly ruse at which the WWF excelled before 1999 really started to happen; Mankind had promised never to say the words "I quit!", but the recording played over the PA to dupe the ref. All of this was great, unpredictable, and fiendishly clever by Attitude Era standards.

Apart from the bit where Rock pummelled the back of Foley's skull with a steel chair in what was more massacre than spot.

In 2010, Foley revealed to TSN that he feels like he is submerged underwater. That is the effect of the head trauma he has endured over the years.

F*ck's sake.

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Mick Foley
 
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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!