10 Times WWE Wrestlers FINALLY Broke Character (And Why)

9. Mankind Peels Back The Curtain

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WWE

Now for something completely different.

1997 marked a real shift in presentation for the WWF. Gritty reality started to overtake the cartoonish gimmicks of before, and the promotion seemed more willing to peel back the curtain. Case in point: Mick Foley, still as Mankind, discussing his real life childhood with Jim Ross.

Those sit-down interviews were stunning pieces of business, and they showed a human side to the previously-monstrous Mankind character. Before them, Mick stayed firmly in-gimmick by playing up to the tortured, psychopathic tendencies of the masked nightmare he was tasked with playing. The chats with JR changed that forever.

Suddenly, fans could relate to Mankind's journey. That seemed so impossible before, but there was something so lovable about Foley's real personality. These skits were a concerted effort to make the character endearing and sympathetic for the first time.

He was a wrestling fan just like everyone else.

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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.