As a teenager, Mick Foley dreamed about becoming a professional wrestling superstar. Coming up with his own stories and characters, the youngster envisioned a man known as 'Dude Love'. The hip, slick star would be a real ladies man, and the envy of all the guys around him. Girls would want to be with him, and guys would want to be him, at least in Foley's mind. When the man eventually joined the WWF in 1996, there's no way he could have foreseen bringing his childhood creation to the promotion. Experiencing success as both Mankind and Cactus Jack, Foley informed Vince McMahon of his Dude Love character. McMahon loved the idea of it, and it was introduced to WWF screens for the first time in 1997. Fans loved it, and it was clear that Mick himself was having a blast. Mick Foley was an unlikely success story in the image-obsessed World Wrestling Federation. Standing out due to his passion, hard work inside the ring and willingness to put his body through hell, Foley was also a great talker. Whether as Mankind, Cactus Jack or the ridiculous Dude Love, he was able to connect with fans. People adored the idea of Dude Love going from back yards to Raw. What other wacky characters can you think of that surprisingly worked? What are your memories of the gimmicks listed here? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!
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.