10 Wrestlers Who Couldn't Survive Without WWE's Attitude Era

4. Mankind

When Mick Foley put pen to paper on a WWF contract in 1996, even he was worried about where he'd fit into the cartoon-like atmosphere favoured by the company. Several of his friends, including ECW's Shane Douglas, had warned him that the WWF wasn't always all it was cracked up to be. Foley decided to take the plunge, but not before asserting that some changes had to be made to his initial character. Vince McMahon wanted his new employee to be known, amongst other things, as 'Mason The Mutilator'. Looking at failures such as Mantaur and Avatar, Foley wanted nothing to do with such a corny handle. Instead, he suggested Mankind, which the WWF eventually agreed to. A real breath of fresh air, Foley was completely different to anybody else on the promotion's talent list. His matches had a more violent nature to them and his character was dark and twisted. He stood out. The 'Attitude' Era allowed Mick Foley to really succeed as Mankind, also later adding Dude Love and reintroducing Cactus Jack to his character portfolio. Without barbaric matches such as a King Of The Ring 1998 showdown inside Hell In A Cell against The Undertaker, Mankind may have never become so endearing to audiences. People loved Foley's passion for wrestling, and he is best-remembered for what he achieved during the era in question.