10 Wrestling Matches That Broke All The Rules

4. Mankind Vs. The Undertaker - WWF King Of The Ring 1998

Mankind Undertaker Hell In A Cell
WWE.com

With the sort of irony only pro wrestling can create, Mick Foley took the longest shortcut of all time at King Of The Ring 1998.

His first, legendary bump remains the most awe-inspiring sight your writer has ever witnessed as a pro wrestling fan. Staying up until the small hours on a school night at 12 years of age to see it live, watching the rampant WWF on pay-per-view felt in some way wrong. This fit of unhinged inspiration confirmed it.

In further irony, the bump was perfectly logical in its stupidity; it framed the Undertaker as a force that actually would embalm somebody alive, and Mankind as a character who would defy death to become immortal. It broke the rules ironically reinforced most stringently and obnoxiously by the very company that promoted it: WWE tells stories, they have always told us, and every performer not in WWE "doesn't know how to work".

This was the ultimate spot-fest.

Foley devised the layout out of respect for the business, indirectly, a take that contradicts the complaints led by Ric Flair: he was so impressed by Shawn Michaels' performance at Badd Blood that he felt he couldn't desecrate the work he put into building it as a ticket-seller.

Contributor
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!