10 WWE Disasters That Became Life-Changing Moments
Weird twists of fate that changed people's lives and WWE careers FOREVER.
Never underestimate the power of determination.
That goes for both pro wrestlers themselves and wrestling companies. The ever-changing, malleable nature of the biz means everyone must be ready to change direction in the blink of an eye. Naturally, this is more valuable when disaster strikes and something goes badly wrong.
Twists of fate can turn one person's disaster into a life-changing moment though, either for themselves or for someone else. That's an incredible thought, but WWE history is riddled with examples of nightmare scenarios that panned out in the end due to quick-thinking or because destiny stepped in.
For example, household names like Steve Austin and The Rock might never have reached the heights they did without experiencing setbacks that threatened to detail their careers completely. Similarly, more modern heroes such as Becky Lynch, Kofi Kingston, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn had to capitalise on happenstance or use sheer strength of will to change their fortunes.
Hell, even non-wrestlers like Paul Heyman have made the most of WWE disasters to rake it in and earn plaudits all over the wrestling map.
Where were you when these lives and careers changed forever?
10. Mankind Thrives Despite Cartoonish Gimmick
It’s fair to say that Mick Foley feared the worst when Vince McMahon laid out plans for “Mason The Mutilator” and “Mankind The Mutilator” in 1996. WWF newbie Mick likely reconciled with the thought of becoming a crummy mid-90s cartoon gimmick typical for the time, wrestling The Undertaker a few times then fading away.
Then, something magical happened.
Foley compromised with Vince. He would wear the cheesy/gimmicky mask, but only if his ring name was shortened to Mankind. McMahon agreed, but no-one was prepared for just how great Mick would be in the role. He wasn't the one-dimensional monster the WWF's "creative services" department had envisioned.
Later, Mankind sucked fans into Mick's real-life story to become a household name and one of the biggest stars in the entire industry. He thrived in spite of a cartoony guise that would've strangled less savvy workers. Disaster (which most hokey WWF gimmicks were at the time) averted!