10 WWE Matches That Changed EVERYTHING
4. The Undertaker Vs Mankind (King Of The Ring 1998)
Two superb pros, two great characters of the ‘90s - Undertaker vs Mick Foley in any of his guises was usually a match worth watching. The two were pioneers, and while some of their gimmick clashes - the boiler room brawl, for example - didn’t change the business too much, others created moments that, for better and (often) for worse, superstars still try to top today.
The pair met in the third ever Hell In A Cell match (back when the stipulation still meant something), and had a clear goal in mind: to top ‘Taker’s bout with Shawn Michaels the previous year. They managed that in the first few minutes when Mankind was hurled from the structure’s roof through an announce table.
It remains an impactful moment - the commentary, Undertaker’s clear concern, Foley’s slumped form - and the stakes are raised further when Mankind returns to the roof only to be hurled straight through it, in an apparently unplanned spot.
There’s a direct line from this match to car crash encounters like TLC and Shane McMahon’s entire in-ring career. Stars will always want to go one better than what came before, but for all it influenced, this match will forever remain controversial.