When Mick Foley - as Mankind - captured the WWF Heavyweight Title on Raw in January, 1999, the whole wrestling world was pleased. Foley's passion was well-known, and people were delighted that he'd been able to live out his childhood dreams at the very top level. The initial title reign only lasted until the Royal Rumble, where he was defeated by The Rock, but it felt special. The same can't be said for another of Mankind's big victories. At SummerSlam '99, Foley bagged the strap once again, this time in a Triple Threat Match. Steve Austin was attempting to defend the gold, and Triple H was also involved. Further to this, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura was the Special Guest Referee. At least Foley pinned Austin to win the title, but the celebrations were short lived. Just 24 hours later on Raw Is War, Mankind had lost the WWF Title. Triple H was chosen as his successor, leading fans to wonder why the company hadn't just booked him to pin Austin instead at SummerSlam. Having Mick Foley hold the belt for less than a full day was a baffling decision, and immediately rings true as one of the most meaningless title reigns in WWE history.
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.
