100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
40. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (In Your House: Mind Games)
If anyone needs a reminder of just how quirky the In Your House series was, then consider this: Mankind challenging Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title at IYH: Mind Games wasn't the final match fans in attendance for the card saw. A trio of dark matches (Faarooq vs. Marc Mero, Sycho Sid vs. Vader and Triple H vs. Jake Roberts) followed it once the pay-per-view portion had ended).
Wild.
Obviously, none of them could follow on from an inspired Michaels fending off the brutality of Mick Foley's alter ego. Memorable spots include Mankind stabbing his own leg furiously on the ring apron. This was provocative and like nothing federation fans had ever seen before, but it was Foley's unique way of trying to regain feeling in his limb after Shawn had meticulously targeted it. Lovely bit of psychology from Michaels to work the leg, and even better strung out behaviour from Mick.
Foley still regards this as one of his better matches, and no wonder. Shawn should've been proud of it too. He was feeling the pressure as the WWF poster boy by September 1996, and had just come off an unfulfilling feud with Vader that only worsened his fragile mental state. Ironically considering the gimmick's own psyche, it was Mankind who handed HBK a title match worth savouring.
Purists will scoff at a disqualification finish being ranked so high in this collection, but the preceding 26 minutes and change had been so much fun. Foley proved he could hang at a tippy top level in the WWF, and Shawn finally looked like a champion who had an edge to him.