When WCW announcer Tony Schiavone gave away the result of the main of event of the January 4th, 1999 episode of Monday Night RAW, he sarcastically said, yeah, thatll but some butts in seats. What he didnt realize is that immediately afterwards, some 300,000 households switched to RAW, because more than anyone before or since, Mick Foley was the ultimate underdog. Foley sacrificed so much in the wrestling industry. He has put his body through a metaphorical Hell, with injuries being very commonplace with him. He has lost part of his ear, had thumbtack holes in his back and arms, and suffered multiple injuries from his fall through the Cell, and still kept going with the match. While Foley became legendary after that infamous Hell in a Cell match, the top of the company and the WWF Championship eluded him. Maybe it was because of his look, which didnt fit with Vinces mold, or maybe it was that his promos werent as dramatic as other stars, or maybe it was because he wasnt the most technically-sound wrestler. But the fans still loved him, because he was a guy with a dream, and he had sacrificed so much to get to where he was. And so, when WCW tried to take advantage of WWFs taped show in the hopes of gaining a ratings boost, it backfired on them spectacularly, as the fans in the arena went absolutely nuts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KybuIy0wKXk WWF Commentator Michael Cole was spot-on when he stated about Foley, Mankind has achieved his dream, and the dream of everyone else, whose been told you cant do it. It was one of those moments where wrestling, sometimes described as performance arts, truly became an emotional show. Many people with hopes and dreams saw Mick Foley as a representation of themselves, and believed in him. His victory was a victory for all those who had roadblocks put in front of them, and the message was clear: if you have a dream, chase it; and not matter how tough, you can achieve it.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
