Mankind's run in 1996 was dope and an excellent example of how to book a psycho heel

[THE 101]

Foley was given a gimmick that could have been some vintage wrestlecrap material (cokeboy was gonna call him Mason the Mangler or some shyt )

But credit to Foley, he went all in on his performance, and for as goofy as the character would become in later years, as a kid I was legit shook when he first debuted.

I remember watching his vignettes introducing the character being like what the fukk is this



And the night he debuts (Raw after Wrestlemania 12), he attacks Undertaker and for most of the year he has his foot on Taker's neck in a way that we had never seen before. I was a big Taker stan around this time, so this shyt was unsettling to watch.

Mankind was mandible clawing Taker on the regular and straight up bullying him. Cost him in the casket match against Goldust, beat him at King of the Ring and then worst of all at Summerslam I thought he finished Taker for good with Paul Bearer turning on him. My mark bytch ass was

They booked him so well as this out of control maniac who never took Ls. Now days he'd be 50/50 booked to death.

Then of course he had the classic title match with Michaels, and then closed the year with more fukkery with Taker.

I think it's some underrated booking and character work as we all for the most part associate Mankind and Foley with what he did after this, but I think it's worth acknowledging how good the character was in 96. Maybe the most a heel ever had me shook as a kid.

 

[GiantGonzalez]

Foley is legend, don't know how he made that heel Dude Love run as Mcmahon's stooge work. That no way out Austin vs Dude love, McMahon, Patterson brisco is a personal favorite

 

[Kidd Dibiase]

Waiting for that STW episode of Mankind

 

[Shadow]

Some of the best character work of all time.

Foley was able to get multiple characters over and make it look effortless.

 

[Ku$h Parker]

I definitely hated Mankind for fukking wit Take in 96,then when Paul Bearer turned on him, he was on Sight from that day on

 

[2CT]

Foley was given a gimmick that could have been some vintage wrestlecrap material (cokeboy was gonna call him Mason the Mangler or some shyt )

But credit to Foley, he went all in on his performance, and for as goofy as the character would become in later years, as a kid I was legit shook when he first debuted.

I remember watching his vignettes introducing the character being like what the fukk is this



And the night he debuts (Raw after Wrestlemania 12), he attacks Undertaker and for most of the year he has his foot on Taker's neck in a way that we had never seen before. I was a big Taker stan around this time, so this shyt was unsettling to watch.

Mankind was mandible clawing Taker on the regular and straight up bullying him. Cost him in the casket match against Goldust, beat him at King of the Ring and then worst of all at Summerslam I thought he finished Taker for good with Paul Bearer turning on him. My mark bytch ass was

They booked him so well as this out of control maniac who never took Ls. Now days he'd be 50/50 booked to death.

Then of course he had the classic title match with Michaels, and then closed the year with more fukkery with Taker.

I think it's some underrated booking and character work as we all for the most part associate Mankind and Foley with what he did after this, but I think it's worth acknowledging how good the character was in 96. Maybe the most a heel ever had me shook as a kid.

the bolded is ultimately why wins and losses actually do matter in this business, because important victories can legitimize and increase the popularity of a new face into superstar levels

you look at someone like Bray Wyatt who could’ve been a modern Mankind until he proceeded to lose literally every important feud he was in for like 3 years straight

by the time he finally won the world title no one gave a fukk about him and he had one of the most boring and forgettable WM feuds/matches of all time, all cause they spent years making him look like a talkative jobber

It’s like now days they don’t want any of the biggest stars to look bad at all whatsoever so the new and upcoming wrestlers have to go through a series of 50/50 booked feuds, halted pushes and flat out losing streaks when they should be winning to establish dominance and longevity

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

Vince pencilled him in as "Mankind The Mutilator"

 

[KevCo]

The duel entrance themes

 

[NYChase718]

Another cool thing was 2 years later at hell in a cell king of the ring
They were mentioning nobody has a better record against undertaker than mankind
2 years later...continuity

 

[THE 101]

The duel entrance themes

Damn I was planning to mention that.

That haunting piano music he had after he won his matches was such a dope touch

 

[KevCo]

Damn I was planning to mention that.

That haunting piano music he had after he won his matches was such a dope touch

As if it was calming him down...so awesome.

 

[OmegaK2099]

Ode to freud

 

[BrehWyatt]

His shyt with Taker was

But the character was brilliant.

 

[OmegaK2099]

 

[Playaz Eyez]

OG 1996 Mankind was incredible. 9 year old me was "" when he was getting the best of Undertaker early on. Incredible character work from him. That character in 1996 was how I felt about Goldust in 1994-1995. It was a complete 180 from the other characters around that time, and it worked.