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This article you’re reading today is conjured up on the 14th anniversary of the most infamous match in WWE history.
It occurred at the 1998 King of the Ring at The Igloo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Mick Foley as Mankind took on The Undertaker inside and outside of Hell in the Cell.
It’s one of those matches that most everyone loves because of the sheer bravery put forth by both men. Not just Foley, but both men.
And to think, this match shouldn’t have happened in the first place…
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In his initial autobiography ‘Have a Nice Day’, Foley described the events leading up to KOTR 1998 in great detail.
If you don’t own the book, then you MUST purchase this.
For the rest of you, this will be a summary of how this all played out.
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Mick was led to believe that his hot program with Steve Austin would continue on another month. It was supposed to be Austin fighting Foley inside the Cell with Mick being the Dude Love alter-ego.
A booking change led to Mickster getting a ring on the telephone. Instead of Foley getting another crack at Austin, it would be Kane getting the nod in a First Blood encounter. As a consolation prize, Mankind would face Undertaker.
Again.
Mick had numerous programs with Undertaker by this point, with as many matches on PPV to show for it. To Foley, this seemed like a rehash of an already past due occurrence. Add in Undertaker’s unhealed broken foot, and there was even more dread abound.
Foley in addition had the unfortunate luck to have Terry Funk as his travelling buddy. In a brainstorm of what to do in order to top the magnificent HBK/Taker match from the year before (read the recap of that sucker here), Funk gave Foley the idea to be chucked off the Cell.
Even Undertaker didn’t want to do this!!!
However, when the time came to calling, Undertaker and his broken foot scaled that Cell faster than the slowest man in Ward Melville High School.
In this opening sequence, a DANGEROUS piece of foreshadowing occurred as while walking on top of the Cell, both men nearly fell through because the ceiling gave. This got a loud gasp in Pittsburgh. None the wiser, both men went on truckin’.
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“What’s gonna happen here?”
“Undertaker’s fightin’ back, he’s fightin’ back! No doubt about it folks, and I don’t like it a damn bit!”
Jim Ross, with that as his expository, then utters the greatest call in wrestling history as Mick Foley made his leap of faith.
“GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, THAT KILLED HIM! WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS, HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!”
The Igloo is hot with excitement, then went cold as ice when they realize, “Gee, the guy isn’t moving!”
It takes a while before Mankind’s wheels start to turn again. Meanwhile the crazy monster wants to go back up!
AND SO HE DOES!
Undertaker is more than happy to deliver some more punishment.
Only this time, the crescendo of this tightrope action leads to a climax of a chokeslam…
THROUGH THE FUCKING CAGE!
“WILL SOMEONE STOP THE DAMN MATCH,” cries Ross, who may or may not have suffered multiple heart attacks.
Terry Funk, as Terry Funk (and not Chainsaw Charlie), comes down to try to end this, but Undertaker chokes the Funker right out of his sneakers!
From this point on, everything else feels supplementary.
Undertaker blades, and this is hardly a footnote in this damn match.
Mankind gets a shiny present in the form of multiple thumbtack drops, but even THAT doesn’t deliver the initial shock value those two big bumps did.
Undertaker Tombstones Mankind into the canvas, and wins the war. Not a match or wrestling contest, but a WAR!
This is a match EVERYONE knows of and remembers. The shock value alone ranks it up there, but then the gall of these two to plow through the match with more injuries than multiple foreign disputes is a miracle in and of itself.
Leaving here today, I just want to thank Mick Foley and Undertaker for putting on a show that no one shall never dare to duplicate. It truly left a mark on this business, a mark that will never be touched.
Now for a moment of zen: the new Hall of Famer with the blogger himself!
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