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The WWE refers to 1995 as one of the worst years in professional wrestling history, when in reality the business was booming, but WWE were not seeing the majority share of the success. In 1996, the WWE decided to run with Shawn Michaels as the face of their company. Coming of his historic first WWE Championship win at WrestleMania XII (an Iron-man match against Bret Hart), Michaels would defend the championship against some of the biggest and heaviest men in the company. In reality, they were typical Shawn Michaels tag team matches with just 2 men instead of 4, and a longer time limit.
But the one that stood out was Michaels' match against Mankind (Mick Foley). Mankind challenged for the title at 'WWF In Your House: Mind Games'. While Mankind had the weight of a typical challenger for Michaels' championship, he had little else in common. Foley was a veteran of the hardcore style, which was something that most WWE superstars of the time were not used to. How would the high-flying Michaels adapt to an opponent who was possibly more violent and tougher than any he had faced before?
<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Michaels on his pay-per-view match against Mankind</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>
I have to give Mick a ton of credit.
I was champion then...and you know, we were doing good but you could sort of feel [my character] needed some 'edge'.
I knew I had to be aggressive with him from a match standpoint , but I think what helped a great deal was to be able to take a lot more liberties...
Mick, with his ECW background and the Mankind character, I can remember him saying two things...he wanted me ripping up the pad on the floor and then jumping off the ring apron and pulling him backwards on the cement floor [so] he hit the back of his head.
That, and the suplex where he hit his ankle on the ring steps. They were two things that he threw out there and I was like, 'Dude, I already dig this...little things like that are gonna make this match look a lot more brutal...'
And there was another thing.
He said, 'You can hit that mask - you can punch it with your fist...just start pounding me...'
It didn't really bother him.
It was (laughs) it was funny because Mick...he's very nice, he goes [polite Foley voice] 'You know, I've noticed...that every now and then, if somebody messes up something in the match, you...you get pretty mad...' And I said, 'Yeah...I'm, uh...working on that...' (Laughs)
So [during the match] he shoots me into the corner - and I jump up there like I'm going for a cross-body and he just walks away...you know what I mean? So I go running across the ring yelling at him...start pounding on him, you know? (laughs) Like it was him messing up a point in the match and me just going, 'Gah!' and going off on him...because obviously I had done that to people at that time. I was under a lot of stress...(laughs)
It's funny, because years later people still ask me, 'Hey...did he mess that up?' And I say, 'No, that was something he wanted to do...'
[/quote]
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(Source: wrestlingnewslive, Wrestling's Glory Days)
But the one that stood out was Michaels' match against Mankind (Mick Foley). Mankind challenged for the title at 'WWF In Your House: Mind Games'. While Mankind had the weight of a typical challenger for Michaels' championship, he had little else in common. Foley was a veteran of the hardcore style, which was something that most WWE superstars of the time were not used to. How would the high-flying Michaels adapt to an opponent who was possibly more violent and tougher than any he had faced before?
<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Michaels on his pay-per-view match against Mankind</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>
I have to give Mick a ton of credit.
I was champion then...and you know, we were doing good but you could sort of feel [my character] needed some 'edge'.
I knew I had to be aggressive with him from a match standpoint , but I think what helped a great deal was to be able to take a lot more liberties...
Mick, with his ECW background and the Mankind character, I can remember him saying two things...he wanted me ripping up the pad on the floor and then jumping off the ring apron and pulling him backwards on the cement floor [so] he hit the back of his head.
That, and the suplex where he hit his ankle on the ring steps. They were two things that he threw out there and I was like, 'Dude, I already dig this...little things like that are gonna make this match look a lot more brutal...'
And there was another thing.
He said, 'You can hit that mask - you can punch it with your fist...just start pounding me...'
It didn't really bother him.
It was (laughs) it was funny because Mick...he's very nice, he goes [polite Foley voice] 'You know, I've noticed...that every now and then, if somebody messes up something in the match, you...you get pretty mad...' And I said, 'Yeah...I'm, uh...working on that...' (Laughs)
So [during the match] he shoots me into the corner - and I jump up there like I'm going for a cross-body and he just walks away...you know what I mean? So I go running across the ring yelling at him...start pounding on him, you know? (laughs) Like it was him messing up a point in the match and me just going, 'Gah!' and going off on him...because obviously I had done that to people at that time. I was under a lot of stress...(laughs)
It's funny, because years later people still ask me, 'Hey...did he mess that up?' And I say, 'No, that was something he wanted to do...'
[/quote]
<iframe type='text/html' width='500' height='500' src='
(Source: wrestlingnewslive, Wrestling's Glory Days)