1996 was the very definition of a mixed-bag year for WWE. On one hand, the business was doing slightly better than it was in 1995. But it wasn't exactly something to jump up and down about. The turmoil in the company could be seen both behind the scenes and on television. Stars like Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would depart the company for WCW, leading to the massive nWo angle that changed the wrestling business. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Warrior arrived just as quickly as he would again disappear within the year. Other talents like Yokozuna were self-destructive in their own ways, leading towards his eventual absence from TV altogether.
Then, we have Shawn Michaels: the man who realized the "Boyhood Dream" of becoming WWF Champion at WrestleMania XII that year. Despite having some undeniably great matches as WWF Champion, Shawn's tenure as WWF Champion is not exactly fondly remembered as he failed to achieve the level of success as champion as others had before him. Enter Mick Foley in his alter ego of Mankind. Mick Foley, the guy who only main evented wrestling events in order to put over the champion, was only a few months into his WWF tenure. And with The Undertaker program still in progress, Mankind found himself thrust into a championship opportunity against Shawn Michaels at an In Your House event. Adding to this match was the fact that it was taking place in Philadelphia, which had recently seen Mick Foley as Cactus Jack in ECW. The ingredients for a lot of pressure on both men were there. However, as we're about to see, both men delivered an absolute classic at what many considered to be a throwaway PPV. Check this out...
Mind Games 1996
WWF Championship
Shawn Michaels (c) (w/ Jose Lethario) vs. Mankind (w/Paul Bearer)
(Note: Starting at 1:14:00 on the In Your House: Mind Games 1996 event if you want to follow along.)
A very young Kevin Kelly is with Shawn Michaels. The conversation is about "destiny." Shawn says he feels he can outwrestle anyone in the WWF, but Mankind is completely nuts. Shawn says he will find a way to get it done. Kevin Kelly asks about Mankind being unorthodox and Paul Bearer. Shawn says he's thankful for not having much going on upstairs for them to get into his head. Shawn says he'll just do it on the job as far as dealing with both of them.
Druids bring a casket to the ring while Paul Bearer walks alone with an urn. The word "unorthodox" has been said time and time again tonight. The casket opens up, and Mankind gets out. J.R. promises injuries on commentary and warns that Mankind would be a difficult image to mark as champion should he win.
Here comes Shawn Michaels with Jose Lethario. A lot of lights, fireworks, and bells and whistles accompany his entrance. The bell rings.
Tie up. Mankind throws him off and catches him with a back elbow. Mankind on the attack with strikes. Back bodydrop by Mankind. Cactus Clothesline by Mankind followed by a kick back into the guard rail. Mankind picks up a piece of the mat to expose the concrete, but Shawn dropkicks him back first into the concrete with the mat on him. Shawn jumps on the mat to double stomp Mankind on the floor underneath. Lol. Shawn executes a mid rope twisting crossbody on Mankind on the floor and rolls back in the ring. He goes back on the apron and attacks Mankind, sending Mankind back onto the concrete. Mankind back in the ring. Shawn climbs the ropes and hits a double ax handle on Mankind.
Mankind misses a twisting clothesline, and Shawn starts jabbing at Mankind. Clothesline by HBK. Bodyslam now. HBK climbs the ropes and delivers the elbow drop! He goes into the corner. He tunes up the band, but Mankind DIVES from the ring to the floor to avoid the kick! He's now cradling the urn as Paul Bearer tries to console him. Mankind gets back in the ring and trades punches with Shawn in the corner. Shawn gets angry at one point as I think he was wanting to jump back on Mankind after running into the corner. He runs back and goes after Mankind. They are rolling around the ring trading shots now. Great spot follows where Mankind grapevines Michaels and tries to apply the Mandible Claw. They create an image of Shawn trying to keep the Claw away while Foley tries with all his might to apply it. Shawn gets out of the move, and he starts firing away with shots at Mankind. This is a physical brawl so far as Mankind just knocked Michaels back down to the mat. (So far, just about 7-8 minutes into this, the match is making Shawn look a whole lot tougher than he's given credit for. This is an all-out war up to this point.)
Mankind throws HBK through the ropes to the floor. Mankind repositions the table up against the ring, but HBK dives over the table onto him to attack. Shawn SUPLEXES MANKIND KNEES FIRST ONTO THE STEEL STEPS! THIS STUFF IS WHY FOLEY'S KNEES WERE IN SUCH BAD SHAPE!!! Mankind tries to get back in the ring, but Shawn chopblocks the knees! He now smacks Mankind's knees against the wooden casket at ringside. Back in the ring, HBK continues to kick and stomp at the knees. Mankind starts firing back, but Michaels hits a DRAGON SCREW/LEG DRAG on Mankind's bad knee. Figure Four Leg Lock!!!! Mankind punches his way out of the move. Shawn now hits a running dropkick to the knee! He then does a Mr. Perfect-esque knee smash on the mat (at least that's what Perfect says on commentary) and applies a half crab on Mankind's bad leg. Mankind gets to the ropes.
Mankind catches HBK with a jab, but Michaels gets a crucifix pin attempt for a 2. He goes for a Hurricanrana, but Mankind falls back in a powerbomb position and gets him throat first on the top rope. On the apron now, Mankind uses something to JAB REPEATEDLY HIS OWN INJURED KNEE TO GET IT TO WORK!?! That's either stupid or brilliant (like the "Reviving Elbow"). He goes on the attack and chokes HBK on the bottom rope. HBK meets the casket head first. Mankind continues to beat up his own knee while HBK is on the floor. Both men in the ring now. Mankind fires off with punches in the corner. RUNNING KNEE INTO THE CORNER!
More attacks by Mankind now. Michaels now hits the mat head first a couple times. Back Saito Suplex by Michaels. Michaels gets a couple rights in, but Mankind kicks at him to stop the momentum. However, Michaels goes back on the attack seconds later. Mankind reverses a whip into the corner, sending Michaels upside down. Unfortunately, Michaels gets caught in the Tree of Woe, and Mankind hits a running jumping ax handle to the face of Michaels. AGAIN, another attack to an upside down Michaels. Michaels is out of the tree finally.
Legdrop to the back of Michaels' head. Mankind kicks Michaels over the top rope to the floor. Mankind goes back outside after him. Mankind goes for the running knee into Michaels against the steps, but Michaels misses. And Mankind's already damaged knees just hit steel once again! And now, a drop toe hold by Michaels to Mankind, sending him head first into the steps. Mankind is on the apron. Michaels is in the ring. They tease suplexing the other one, but Michaels ends up on the apron with Mankind. Mankind leaps at Michaels, but he moves out of the way, sending Mankind face first into the top of the corner.
Michaels gets a flying back elbow on Mankind, but he eats a boot seconds later running into the corner. Mankind gets caught running himself, and he's bodyslammed for a 2. Mankind is now sent over the top rope, but his throat gets tied up between the middle and top ropes. Michaels goes to attack him. And....
MANDIBLE CLAW! Mankind finally gets loose of the ropes and falls to the floor. Michaels is out in the ring. Both men are outside now. Mandible Claw is back on, but Michaels sends Mankind face first into the guard rail!!!! Michaels has the chair. The referee is distracted by Paul Bearer. Mankind punches at Michaels, but his Mandible Claw hand hits the chair instead! Then Michaels hits Mankind's knees and back with the chair! Michaels drags Mankind in the ring right hand first and BITES at his hand. He smashes the Mandible Claw hand over and over again. He rips the cover off of the hand, and he now uses the ropes to hit elevated stomps on the hand to break the fingers! Paul: "NOT YOUR HAND!!!" Michaels runs at Mankind, but he gets backdropped OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR! (What a match! Michaels continues to go toe-to-toe with Mankind, going to violent places he hasn't gone to in order to defeat him. Meanwhile, Mankind is playing the unstoppable force that keeps coming no matter what damage is done to him! Great, awesome work and booking up to this point.)
Mankind gets on the apron and hits the diving elbow off the apron onto Michaels on the floor! Wow. There go Foley's hips! Mankind runs in the ring, hits the baseball slide, and does a swinging neckbreaker on the floor to Michaels. Dang! Mankind drops the leg on Michaels as he tries to get in through the middle ropes! Double Arm DDT!!! Shawn kicks out at 2!! SNAP PILEDRIVER by Mankind! CLOSE 2 count. Another pin attempt, another 2 count. Mankind even pulls out one of Foley's amateur wrestling pins, but it doesn't get the 3 count either! HE YANKS HIS OWN HAIR OUT AND RAMS HIS HEAD AGAINST THE TURNBUCKLE! He goes outside and throws chairs back into the ring!!!
Mankind opens the casket and rolls Michaels in the casket, but Michaels fights out immediately. Mankind whips Michaels into the ropes, AND NO ONE THROWS SHAWN MICHAELS INTO THE ROPES! FLYING FOREARM! KIP UP! HERE WE GO! Michaels kicks and stomps at Mankind! Bodyslam! Flying crossbody! 2 count! Michaels climbs up another corner, but Mankind bounces off the ropes to send Michaels onto the corner. Mankind goes out on the apron, climbs the corner, and
THEY FALL BACK THROUGH THE TABLE SET UP EARLIER!!!!!! HOLY CRAP. (You can hear Perfect say "Jesus!" J.R. is selling this for all its worth, and it's for good reason. Both guys could have legitimately been hurt from that insanity! (On the replay, you can see Michaels angle himself into a crossbody position onto Mankind as they fall back through the table.)
Mankind gets a chair. Paul Bearer has the referee distracted. Shawn Michaels doesn't know what's going on in the ring. Mankind climbs the ropes with the chair. Shawn climbs the ropes and hits a "Sweet Chin Music" to the head of Mankind using the chair. Shawn goes to cover Mankind, but Vader is in the ring. The bell has rang! Shawn avoids a strike, and... Vader gets himself into position. Michaels barely hits Vader, but Vader still does the bump backwards over the top rope to the floor. Paul Bearer hits Shawn with the urn to the back of the head. Here's SID!!! Sid attacks Vader as the crowd explodes! This finish has got the fans going nuts. Mankind lifts his arm and his foot. He's back up on his feet. MANDIBLE CLAW ON MICHAELS!!! THE BELL CONTINUES TO RING AS THIS IS ALL AFTER THE MATCH IS OVER!
Now, he asks Paul to open the casket. Paul complies.... BUT THE UNDERTAKER IS IN THE CASKET! He's going after Mankind!!!! He chokes Mankind over the top rope to the floor and chases Mankind and Paul Bearer away!
Winner: Shawn Michaels (by DQ) (still WWF Champion)
Match Grade: A+. Holy crap! That match was amazing. This made Shawn Michaels' title reign and was his best title defense during the first reign. They booked the match to a perfect conclusion, with both guys being protected without spoiling anything for the fans. Mankind still looks like an unstoppable monster. Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels is a tough, resilient underdog champion who keeps fighting with every last ounce of strength he has. The finish was booked perfectly to avoid the booing out of the building that I would be afraid a finish like this would get in a place like Philadelphia. A perfectly booked finish along with an excellent back and forth match make this an absolute hidden gem in WWE history as far as great matches are concerned.
In wanting to cover this match, I went back and read a portion of Mick Foley's original autobiography Have a Nice Day. In it, on Page 410 of the original hardback at least (Wow. I've had this book for almost 20 years!), Foley describes the match as being one of the absolute greatest matches not only in his career but in wrestling history. Foley would later state that his match in 2004 against Randy Orton would exceed this as his favorite match of his career. This is undoubtedly a testament to the wrestling abilities of Mick Foley that get so often underlooked due to the insanity of some of his spots (example: Hell in a Cell or the I Quit Match from Royal Rumble 1999). But this was Mick Foley in one of his greatest performances, showing that "Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy" is a damn better wrestler than you may remember him for.
Foley was indeed good!
Thank you all for checking out this edition of UnWrest Focus <<Rewind<<. Have another classic match you want me to look on? Or how about a rivalry for the main "Focus" posts? Let me know in the comments section or using Twitter @cdub1898.
Until next time, take care of yourselves, spread some awesomeness, and (hopefully, I won't get sued for saying this) HAVE A NICE DAY!
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