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Why Mankind Was So Tough For Mick Foley in WWE

By Kishan Prasad • Published May 19, 2025 07:59 EDT
Mick Foley as Mankind
Mick Foley as Mankind

Mick Foley reflects on why being Mankind was tough for him.

Mick Foley is one of the most beloved WWE Legends today. The WWE Universe remembers him for his different personas, such as Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind, in addition to playing himself. In a recent interview, the Hall of Famer spoke about what was challenging about becoming Mankind.

A memory that is imprinted in the minds of all wrestling fans is Foley being thrown off the top of the demonic structure in a Hell In A Cell match against The Undertaker. The former Hardcore Champion fought through all the bumps and came back wanting more. However, in the end, the Prince of Darkness emerged victorious in their clash in 1998.

In a recent interaction with Denise Salcedo, recorded at Comic Con Revolution, Mick Foley reflected on his time playing the different characters in WWE. He compared their personalities and revealed that playing Mankind was tough because it required him to go to a dark place mentally.

“Well, Dude Love was the easiest because it’s just me being a little nerdier than I am in real life. Mankind was the toughest because it was a really dark character. In 1996, it was really dark, and it was tough for me to go to a dark place. I mean, literally, I would go to the boiler room to try to get into the character of Mankind.” [H/T: Fightful]

Mick Foley Reflects On Game-Changing Mankind Victory In WWE

Mick Foley won his first-ever WWE Championship as Mankind back in 1999. A day that lives forever in many wrestling fans saw the tide shift from WCW back to WWE after 83 weeks. RAW had pre-recorded the episode six days earlier and WCW thought that revealing the results on its show would ensure viewers wouldn’t switch to see Foley’s first title win.

However, the plan backfired and fans flocked to see Foley win his first WWE Championship in the company. In a candid conversation, Mick Foley spoke about what winning his first WWE Championship meant to him. He said that he never saw it coming, as all he wanted to do was create memorable moments for the fans. He further added that he never associated success with title runs and felt winning the prestigious prize was as good as getting a lifetime achievement award from the company.