WWE Raw 25: Mick Foley’s First World Title Win Was For All Of Us

Nearly twenty years ago, WWE gave fans a moment to remember with Mick Foley’s first World Title win. To this day, it’s still a brilliant piece of storytelling in a class of its own.

On the cusp of Monday Night Raw‘s 25th anniversary show, everyone is remembering their favorite WWE moments from those years. Me, I will always remember with vivid detail the January 4, 1999 edition of Raw, when Mick Foley won the WW(F)E World Championship for the very first time.

Not because it marked a shift in fortune for the WWE in its ongoing ratings war with WCW. Not because of Tony Schiavone’s unfortunate “butts in seats” comment or the Finger Poke of Doom Nitro had decided to counter with during the main event. No, all the business analysis and historical repercussions of this essential and game-changing event are not what makes it special.

To put it in contemporary, Internet-friendly lingo, I’ll remember it because of the feels.

If, to this day, almost 20 years after Foley’s win, I still get butterflies when I think about it and if tears of joy still white-water down my face when I watch him take his victory laps around the ring for the ecstatic and celebratory crowd, then I can only come to the conclusion that WWE did everything right that night.

In fact, Foley’s first World Championship win was a masterclass in wrestling storytelling.

Back In ’99…

Amidst this crowning event, the 01-04-99 Raw was pretty dang busy. Between the escalation of the Corporation’s feud with Commissioner Shawn Michaels and the Terri Runnels miscarriage angle (ugh), WWE managed to stay on track with the Corporation vs. Mankind storyline.

In a nutshell, Mr. McMahon’s stable had recently rejected a friendship-starved Mankind as a hanger-on to the group and a full-blown feud had broken out. In fact, two weeks prior to this moment, Foley to beat up Shane McMahon in a match.

Back to January 4, and Mick Foley hits the ring to cut one of his typically delightful promos. He demands a shot at The Rock’s World Title at the Royal Rumble, much to the enjoyment of the audience. Vince McMahon then comes out and gives Mankind the dressing down of a lifetime. He expounds on his unworthiness and his grotesque physique. A systematic series of bullet points to show how Foley exemplifies the complete antithesis of what a WWE World Champion should be.

“Foley Is God”

It’s important to note at this point that the “Foley Is God” movement was reaching a fever pitch (to the point that Mick addressed it during his promo). Fans had rallied behind Foley’s determination, hard work, and heart-on-sleeve passion. They wanted him to see him get the recognition he deserved for putting himself on the line as he did for their entertainment. But if we’re being honest, nobody really expected it because he did not have the look that Vince McMahon wanted for his world champ.

Not unlike the “Yes!” movement, management’s deaf tone to this groundswell of support only fed the movement more. In fact, the reasons McMahon used in his promo to keep Mick away from the title were often quoted online by angry fans. Many saw that as an injustice.

In reality, Foley was never booked as an underdog to the World Title, he was booked as an afterthought.

After establishing the idea that he never wanted Foley as champ, Mr. McMahon, in a show of “generosity” set up a match against babyface DX-leader HHH later that night for a spot in the Royal Rumble. A consolation prize, if you will.

Cool, right? After all, since ejecting Mankind from the Corporation, DX had become his surrogate family. So this was a match was surely going to be in Foley’s favor, right? Wrong. Vince placed Shane McMahon as the special guest referee, all but ensuring that Mick Foley would not come out on top.

Credit: WWE.com

Of Heel Tactics And Being Fed Up

In a quick match with a fast 3-count later, Foley had lost his spot in the Royal Rumble. But after a quick promo telling Foley “business is business,” HHH (already showing signs of his Cerebral Assassin persona?) Pedigrees special ref Shane and offers him up to Mankind as his real consolation prize.

Mick puts Shane in a stretch hold, prompting Mr. McMahon back out. With an agonizing Shane in his grasp, Foley demands he gets a title shot that very night or he will break Shane’s arm. McMahon acquiesces out of fear for the safety of his son.

Let’s pause here for a moment. Putting a non-wrestler in a submission hold for emotional blackmail is usually construed as a heel move. But let’s not forget that despite his silliness and charming naïveté, the essence of Mankind’s character is still supposed to be unpredictable and brutal. At this stage, he’s been toyed and manipulated so much that he snaps. He’s tired of playing everyone else’s game.

As an audience, we were tired of Foley not getting his due. It was a shocking thing for him to do, but it was a visceral reaction that kept the audience believing in Foley.

The Main Event

Finally, we reach the main event. The Rock and Mankind go at each other in a good no-DQ brawl. The Corporation was on Rock’s side while Foley had DX to back him up. Foley took some of his usual hard bumps, like a particularly rough shot to his side with steel steps and an unprotected shot to the head with the ring bell, a shot so stiff it made it ding.

Let’s head into the dramatic final third. Rock grabs the World Title belt and plasters it across Foley’s head. Jeers from the crowd. Rock covers, but Foley remarkably kicks out to a huge pop. Foley regains control and DDTs Rock onto the championship belt in the ring. He’s slow to cover and the crowd is on its feet. Rock kicks out at the last possible moment as the tension rises.

Mankind reaches for Mr. Socko and gets the Mandible Claw on The Rock. The crowd goes nuts. However, Ken Shamrock, aligned with the Corporation, leaps into the ring and blasts Foley with a chairshot to the back. He falls to the mat in a collective groan, our jaded wrestling fan’s hearts accepting another disheartening screwjob finish, which we had become all too accustomed to the Attitude era.

Billy Gunn jumps Shamrock to get some semblance of justice, but the damage is done. Foley and the Rock lie in the ring. It’s only a matter of moments before The Rock gets back on his feet to pin Foley and win.

Suddenly, glass breaks. The music hits. The crowd explodes into a pop which probably still resonates in the venue’s steel ceiling beams to this day. Stone Cold Steve Austin powerwalks his way to the ring to the horror of Mr. McMahon.

Credit: WWE.com

As The Rock stumbles to his feet and the rest of the Corporation are brawling with DX (such a brilliant yet simple detail to make the outcome work), Stone Cold enters the ring. The blue-collar hero grabs Shamrock’s chair and pelts Rock across the head with it. Standing up for the little guy being kept down by The Man, the Rattlesnake drags Foley on top of the Rock for the 3-count.

The crowd erupts. Foley achieved the unthinkable and made the pipe dream a reality. He became WWE World Champion.

A Win For Everyone

I’ve had discussions with folks on whether Steve Austin’s presence tainted Foley’s win. I feel that Austin showing up only helped solidify  Foley as an everyman of his own if it wasn’t already obvious. The deck was stacked regardless how hard Mick tried. Mr. McMahon kept him down out of spite and pettiness, refusing to acknowledge his contributions or give him his deserved opportunities. It made absolute sense for Stone Cold to ensure Foley got his moment.

As Steve Austin was supposed to represent the common working stiff sticking it to his boss, living the collective wet dream of being a thorn in the side of authority, Mankind was the freak, the outside. An entirely different kind of “common man,” all he wanted was to fit in despite being different. He wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere but was always treated like an outcast or a weirdo.

Maybe he didn’t have Austin’s natural brash in-your-face attitude and jaw-jacking confidence, but he still felt like he was outside looking in, ridiculed and classified based on how he looked or behaved. You tell me that the average wrestling fan wasn’t able to relate to that. You tell me there wasn’t a bit of Mankind in all of us who stood up from our couches and marked out.

Credit WWE.com

Everything Just Clicked

That night clicked because it played perfectly off the strengths of everyone involved. Logical character interactions portrayed by talented wrestlers who were used in ways that played to their strengths. A moment built with care that was appreciated by the fans and is still talked about to this day. It was a bit of brilliance that wouldn’t be equaled in WWE for many years to come.

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In fact, it’s a moment best summed up by Mick Foley himself who, his championship in hand, addressed Mr. McMahon with a line that seems much more meta than it was ever intended to:

“Hey Vince, I gotta tell ya: This feels pretty damn good.”

It did, Mick. For all of us.