"He wasn't a fan of Mankind" - Details on Mick Foley disliking his own WWE character (Exclusive)
Vince Russo says Mick Foley initially disliked his legendary Mankind gimmick in WWE.
Foley joined Vince McMahon’s company in 1996 after making his name around the world as Cactus Jack. He became known as Mankind, a deranged masked character who enjoyed inflicting pain on himself and others.
Russo, WWE’s former head writer, spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone about Alexa Bliss’ multiple WWE characters. While on the subject, he recalled how Foley preferred performing as his other famous personas, Cactus Jack and Dude Love:
“Mick will be the first to tell you he wasn’t a fan of Mankind. I wasn’t either, bro. I inherited Mankind. I never understood what that meant, and Mick will tell you I wasn’t comfortable with that. But, meanwhile, he was doing Dude Love when he was a teenager, and he was doing Cactus Jack… that’s Mick,” said Russo.
In the video above, Russo also explains why WWE should talk to Alexa Bliss about her own ideas for her character before she returns.
Vince Russo praises Mick Foley’s versatility
Rank the 'Faces of Foley'
A) @RealMickFoley
B) Dude Love
C) Cactus Jack
D) Mankind https://t.co/3RK2UaUBvi
Mick Foley performed as Mankind for the majority of his full-time run with WWE between 1996 and 2000. Some of his most memorable moments, including his Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker, came as the Mankind character.
Vince Russo added that not everyone has the ability to succeed as three different personas in the way Foley did:
“He was very comfortable in those two roles [Cactus Jack and Dude Love], but Mick is great enough, bro, where all of a sudden there’s a role he doesn’t like, he can make something of that. But, bro, if you’re not at a Mick Foley level like that, there’s no way you’re getting over, bro.”
In October 2021, Foley explained on Talking Tough that he disliked Mankind so much because the mask restricted his breathing. He also claimed Vince McMahon only agreed to hire him if he could hide his face under a mask.
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