Read Part One here: http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-night-the-igloo-was-set-ablaze-mankind-vs-undertaker/
The crowd came up as Mankind and Undertaker climbed back up the Hell In A Cell structure. You could feel the collective shock that everyone in attendance felt at that moment.
How? How in the world was Mankind able to not only walk, but climb with basically one good arm, sixteen feet back up to the top of that cage?
As ‘Taker and Mankind began fighting atop the Cell, you wonder where they can go from here. I mean, the dude just fell off the top of the cage to the floor, through a freakin’ table.
Just when you think it can’t get crazier…
When ‘Taker and Mankind were walking on the mesh fencing earlier, it was breaking through from the weight. What happens next shouldn’t have been a shocker, and again, I already knew what to expect– but it was still terrifying to watch.
The Undertaker grabs Foley by the throat, and chokeslams him near a steel chair laying on top of the cage. The weight combined with the force sent Mankind sailing down through the cage. Just as he landed, the steel chair landed at roughly the same time— directly into his face.
My jaw just fell opened, and must have stayed that way for the remainder moments of the match.
“Will somebody stop the damn match!?” Jim Ross screamed into the headset. You could tell that it wasn’t something J.R. was saying because it was a good sound byte for TV. This was a genuine cry for help for Mick Foley, his co-worker and long time friend.
In a flash, the doctors and Terry Funk were by Mick’s side in the ring. ‘Taker stared down at the carnage below. Years later, The Undertaker would tell Foley that at that moment, he believed Mick was dead, and he had good reason to think that. When Mick fell, the 20″ X 20″ ring that he landed in had little give. As EMT’s checked on Foley, he was nearly motionless.
The Undertaker climbed down into the ring from the makeshift hole that he created with Mankind’s body, and circled the medics. Terry Funk stood up, and in an effort to try and buy Mick some time, took a chokeslam from ‘Taker.
Moments later, Foley somehow came to his senses, and continued fighting. I sat watching the home video in utter disbelief. Watching though, I just knew he couldn’t be “all there.” At one point, The Undertaker throws a punch at Mick’s face, and he doesn’t quickly fall, as is what happens from a typical pro wrestling punch. He just slowly crumpled to the ground. It was clear that the lights were on, but no one was home.
Somehow, Mankind began mounting offense. It was crazy. He could not be human. How was he standing, let alone fighting back. At one point, the camera zooms in on Mick as he sits in the corner. Throughout wrestling history, there are those iconic shots that you just know where they are from:
Snuka standing on top of the cage.
Hogan body slamming Andre.
Austin bleeding while fighting out of the Sharpshooter.
And yes, Mick Foley looking into the camera, seemingly smiling, with a tooth piercing through the roof of his mouth, is one of those moments.
With every move, every pinfall, and every kick out, I just kept shaking my head, wondering just how this match was continuing on.
Eventually, Mankind made his way under the ring, pulling out a giant bag. Like a Flower Girl at a wedding, Mankind reached into the mysterious bag, and began sprinkling it’s contents like rose pedals. Except they weren’t rose pedals.
They were thumbtacks.
After a back and forth confrontation, with several close calls, The Undertaker managed to fight the effects of Mankind’s trademark move, The Mandible Claw. As ‘Taker fought up to his feet, Foley clenched onto The Phenom’s back as if he were going for a piggyback ride. The ride he would take would not be a pleasant one, as Undertaker threw himself back, forcing thousands of thumbtacks to break through the skin on the bottom of Mankind’s body. Foley screamed bloody murder as he rolled through the thumbtacks in an effort to escape the pain.
Another chokeslam into the tacks, followed by Undertaker’s Tombstone Piledriver would, to quote Jerry Lawler, “mercifully” end the match. ‘Taker limped out of the cell, and Foley walked out of the ring to a standing ovation. It was a moment I’ll never ever forget.
This past weekend, like I do every year, I watched that Hell In A Cell match from King of the Ring, and you know what? I got the same exact feelings that I got when I watched that match the first time around nearly seventeen years ago. Actually, the feelings may have grown stronger. Maybe it’s because of some weird attachment that I have for Mick Foley, or the fact that as a man, you grow more emotional with age, but this time around I nearly cried watching Mick lay in the ring after the chokeslam through the cell.
Yea, for a moment, I thought I grew a mangina, too.
If you’re a true wrestling fan, you’ve seen this Hell In A Cell. For any of you young kids that have never seen it, seriously, go watch it right now.
What I’m about to say is going to be argued for sure, but I think that Mankind being launched off of that cell may be the most memorable and talked about moment in the history of the WWE.
I’m just going to end this by saying that it’s been very cool to share a locker room and small conversations with Mick over the past year at Pro Wrestling Syndicate in New Jersey. I even had the honor to be a part of a backstage segment with him!
I wonder how Greg in 1998 would have reacted if he knew he would spend time with one of the greatest wrestlers of all time…
See you next week, and… have a nice day!
-Greg
