Recollecting Perhaps the Best WWF Match of All-Time
A couple of months back on June 28th, it was the 25th anniversary of the WWF’s 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view event, most specifically known for its Hell in the Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind. The two former wrestlers watched the match for themselves, and it was insightful and interesting what they had to say about this wild, jaw-dropping almost 18 minutes of action. Mick Foley received numerous legitimate injuries from this match, and while he would continue to wrestle a short while after, he would retire from wrestling for the first time in 2000 from his injuries. You may not have heard of or seen this match, maybe even these wrestlers before, but if you watched this match, you instantly become a fan.
Foley would make his entrance first. He would throw a steel chair to the top of the cell and then climb up the 16-foot-high structure. The Undertaker made his entrance and started to climb the cell. Both wrestlers started throwing punches, but ultimately The Undertaker made his way to the top. The two would exchange blows on top of the cell, and before you could even blink, The Undertaker would throw Mankind from the top of the cell, propelling him 22 feet in the air until he crashed on the Spanish commentator's table, and landed on the concrete floor. The Undertaker personally remembers having an out-of-body experience when he threw Foley off the top of the cell. Commentator Jim Ross is famously known for shouting “Good God almighty! Good God almighty! They’ve killed him.” and “As God as my witness, he is broken in half!” Mick remained motionless underneath the broken commentator table. Medical staff, as well as Vince McMahon, who broke kayfabe, came out to Foley’s aid immediately.
Mankind was placed on a stretcher, but while he was getting wheeled out, Foley got back up and ran to climb back up the cell once more. After a brief brawl, The Undertaker met Mankind with a chokeslam that sent Mick through the chain-linked cage panel. The steel chair that Foley threw on top of the cell, also fell through hitting Mankind, knocking out several teeth, and rendering him unconscious. Many would think Foley actually died, and Mick mentioned in his memoir that he took the chokeslam wrong due to exhaustion, and if he had executed the move the right way, he most likely would have died. Even with all this, Mankind wanted to continue the match, as he pulled out a bag full of thumbtacks, and placed them all over the ring. He would get chokeslammed onto the tacks by The Undertaker, who would then perform his finishing move the Tombstone Piledriver, and pin Mankind to win the match.
