Which was the best of: The Four Faces of Mick Foley

[Father:_Polley]

Similar to the latest trend of who's better threads kicking around in, but upping the ante to 4 personas, as opposed to two wrestlers.

Mick Foley - the only man to enter the Royal Rumble three times and yet not win. Over his career, Mike has had four gimmicks. Which do you feel is the best

Mankind - Foley's first WWF appearance was that of a 'tortured soul'. Occasionally, Mick would come out of his boiler room and harass the Undertaker, displaying trichotilamania and talking to a rat. Over time and thanks to JR...a new entity appeared.

The old Mankind was replaced by a more 'corporate' Mankind, and it was the white shirted Mankind that wrestled the famed HIAC vs Undertaker, that put butts in the seats in the Monday Night Wars, and introduced Socko.

Dude Love - Foley's hippie persona appeared when SCSA refused to team with Mankind. Instead, Dude Love appeared and won gold for the team before Owen 3:16 struck and left Foley in a feud with HHH. This lead to an onscreen chat between Dude Love and Mankind deciding just who should face HHH in an Falls Count Anywhere Match. They chose -

Cactus Jack - Foley's old ECW gimmick returned to bring in a more hardcore Foley, only this was a short term return, with a return to the Dude Love gimmick following before Dude was fired. Cactus returned late in Foley's WWE career and was involved in most of Foley's 'last' matches against HHH and Orton.

Mick Foley - the modern gimmick of Mick. Himself...no gimmicks, purely cheap pops, book promotion and the occasional match - with Edge and Flair (nobodies really), and now residing in TNA

Overall, I think Mankind is the gimmick I enjoyed the most. It was fun, and I feel it combined the best of all the other gimmicks - hardcore edge of Cactus, likeable side of Dude Love. To me, it worked and was easily his most successful period with the company. Evidenced by the Mankind return at Taboo Tuesday as voted for by the fans

 

[klunderbunker]

I would have to go with Mankind. This is easily where he had his most success. Jack was his notority, but Mankind was his peak. 3 World Titles and his legendary status all came from this persona. Cactus was clearly where he made his initial splash in the business as no one had seen anyone that violent in awhile. Dude Love was little more than a joke that ran way too far. He made that movie when he was a kid and then Vince let him do the character in real life, which never did anything. Mick Foley wasn't so much of a wrestler as an announcer, which wasn't worth much. At the end of the day, it has to be Mankind.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

Its hard to say. Clearly, without being Foley himself, he wouldn't have done any of this. Without Cactus, he wouldn't have been noticed and became Mankind. Dude Love, you can rule out I think, but then you go back to Foley, which it all basically revolved around.

I think overall, you have to give it to Foley, but that is with no ill words to the Mankind persona which was able to build Foley up to a fresh audience as a psycho. Without that build, he wouldn't have had the career he did in the WWE and might have been let go.

I'd have to go with Foley, if I had to pick.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I would have to say Mankind. Dude Love was nothing more than a comedy character, that didn't accomplish much. Cactus Jack never really got the chance to elvolve in the WWE and didn't really shine. Mankind on the other hand was a great character. When he first debut as the deranged heel he had some good feuds with Taker, HBK, & Kane. He was believeable and very creepy. After time the character became more of a comedy character(Rock & Sock)but he was still very much over and has some great moments. While Foley's title runs weren't the best he won them all as the Mankind character which had the best sucess overall. People remember Mankind more than they will remember the other two. Now Foley himself is the mastermind and he still was over as himself, but he lacked a certain edge as himself and when he became Foley he was at his worst wrestling wise. For me personally Mankind was the best because he was able to play a deranged freak and eventually turn it into a loveable comedy character with ease, while the fans still enjoyed.

 

[Harthan]

Mankind is a pretty hands down decision. Mick was pretty much at the top of his game here, Mind Games with HBK, HIAC with Undertaker, World Championships, awesome promos, Mr. Socko, teaming with the Rock. He was awesome all around, really. He might have been in better shape as Cactus Jack, but he was never in that good of shape to begin with, and he was doing fine as Mankind. Especially with HBK at Mind Games. It's really a great match. Mick became famous as Mankind, and it's pretty much the best part of his career.

His current run as just himself, Mick Foley, is pretty good, the matches with Edge and Flair were pretty good. Nothing stellar, but he's already uber over, so what does it matter for Mick. He's doing good for TNA, so, good for him. I enjoy him as regular old Mick Foley well enough, and it's a good evolution for a man of many evolutions.

 

[a0161613]

I'm gonna go against the grain. Mankind and Dude Love were awesome but I love Foley's work as Cactus. It is the gimmick that got him displayed at a international level in Japan, WCW and ECW and while he shone as Mankind (when Vince didn't think the WWF was right for Cactus), he had some great times (eventually) in the WWF/E as Cactus, the falls count anywhere match mentioned above, the 2000 street fight/HIAC with HHH, the Backlash IC title match with Orton.

While Foley was known primarily for his Mankind work and all the success/matches he had, he wouldn't have got there without the Cactus Jack gimmick which IMO is just as memorable because a lot of his crazy stuff that he did with Funk (aka Chainsaw Charlie), the Outlaws. Edge was based in the Cactus gimmick.

 

[AhSpicyDrop]

Have to go with Mankind on this one.... But not the happy Mankind... I'm talking the dark, demented son of a bitch that feuded with The Undertaker. I still have a smile on my face every time I watch that damn Boiler Room Brawl.

But I also enjoyed his work as Cactus Jack. I feel like the Jack promos from Japan and ECW were beyond anything I've seen aside from maybe Raven and Steve Austin. And who could forget the Falls Count Anywhere match he had with Sting... one of the best matches I've seen.

 

[Fizzy]

It's easily Mankind. Foley had the most success with this guy, and will always be remembered for being Mankind. Thats who he won his championships with, and thats who hes had the most memorable matches as. So i'd have to say this easily goes to mankind.