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“Never Seen That Coming”: Dwayne Johnson’s Former Tag-Team Reacts to His 24-Year-Old “Unforeseen” WWE Championship Win Over the Rock

Published 01/04/2024, 11:35 PM EST

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Holding a WWE Championship belt is always an epic memento that someone would like to cherish throughout their life. And it even adds some extra layer of joy to the prize if it comes without notice, something that happened with the veteran WWE legend Mick Foley during his stellar title win against The Rock back in 1999.

Revisiting that one-of-a-lifetime kind of achievement, Foley has shared his authentic feelings regarding the very special feat in his entire WWE career.

Mick Foley took a trip down memory lane to revitalize his old glory

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The night Mick Foley first lifted the WWE Championship in a bursting celebration, pandemonium surged through the thick crowd present there in the arena. It was so huge that even the current hit prospect of WWE Raw wouldn’t come close to that.

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After a fulfilling underdog ride, Foley challenged The Rock for the world title on the episode of Raw that aired on Jan. 4, 1999, and came out with the belt in his waist. It was a generational moment to look back on.

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Explaining what it meant for him, Foley noted,  ”Austin’s music kicks in and it’s arguably the top 5 reactions of all time. It set in for me the moment I held the title because I had never seen that coming for me. So I never made that goal, so when they handed it to me it felt more like a lifetime achievement award than it did a WWE title. ”

 

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But why was the win so magical and unexpected for Foley? What was his stature in the company? Let’s dig a bit deeper.

Mick Foley used to be a generic star back in 90’s

When Foley was conferred upon one of the greatest honors of wrestling, it was not his heyday. Rather, it was the rising era of bigwigs like Triple H, The Rock, Steve Austin Kurt Angle, etc.

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Foley wasn’t among the key faces on whom the company vested their money. He wasn’t on the list of the probable world title winners. It was obvious that he didn’t possess a good, muscled physique back then. Neither did he fit the stereotype of a dashing superstar, nor did his character give off any superhero vibe. Moreover, injury got the better of him throughout his career.

But as they say, sometimes risk can bring immense profit. McMahon’s uncanny decision to make him the world champion didn’t go in vain. It saved the company in the face of an intense rating war with WCW.

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What’s your take on Mick Foley revisiting his rare WWE glory in a recent interview? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Shreya Nag

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One take at a time

I had been a casual wrestling fan for a long time and after joining EssentiallySports, I started to watch WWE more attentively. I?ve been hooked on to pro wrestling thanks in large parts to stars like Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. I have cannot go a day without going through my social media feed occupied by their updates.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce