Change nothing about Foley's title win except...

[Jindrak Mark]

It happens in 2024. Would fans accept that today or do we nitpick things too much that it would mostly be like "ugh, he looks terrible, got his ass beat the whole match and only won because of the other guy using the chair"?

Someone like Sami Zayn who has a similar underdog but credible vibe like Foley, if he beat Roman last year but only because Cody laid Roman out and dragged Sami on top of him would it be seen as this huge feel good world title victory or would people focus on how Sami couldn't get the job done clean?

On the other hand if say R-Truth got a shock world title win like that I don't think it would really be an issue. He's a lower-midcarder and there's not really an expectation for him to be able to beat top guys clean. And Eddie got his only world title win via Goldberg help and using the title belt but lying, cheating and stealing was his thing even as a face so his character didn't need to win clean.

Like this weekend at Wrestlemania, I'll be happy if Cody beats Roman but if say Seth curb-stomped Roman behind the ref's back and Cody crawled over for the pin I don't think it would be a particularly satisfying win. There can and hopefully will be all the shenanigans in the world beforehand but the final moment I'd hope would be Cody and Roman both on their feet, Cody wins and it's made clear he's the better man and someone else didn't do the final damage.

[thecrusherwi]

I'm sure there were tons of online fans in 1999 who thought that Foley's win wasn't good enough.

Negative fans will always be negative.

[Bo Rida]

It's hard to say because Foley's win was so of it's time, somebody that looked like him wasn't expected to be champion and the world title didn't change hands on Raw. These days it woudn't be so unexpected, at least if it's not Roman. Which is the other issue, it wouldn't be a popular end to a long run like Roman's but if say Eddie Kingston beat Samoa Joe on Dynamite in the same style most people would love it.

Although some always moan about a big match being on TV no matter what.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

I watched this match again a couple nights ago and I really wish that either Austin didn't run in, or if he did it was simply to even the odds, letting Mick get some more offense in before scoring the pin.

Having said that, it's still a great moment in history. Would it have worked today? Possibly, if Mick was just as over as he was then. However, that match and way of booking was such a product of it's time, and it did make sense in the context of that overall storyline.

[LiamMcDuggle]

Apr 4, 2024 11:32:56 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

It happens in 2024. Would fans accept that today or do we nitpick things too much that it would mostly be like "ugh, he looks terrible, got his ass beat the whole match and only won because of the other guy using the chair"?

Someone like Sami Zayn who has a similar underdog but credible vibe like Foley, if he beat Roman last year but only because Cody laid Roman out and dragged Sami on top of him would it be seen as this huge feel good world title victory or would people focus on how Sami couldn't get the job done clean?

On the other hand if say R-Truth got a shock world title win like that I don't think it would really be an issue. He's a lower-midcarder and there's not really an expectation for him to be able to beat top guys clean. And Eddie got his only world title win via Goldberg help and using the title belt but lying, cheating and stealing was his thing even as a face so his character didn't need to win clean.

Like this weekend at Wrestlemania, I'll be happy if Cody beats Roman but if say Seth curb-stomped Roman behind the ref's back and Cody crawled over for the pin I don't think it would be a particularly satisfying win. There can and hopefully will be all the shenanigans in the world beforehand but the final moment I'd hope would be Cody and Roman both on their feet, Cody wins and it's made clear he's the better man and someone else didn't do the final damage.

It's hard to compare that era to this era, just because the media landscape is just so different. Austin's pop was louder than Foley winning's pop and they were both massive reactions.

Story wise, it really had less to do with Foley overcoming the odds, but more to do with Austin one upping the Corporation. Foley had earned his stripes with fans with all his bumps and character and had been "screwed" out of beating The Rock a bunch of times. Austin helping him win was more framed as Austin "leveling the playing field" than giving Mick Foley charity.

Unlike Sami, who is seen as a true main eventer caliber talent now, Foley won the title while floating around the card as a "hand". He lost to Val Venis in a 3 minute just two weeks prior. People would buy him in the main event because they knew they would see a good match, but fans never really believed he would win the world title, which is why it worked. 

[XIII]

I think that it’s definitely easier for people to get their voice out there now so there would certainly be more people complaining about something or another if it happened today.

The big thing about Foley’s win was that Vince put the title on a guy that looked and wrestled like Mick. Somewhat ironically now that Vince is gone we’re back to there not being too many different body types in the WWE. The vast majority of the roster is out there looking like underwear models and HHH is a huge bodybuilding guy. So theoretically if a guy with a different body type/look/style were to come along and catch fire they could theoretically could run a similar angle. .Its also a part of why Danielson got to the top, like Foley he had a look that Vince normally wouldn’t push(Foley’s everything and Danielson being short and not a huge guy), but they both had amazing charisma, a connection with the fans, and their both being seen as an outright “f*** you” to Vince in story and in reality by the fans.

[eJm]

Apr 6, 2024 2:50:14 GMT -5 XIII said:

Its also a part of why Danielson got to the top, like Foley he had a look that Vince normally wouldn’t push(Foley’s everything and Danielson being short and not a huge guy), but they both had amazing charisma, a connection with the fans, and their both being seen as an outright “f*** you” to Vince in story and in reality by the fans.

It’s weird how Foley was given the belt because of his work that past year and attachment to the fans whilst Danielson literally needed almost riots at TV tapings whilst the creative team were doing everything they could do not make it happen.