Shawn Michaels’ evolution from a pretty-boy character to a true heavyweight fighter, widely recognized in the main event, might not have transpired if he hadn’t squared off against Mick Foley. The iconic face-off between Michaels and Foley, under his alias Mankind, took place at WWE In Your House: Mind Games in 1996, where Michaels successfully retained his WWE title.
In an episode of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, Michaels dived into how that single match played a critical role in transforming his image. He remarked,
“I think that’s the one where people looked at Shawn Michaels and said, ‘Okay, he’s a dude that can go to that rougher, more rugged level that we didn’t know.’ He’s a good wrestler, he’s a good technician. He can fly, he can do all of these things, but can he get down and dirty? And I think the match with Mick at Mind Games is the one that sort of made people think that.”
Earlier this year in June, Michaels once more brought up this pivotal match, terming it as one of the most underappreciated contests throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Michaels devotes his time to running WWE NXT, which recently premiered on The CW and hosted its Halloween Havoc pay-per-view. Be sure to check out the highlights of Michael’s vs. Mankind In Your House: Mind Games 1996 match below to experience some legendary wrestling action.