For some, the 1998 King Of The Ring PPV may ring a few bells. It is most famously known for featuring the iconic Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and The Undertaker. Every wrestling fan has seen the shocking clips from the match which featured Mankind not only being thrown from the top of the cell but also being thrown through the cell to the ring below.
While that is almost always the only moment that’s talked about from the event, there was in fact an entire card that went along with that match. Steve Austin was in the midst of his feud with Kane at the time, and of course, there was the less talked about King Of The Ring tournament.
10 Undertaker & Mankind Weren’t The Main Event
Most people wrongly believe that the main event of the 1998 King Of The Ring was the iconic clash between The Undertaker and Mankind in the Hell in a Cell match. The actual main event of the show featured Stone Cold Steve Austin against Kane with the WWE Title on the line.
Adding to the surprising misconception that Mankind and The Undertaker were the main event is the fact that their match was unsurprisingly incredibly lengthy. Stone Cold and Kane put on a great main event, but it is safe to say it was heavily overshadowed.
9 Foley’s Defining Moment May Have Been Sentimental
Something that many may not know is that what is arguably the most famous moment of Mick Foley’s career actually came only a short distance away from where he was originally trained. Going down in history only a short drive from where his journey began could have been incredibly touching.
Foley began training at a wrestling school in Freedom, Pennsylvania before eventually debuting in 1983. He probably never would have guessed that only 15 years later, he’d become a part of what may be the most famous moment in wrestling history.
8 Kane Had Said He’d Light Himself On Fire If He Lost
The feud between Kane and Steve Austin is often overlooked in regards to KOTR '98, but it actually had a pretty significant lead-up. Both men cut great promos leading up to their clash and Kane even promised a serious fate should he lose.
Kane promised not only Austin but the entire world that if he lost the First Blood match for the title, he’d light himself on fire. While that may sound like it’s a bit much when comparing it to what fans get nowadays, the '90s was a very different era for wrestling.
7 The Undertaker & Mankind Had The Longest Match Of The Night
When most people think of The Undertaker and Mankind fighting in Hell in a Cell, most people can only recall the major highlights from the match. Those highlights may wrongly lead someone to believe that their match was relatively short.
To be fair, much of the match was made up of not only horrified announcer but also fans looking on and wondering if Mankind was even still alive. The wrestling aspect of the match wasn’t the most incredible thing but seeing Mankind continue to fight after his huge falls was impressive.
6 The Cell Throw Spot Was Terry Funk’s Idea
For how much of a death wish someone has to have to openly agree to be thrown off a serious height and onto what is more or less concrete, it’s a shock that the idea wasn’t even Foley’s. Instead, the idea actually came during a brainstorming session with fellow legend Terry Funk.
It almost makes more sense when people remember just how much Mick Foley respects and idolizes people like Terry Funk. Whether or not the idea was good is up to interpretation, but it is safe to say that one small idea had a lasting impact.
5 A Championship Match Was Added The Morning Of The Event
No one could be blamed for forgetting that the 1998 King Of The Ring PPV actually featured a tag team title match. While the match was short, it saw The New Age Outlaws taking on The Midnight Express.
The match saw plenty of shenanigans from Jim Cornette, but he was eventually thwarted by Chyna and the Outlaws picking up the win. The match wasn’t anything special, but for fans of the two teams, the match was likely viewed as enjoyable. It’s hard to expect a five-star classic when the match wasn’t even scheduled far ahead of the event.
4 Mankind Climbed The Cage With A Separated Shoulder
While it’s not all that surprising that Mankind was significantly injured from his first fall off of Hell in a Cell, many may not know that he actually climbed back to the top of the cage with one seriously injured arm.
Climbing back to the top of the cell after being thrown off is already nearly impossible to even fathom, but Mankind managed to do it with a separated shoulder. Even more shocking, anyone who goes back to watch his second climb will be shocked at the speed he climbs the cage.
3 The Event Wasn’t All That Good
There is probably a bit of an added reason as to why the Hell in a Cell match from the PPV is so fondly remembered, and that reason is likely that the rest of the event wasn’t all that amazing. Many have called the early matches of the card a bit of a slog while the final two matches were incredible.
Much of the PPV was made up of the King Of The Ring Tournament, but the tournament didn’t feature any memorable matches. Even the finals between The Rock and Ken Shamrock is often completely overlooked because nothing all that interesting happened.
2 The Top Of The Cell Wasn’t Supposed To Break
As many people replay the stunning videos of Foley being thrown off and through the cell, many may not know that he wasn’t actually supposed to fall through the cell roof. The botch was so significant that Foley was actually knocked out by the impact to the ring.
The Undertaker has openly spoken about the moment in which he looks down into the ring at a broken Mankind over the years. He has mentioned that he wasn’t even sure if Foley had survived the fall into the ring. One slight malfunction made for two memorable moments in one match.
1 The Event Didn’t Make Foley A Star
Many may remember the iconic Hell in a Cell match as a kind of jumping-off point for the career of Mick Foley. Despite how shocking and incredible the event was for Foley, many fans still didn’t care all that much about his character Mankind.
Rather than being shot to stardom for his never-say-die attitude, Foley instead spent a few months in a tag team with Kane. Foley actually wouldn’t win the title until 1999, though that is based on the actual air-date of when he won the title which is what is recognized by WWE.