The rivalry between Triple H and Mick Foley spanned on and off for three years between 1997-2000. Their paths rarely crossed thereafter but their feud certainly shaped up the careers of both men. There's no doubt that Foley was the more experienced of the two but they elevated each other to new heights with some brutal battles.
Triple H became the undisputed top heel in WWE in 2000, and Foley was the perfect dance partner for him. It didn't matter if Foley was Mankind, Cactus Jack, or himself, their matches were always competitive and captivating audiences that watched them. Both Triple H and Foley were pivotal to the success of the Attitude Era, and whilst Triple H's biggest rival may be The Rock, and Foley's may be The Rock too or Undertaker, they still had excellent chemistry together.
10 Triple H's King Of The Ring Triumph Was Delayed By A Year
At King of the Ring 1997, two future world champions in Triple H and Mankind collided in the tournament final. They had an excellent match which kickstarted their iconic rivalry. After Triple H prevailed he destroyed the crown by systematically beating Mankind with it.
As the rumors go, Triple H was widely expected to win the King of the Ring tournament in 1996. Ultimately, Steve Austin was victorious but Triple H was punished for his involvement in the Curtain Call. Shawn Michaels was the reigning WWE Champion at the time so he avoided any punishment.
9 Mick Foley Refereed Triple H & Kevin Nash's Hell In A Cell Match
Triple H's feud with Kevin Nash over the World Heavyweight Championship was bitterly disappointing in 2003. At Bad Blood, the two former Kliq members settled the score inside Hell in a Cell.
However, there was a third party involved and Mick Foley oversaw proceedings as the special guest referee. This was the best match of Triple H and Nash's series of encounters. It was a physical battle with The Game retaining the gold but Foley's involvement as the special guest referee is forgotten by many.
8 Feud With Triple H In 1997 Turned Foley Face
When Mankind debuted on the Raw after WrestleMania XII, he immediately set his sights on The Undertaker, and the deranged figure was introduced as a heel. Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy proved to be a thorn in Undertaker's side but he was the first person to stand up to the Deadman consistently.
Mankind's popularity grew and by feuding with Triple H he became a babyface. This was the first time that the Mankind character portrayed a babyface and it worked extremely well. Foley nails his role whether he is a babyface or as a heel to perfection.
7 Mankind Won The WWE Championship At SummerSlam '99 Because Steve Austin Didn't Want To Lose To Triple H
Stone Cold Steve Austin defended the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 1999 against Triple H and Mankind. Jesse "The Body" Ventura was the special guest referee to ensure everything ran smoothly. Ventura didn't hesitate to use his power as he was the law of the match.
Nevertheless, Triple H was slowly emerging as a certified main event. His promos improved as did his in-ring skills. However, Mankind surprisingly captured an unexpected third WWE Championship reign by pinning Austin. His reign only lasted 24 hours as he dropped the title to Triple H. As reports go the reason why Austin didn't lose the title to Triple H is that he thought that The Game was not ready to be the WWE Champion.
6 The Radicalz Turned On Foley As Triple H Gave Them Their Contracts
January 31, 2000, was a memorable night as Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn, and Chris Benoit made their WWE debuts on an episode of Raw. The Radicalz debuted as babyfaces as they were guests of Mick Foley.
On the following episode of SmackDown, The Radicalz were unsuccessful in their matches against DX to win their contracts. It was a ruse as on the February 7, 2000 edition of Raw, The Radicalz showed their true colors. The Cerebral Assassin was the mastermind behind this as Triple H handed The Radicalz their contract and they went to town on Foley.
5 Tag Team Match Saw Mankind & The Undertaker Team Up To Face Triple H & Shawn Michaels
Triple H and Mankind's rivalry from SummerSlam 1997 was far from over. As was Undertaker and Shawn Michaels' rivalry beginning to take shape. The Game and Michaels were planting the seeds of DX forming as the rebellious duo collided with Mankind and Undertaker.
This tag team match is often forgotten about but Michaels' actions were fondly remembered. HBK delivered a blood-curdling chair shot to The Undertaker's head with Undertaker bleeding profusely. Two high-profile feuds going on at the same time was another reason why the Attitude Era was a success.
4 Their Falls Count Anywhere Match On Raw Was Cactus' First Appearance
As everyone knows that there are three faces of Foley. The September 22, 1997 edition of Raw saw Foley debut his Cactus Jack persona. Cactus and Triple H battled in an outstanding Falls Count Anywhere match.
This was one of the best matches that WWE had produced on Raw in the Attitude Era. The pair of future world champions went back and forth until Cactus brought an end to proceedings with a jaw-dropping piledriver through the table.
3 Pink Slip On A Pole Match Led To Royal Rumble 2000 Epic
Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley were throwing their weight around and doing what they want. On the December 27, 1999, edition of Raw, The Rock and Mankind collided in a pink slip on a pole match.
The loser would be fired which ended up being Mankind. However, this was a blessing in disguise as Mankind returned as Cactus Jack. He challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship in an exceptional title bout at the 2000 Royal Rumble. Their Street Fight was violent and The Game showed his toughness. He withstood everything Foley threw his way but The Game emerged victorious with his WWE Title intact.
2 Boiler Room Brawl
The Boiler Room Brawl is Mankind's specialty, and Triple H put Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl. To keep with the Christmas spirit theme, there was a rare Boiler Room Brawl occurring on the December 20, 1999, episode of Raw.
Mankind fended off the disguised Santa Claus for a large portion of the match. That all changed when Triple H hit him with a couple of sickening shots to the back of the head with the Santa sack and prevailed.
1 The Hell In A Cell Match Was Supposed To Be Mick Foley's Retirement Match
Injuries finally caught up with Mick Foley and at No Way Out 2000, it was supposed to be his final farewell. The Hardcore Legend in his Cactus Jack persona once again found himself on the opposing side of the ring to Triple H. They collided in a brutal Hell in a Cell match with The Cerebral Assassin's WWE Championship up for grabs.
The storytelling was masterfully done with fans heavily invested in this match. This Hell in a Cell match is right up there as one of the greatest that WWE has ever staged. The Game picked up another marquee victory with Foley due to ride into the sunset. As everyone knows with wrestling, wrestlers don't stay retired for long with Foley competing for the WWE Title in his lone WrestleMania main event weeks later.