The night professional wrestling redefined its limits of physical endurance
In short: In 1998, a single match pushed the boundaries of what human bodies could withstand in a ring. It wasn't just about winning; it was about a performer's willingness to endure extreme spectacle, creating a moment so visceral that it remains one of the most-viewed videos in wrestling history.
The 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view served as a landmark for the WWF (now WWE), featuring high-stakes matches like a First Blood title bout and the tournament finals. Nevertheless, its primary legacy involves Mankind (Mick Foley) facing The Undertaker within a Hell in a Cell encounter. This specific encounter was born from a collaborative brainstorming session between Foley and Terry Funk, who sought to top the previous year's spectacle by considering whether Foley should be thrown off the 16-foot high structure.
The resulting match became legendary for its brutality. Less than two minutes in, The Undertaker threw Mankind through a Spanish announcers' table. Later, he chokeslammed him through the roof of the cell, briefly knocking him legitimately unconscious. Foley’s participation was characterized by his willingness to sustain extreme 'bumps' at his own request. This performance was particularly poignant as it took place in Pittsburgh; Foley had originally trained for wrestling just 25 miles away in Freedom, Pennsylvania.
While critics have offered divergent opinions on the overall quality of the PPV—ranging from 'Not So Good' to a solid 8/10—the Hell in a Cell match is almost universally cited as a historical must-see. The event also featured Ken Shamrock defeating The Rock to win the tournament and a First Blood main event where Kane defeated "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship after Austin was accidentally hit with a chair, causing him to bleed.
The show solidified the King of the Ring as one of the 'Big Five' annual events. It also served as a pivot point for complex storylines involving the revelation that Kane and The Undertaker were secretly aligned, leading to a series of high-profile feuds and title changes throughout the remainder of 1998.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: King of the Ring (1998)
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