Helmsley demonstrated a toughness that would be absolutely key to his development.īoth stars seized an opportunity presented to them, made the most of it, and wowed the fans in wrestling’s most prestigious building en route to what would be a transformative next 12 months. Foley had, again, proved just how versatile a performer he was, introducing a new character to the WWE fans and getting it over instantly. He won the match with a devastating piledriver through a table but who won and lost was not relevant in the grand scheme of things. The fans in NYC knew exactly who Jack was and cheered on every brutal assault dealt to Triple H. Jack introduced punishing brawling to WWE television, laying the groundwork for what would become the consistent style of the main event scene for the next three years. His opponent that night? Hunter Hearst Helmsley in what would be the culmination of that chapter of their lengthy rivalry. The match itself is nowhere near the quality of those to follow, but it's essential to the telling of the Hall of Famer's career and thus earns its spot on this list.įollowing a fantastically produced vignette that saw the Three Faces of Foley interacting backstage, Cactus Jack stepped through the curtain and onto WWE television for the first time ever on the Septemepisode of Raw, live from New York's famed Madison Square Garden. Regardless, Foley's WWE Championship win is a watershed moment in the Attitude Era and one of the industry's genuine feel-good stories. Perhaps that is why WCW's best efforts to ruin the moment by having Tony Schiavone spoil it on the air, then condescendingly declare, "That'll put butts in seats," failed miserably to the tune of 600,000 viewers switching the channel to watch the defining moment. Sure, he was the guy who would sacrifice his body for the sake of a physical match, but he had the unmatched ability to make the audience feel and the closing moments of the contest, and everything that followed, demonstrated that.
Other teams to root against are the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Football Team, and the Atlanta Falcons.For Foley, the boyhood dream came true on the Januepisode of Monday Night Raw.Īfter 15 years in the industry, the mask-wearing outcast captured the top prize in professional wrestling when he defeated The Rock to become WWE champion in the night's main event.Ī wild, chaotic main event that saw D-Generation X and The Corporation brawl at ringside, opening the door for Austin to stomp to the ring, blast The Great One with a steel chair and assist Foley in capturing the gold, it provided fans with one of those rare magical moments in wrestling when the characters, booking and storytelling all align.įoley running around the ring with his new prize overhead, then shouting out to son Dewey and daughter Noelle, "Big daddy-o did it," made for emotional television. As 49er fans, let's just hope the Rams lose for the rest of the season. 2 seed in the NFC, while the Rams sit at No. The Packers are coming off a loss to the Vikings and look to rebound this week. The Rams are coming off of a bye week after getting destroyed by the 49ers in Week 10 by a score of 31-10. The 7-3 Los Angeles Rams take on the 8-3 Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Let's hope the Dolphins can take care of business to keep the Panthers out of Wild Card position. The Panthers have an all-new, yet familiar, identity on offense after former MVP quarterback Cam Newton returned to the team that drafted him. The Panthers are currently in 10th place in the NFC and are only one game back of the 49ers.
The 4-7 Miami Dolphins take on the 5-6 Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Saints look to hold onto their 7th-seed Wild-card spot at home and take advantage of a struggling Bills team.
The Bills seek to get things right as they are coming off back-to-back weeks with embarrassing losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. On Thanksgiving Day, the Buffalo Bills (6-4) take on the Saints (5-5) in New Orleans. However, there are a few other games this week to keep an eye on that will affect positioning as teams look to make a playoff push. This game is for Wild Card position, as the 49ers look to build on their newfound momentum for the rest of the season. By now, everyone is aware of the importance of Sunday's matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings.