The Captivating Career Of Mick Foley

The man with missing teeth and an insane smile proved to be one of the most well-spoken and articulate wrestlers to ever grace the industry, but his less-than-stellar physique and unkempt hairstyle belongs to someone with millions of fans, some of whom The highlight reels of his

career

show him almost legendary, taking the falls of ill-advised specialists from high points and through sharp, jagged objects, before, during and even after his time as a best-selling author. sellers. His entire

career

can be summed up as a challenge to conventional wisdom. expectation, I suppose, at the forefront of what a wrestler is supposed to be, and yet the embodiment of the professional wrestling dream deservedly realized.

I'm Jack from Kata Home and this is the

captivating

career of Mick Foley. Mick Foley's love for professional wrestling was evident throughout. During his teenage years in the early '80s, he and his friends made home movies that may well have been among the first backyard wrestling videos. Foley plays a wide-eyed hippie ladies' man named Dude Love and one video in particular is famous for Foley jumping around. roof of a house on some mattresses, one of Foley's main inspirations was his childhood hero, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, and in October 83, 18-year-old Foley hitchhiked to Madison Square Garden, where he witnessed the famous snooker throw his patented Superfly Splash from a steel cage at a Don Muraco-prone, we thought a career in wrestling was what the wide-eyed young man wanted, the way Foley felt witnessing that moment historic is how he personally wanted wrestling fans to feel after training with two-time WWE World Tag Team Champion Dominick DiNucci in a class that included his partner Shane Douglas Foley made his in-ring debut In June 1986 in Clarksburg, West Virginia, just two months later, Foley worked several WWE television tapings as a scruffy head job to introduce the likes of the British Bulldogs and Killer Bees in tag team action in the months Coming Foley, now under the name Cactus Jack, gained experience working under matches for Bill Watts as UWF and briefly for Verne Gagne AWA, as well as on a tour of West Africa in 1987.

His first steady break came resting for Memphis. Mainland territory in the second half of 88 there, stable stable Ally Gary Young reigned for two weeks as tag champions Cactus debuted in Dallas before the end of 1988 joining Skandor Akbar devastation teaming with the likes of Super Zodiac, in marches against Jeff Jarrett. Kerry Von Erich and mat, born August 89, the jock lost and the loser leaves town March in Dallas: Eric Embry paved the way for him to begin a six-month run with WCW at the beginning of the decade despite impressing to some WCW figures with his propensity for self-sacrificial blows cactus never went above a certain level being defeated by the likes of Norman the Lunatic in the 1990 wrestling war he hunted a thousand masks in a somewhat infamous March a clash of champions shortly before , but Cactus continued to build his legend as an unpredictable madman on the independent wrestling scene in places like Herb Abrams as UWF syndicated a spring 1991 tour throughout Japan Pro Wrestling the upstart Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas and for the three Philadelphia states fighting a lion is the spiritual predecessor of ECW on August 19 a fellow caucus fighter the sadistic Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert in the precursor to the three stages of Hell March to Falls Count Anywhere Marsh a stretcher march and an all-night steel cage match the wrestling media coverage of that Foley superstar aura got much better and a week later he was back with WCW working shows while still wrestling across the tri-state, it didn't take long to Cactus found himself in the thick of things tearing up the house show circuit against United States Champion Sting, who quickly fell in love with Foley's selflessness as a performer, his limitless style manifested in matches like Halloween Havoc 90 in Juan's infamous Chamber of Horrors March, as well as the well-regarded Falls Count Anywhere March in the January '92 champions clash against Van Hammer in June '92, Cactus again battled Sting, now world champion from WCW, in a Untitled Falls Count Anywhere March at Beach Blast, which for a time Foley considered the best match of his career despite playing a deranged psychopath hell-bent on ending Sting's career, it was hard not to be seduced by Cactus Jack's exuberance as In addition to his unhinged but somehow measured promotional style, there was no wrestler like Cactus Jack and when 93 began, the Truth or Consequences New Mexico madman turned babyface after beating former ally Paul Orndorff in a Falls Count Anywhere match in SuperBrawl 3 cactus moved on. to WCW Champion Vader and a pretty infamous angle during Saturday night's WCW match.

Vader's cactus fell to the Bear arena floor, legitimately shocking Foley and causing him to experience actual numbness in his limbs. Cactus was due to return months later to seek revenge, but the potentially hot storyline was diluted in part by a silly story in which Cactus developed amnesia and lived among the homeless on the streets of Cleveland, but never mind all that because Cactus Returning later in the summer with Vader in his sights, the two fought in one. One of the most brutal marches in WCW history, a blood-charged death match in Texas at Halloween Havoc 93, was actually won by Vada after manager Harley Race hit a cactus with a cattle prod at the monks later. during a march in Munich, Germany, with Vader cactus and the cauliflower deer had its tip torn off by a combination of extra tight ropes and some hits from invaders.

Foley around this time was becoming increasingly disillusioned in WCW even as he participated in a couple of truly wild and influential tag team title matches with the Nasty Boys at Spring Stampede and Slumber. e94 teaming with Max Payne and Kevin Sullivan respectively while reigning as tag team champion in cactus debuted in ECW in June 94, losing a tape traders dream match against subbu cactus actually incurred the wrath of his main employer by spitting on his belt during an ECW promotion and as the summer progressed, Cactus further etched himself into the ECW sentiment with Public Enemy alongside Terry Funk.

When Funk missed the August 27 ECW Arena show, Cactus teamed up with the apprehensive Mikey Whipwreck and the unusual Gio scored an upset victory over Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. to capture the company's tag belts after leaving WCW for good in September 94 ECW fully balanced with several independent and international promotions participated in a handful of death marches for IWA Japan in January 95 with funk and Shoji nakamachi on a ECW protected the likes of Funk and Sandman, the latter whom he unsuccessfully challenged several times for the ECW title in August of that year. Cactus embedded his name in wrestling folklore forever by winning the famous IWA King of the Deathmatch tournament by defeating Terry Gordy in the quarterfinals before finishing. took down Nicomachean Funk in succession to win the trophy, while Tony's reputation as a living hardcore legend was virtually undisputed at this stage in ECW, ironically he was working to undo that image weeks before he and Funk attempted to emulate each other in Kawasaki cactus betrayed.

Tommy Dreamer at the ECW Arena and fell under the spell of the Dreamers' nemesis, Raven. In the weeks and months that followed, Cactus openly lamented his former life in WCW while condemning hardcore wrestling in a series of memorable promos, including one in which he did a complete 180 and gleefully. demonstrated his hardcore prowess through his deformed ear after a terrifying fire incident weeks earlier at the ECW Arena involving him and Terry Funk cactus and rave and battled funk and dreamer on November 95 to remember cactus endured his tenure in ECW in marches with Shane Douglas Chris. Jericho and Mikey suffered a shipwreck before leaving for WWE in March '96 with a bit of hesitation.

Foley divorced himself from the Cactus Jack character to become humanity. Mankind was a sewer-dwelling sociopath with some cactus-like features, although he now wore an all-brown suit that included a mask. After weeks of vignettes, Mankind debuted by defeating Bob Holly on Raw before attacking the Undertaker at the end of the night. Throughout the summer of '96, humanity actually bested the Freak by defeating him once in King of the Ring before defeating him again. In a boiler room match at SummerSlam after Paul Bearer betrayed his old ally in the final moments, Foley's performances as humanity were quite impressive, whether it was a genuine match with Shawn Michaels, who Foley Later said he replaced his personal favorite matches or the first match buried alive again facing the Undertaker in the spring of '97, Mankind began a sudden turn towards the babyface side of things by participating in a compelling interview with Jim Ross where he explained your dreams and regrets naturally. ended with him as sold in jr.

But what was expected from that tenuous turn came the culmination of all three phases of Foley when Dude Love arrived to help Steve Austin win a match for the vacant tag team titles and Cactus Jack stormed MSG by defeating Triple H in a Wild Falls Count Anywhere. Foley would come in and out of tricks as a friendlier if that's the right word. The Horde version of the movie was somewhat divided. Wrestling are all three in the Royal Rumble 98 match when Dude Love came into conflict with the New Age Cactus Outlaws. To put them in his place, he is flanked, of course, by Terry Funk, now dressed as a chainsaw.

Hardcore legend Charlie defeated the Outlaws in a dumpster match at WrestleMania 14 to capture the belts only to lose them again in a cage match the following night. Foley, disgusted and pointing fingers, appeared to retire the Cactus Jack character before resuming his life as the slightly less innocent Dude Love. Life became Vince McMahon's first weapon in the war against WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. He defeated Austin by DQ at Unforgiven 98, earning an over-the-top rematch with Screwjob, the happy Vince as referee in partisan and Brisco in official in-ring capacities, but with Undertaker there to stop the corporate contingent from cheating.

Dude Love and Steve Austin had a hell of a fight in one of WWE's wildest and most dramatic titles. storyline matches in the end, Austin survived, prompting a furious McMahon to fire Dude Love the following night on Raw, but not to worry as humanity suddenly returned helping Kane defeat The Undertaker, renewing old hostilities with his lifelong nemesis, this led, of course, to the most famous. Long assassination attempt in wrestling history when humanity fought Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell in '98 King of the Ring, one could even argue that Foley's real opponent was the Angel of Death after falling twice from the looming structure suffering multiple internal injuries and a separated shoulder before being deposited twice on the thumbtacks, everyone forgets those thumbtacks because they came after the big falls, but they were pretty unpleasant and the whole spectacle is remembered as one of the most legendary matches in history, one in which the loser truly came out on top. a bigger star than the victim given he gutted us throughout the entire ordeal, it was difficult to keep Foley as a heel for much longer after a golden partnership with Cain dissolved at SummerSlam, sympathetic humanity was a face once again , although he gravitated toward the grumpy Vince.

McMahon as a father figure in this period humanity introduced the world to Mr. Socko used the innocent accessory as a complement to his jaw claw finish when the WWE title became vacant. Mankind established themselves as a top contender by receiving the new hardcore championship while also showing blind loyalty to Vince's cause. What a silly idea! As it turned out, of course, he was ruined in the tournament finals in favor of McMahon, who would become Mankind's new rival for the next few months on the January 4, 1999 episode of Monday Night Raw. he defeated Rock to become WWE Champion in perhaps the best example that you deserve a guaranteed shot.

He would trade the belt with Rock in memorable fashion, including a terrifying forfeit match at the Royal Rumble, a frantic match in an empty arena at halftime. Heat the first one. Mankind won their last WWE Championship inSummerSlam 99 in a triple threat over Steve Austin and Triple H before dropping him to Helmsley the next night on Raw. At this point, the rock was now also a babyface and he and Foley formed the quintessential wrestling duo, connecting the rock and the sock together, the pair holding the gold in pairs while humanity's kind nurse rubbed the rock incorrectly, particularly in The Rock's now-famous ratings-grabber This Is Your Life segment.

Foley also released the first of many books titled Have a Nice Day, A Story of Blood and Sweat. However, he was staring retirement in the face, as his risky, body-butter-heavy 13+ style was really taking its toll, but one more great career. waited for the hardcore legend during a rivalry with WWE Champion Triple H at the turn of the century humanity gave way to a return of Cactus Jack the pair spilled tons of blood in an excellent street fight at the 2000 Rumble with cactus carving Triple H with barbed wire before you lose again due to the tacks, stay away from the tacks buddy, come next month with barbed wire and shoot your way to the title against Korea.

Marche in Hell in a Cell, where Foley's career ended in an absolute blaze of glory, but he got one. final bounty before losing a spot in the WWE title match at Wrestlemania 2000, allowing Foley to say that he made it to the main event of Wrestlemania at least once. Foley would not remain absent from WWE for long, appearing at the beginning of the summer as the on-screen commissioner, a baby-faced authority figure who put his all into the role, made difficult decisions and demonstrated his incredible ingenuity, particularly in segments. hilarious with Edge and Christian, as the incredible duo developed their gleefully unpleasant characters, however, Foley lost his job later that year via a ruthless Vince, but Foley would get some revenge at WrestleMania x-seven while officiating the Vince versus Shane match , bubbling the president's moments after Linda McMahon kicked her husband in the fall of 2001.

Foley then took a year off from the WWE scene, but would reappear in 2003 as a last-minute guest referee for the Triple H's title match against Kevin Nash at Bad Blood, not long after Randy Orton kicked Foley into a ladder, which wouldn't begin to see a payoff until six months later, temporarily installed as co-CEO of the row, who was completely defeated by a match with Orton and was subsequently treated like a coward by The Legend Killer, so Foley broke out of in-ring retirement to enter the 2004 Royal Rumble match, surprising Orton on his way to a spot. double elimination and then at WrestleMania 20, Foley reunited with The Rock in a handicap match losing to Evolution Orden, ric Flair and Batista, but the following month, Foley helped Orden achieve his star turn in a tough war.

Backlash surpassed the 24-year-old upstart in a big way in the years that followed, Foley made many guest appearances on both Fotolia Without Honor and Various Indies, where he usually served as a guest referee or authority figure, but in WWE, Foley He himself had a busy 2006 wrestling the upper hand at WrestleMania 22 in a fiery bloodbath before joining the Radar Superstar in a crusade against ECW. This unusual heel turn also saw the semi-active Foley fight in a rich style based on since-buried bad blood. two and against each other in the past, Foley joined WWE's broadcast team in 2008, a short-lived role that led to his departure from the company in August of that year, but WWE's loss was for a time to benefit TNA when Foley joined.

Then, the alternative to her long-term employer at Limited Judy Foley feuded with Main Event Mafia, thus renewing her old rivalry with Sting and then locked out in 2009. Foley actually won the TNA World Heavyweight Title and held it for two months before falling to Kurt Angle. in a King of the Mountain March at Slammiversary for the next two years, Foley remained in mostly non-wrestling roles before leaving in June 2011, by the fall he was back in WWE's good graces and even He participated in an angle with The Rock that November, in the run-up to Survivor Series, the 2012 Royal Rumble actually marked Foley's final match, a six-and-a-half-minute tentpole in which the 46-year-old icon performed three eliminations, a planned fight with an eventual call-up Dean Ambrose was sadly ruled out as well Foley's condition and decided to retire completely from the sport in 2013 Foley was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame almost 30 years after seeing billiards take to the skies to crush Don Muraco for better and for worse.

Mick Foley has proven to be a source of infinite inspiration, whether it be his bravery in skin-tearing discomfort or his dedication to his craft, as well as his genuine humility outside of the ring. Mick Foley may, in some ways, have embodied an unlikely star wrestler, but for those who look beyond subjective aesthetics. It's hard to argue that anyone has deserved his spoils more. Thank you so much for watching and let us know what you think in the comments section below. You can follow kala holic on Twitter the holic and on Facebook at facebook.com/forward slash Coulter. holic, if you enjoy what we do, check out our slash on patreon com called aholic where you can pledge and of course don't forget, most important of all, subscribe and join us.