Mick Foley

At 59 years old, Mick Foley has this physical status:

Professional wrestling career

Foley attended Dominic DeNucci's wrestling academy in Freedom, Pennsylvania, where he worked several hours a week from his college campus in Cortland, New York, where he debuted in 1983. Foley and several other students also participated in squash matches for WWF TV tapings of Prime Time Wrestling and Superstars of Wrestling, where Foley wrestled under the names Jack Foley and Nick Foley. Foley and Les Thornton (another jobber) clashed with the British Bulldogs in one of these matches (the first time a ringer had a reputation as a tough worker) clothlined Foley with such ferocity that he was unable to eat solid food for several weeks. Foley also competed against other top-level players at the time, such as Hercules Hernandez. He would not have a long career if he hadn't signed a deal with the promotion at the time. He was also billed from various hometowns and at various weights during this period.

Foley started receiving bids from various local promotions, including Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). Cactus Jack was the Cactus Jack, who teamed with Gary Young as part of the Stud Stable in Memphis, Tennessee. In late 1988, Cactus and Young briefly dominated the CWA tag titles for a short time. Foley, a Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling, competed in the CWA on November 20.

Cactus Jack Manson, who was billed as Cactus Jack Manson in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), was a central figure in Skandor Akbar's stable. (Due to Foley's implied association to Charles Manson, the addition of "Manson" made him uncomfortable.) Foley also won various titles, including the company's light heavyweight and tag team championships, before leaving the company, losing in nine seconds to Eric Embry in his last match. He appeared in Alabama's Continental Wrestling Federation for a brief period before returning to World Championship Wrestling for a brief period of time. He will often work with jobbers during a large portion of his time there. Cactus Jack will hurt his partner, throw them out of the arena, and drop his infamous ring apron flying elbow on the concrete floor if they were to lose the match for the team. He did this in Gainesville, Georgia, against the growing tag team of brothers Rick and Scott Steiner, one of the most physical and toughest wrestlers at the time. Cactus was partnered with Rick Fargo for one-time, and after taking serious beatings from both Steiner brothers and losing the game, the team then began fighting with Fargo, with the apron to elbow Fargo in the abdomen, according to Kevin Sullivan's instructions. Ric Flair, Sullivan, lead WCW booker, and other WCW executives were enthused, and Foley's contract was eventually offered, and Foley finally found some financial stability after years of hardship. His best match at the time was against Mil Máscaras a few weeks later at Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout, where he took a particularly violent bump backward off the 3 foot (0.91 m) high apron and landed on the concrete floor, with his head and back taking the brunt of the blow. Foley was involved in a car accident that resulted in the loss of his two front teeth, contributing to his distinctive appearance. Foley joined the Universal Wrestling Federation after a brief stint with WCW, and later signed with Herb Abrams. Foley joined Bob Orton in a dispute with Don Muraco, Sunny Beach, and Brian Blair in UWF.

Foley soon left UWF for Tri-State Wrestling (a forerunner to Extreme Championship Wrestling), because of his high-impact and brutal wrestling style, which aligned with Foley's high-impact and brutal wrestling style. Eddie Gilbert and Eddie Gilbert held a Barbed Wire match in Philadelphia on May 18, a sight not often seen in professional wrestling in the United States and an object Foley would often identify with. Barbed wire will be wrapped around the rings, and Cactus and Gilbert bled heavily and culminated in the match's conclusion when Gilbert threw Cactus into the rings ropes and he did a hangman, but only this time was his head tangled with the top two ring ropes and barbed wire. Cactus Jack and Eddie Gilbert had three matches in one night, during Tri-State's Summer Sizzler 1991, Cactus Jack and Eddie Gilbert lost a Stretcher tournament, and then proceeded to a double disqualification in a Steel Cage match. In large part due to widespread photo circulation, these matches attracted the interest of World Championship Wrestling promoters. Foley joined WCW full-time in 1991 after a brief stint with the Global Wrestling Federation.

Cactus Jack debuted as a heel on September 5, 1991, and he charged Sting. Cactus Jack defeated Sting, then WCW World Heavyweight Champion, beating Abdullah in a non-title Falls Count Anywhere match at Beach Blast in 1992, which Sting defeated. Foley considered this match to be the best he's ever played for a long time. Unlike Jack's first stint in WCW, where his personality was still hysterical, he was now outwardly maniacal, yelling his opponents and yelling his signature catch, "Bang-Bang!" "I'm going to say goodbye."

After being entangled in a feud with Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, and Big Van Vader, Jack transformed into a fan favorite. In a match for a spot on the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Valiant's squad in Clash of the Champions XXII, Jack and Orndorff wrestled each other. Race and Orndorff defeated Jack after the match, beating up Jack. Cactus Jack was instrumental in Sting's victory over Champions in the following Clash of Champions event. He was involved in a feud with Orndorff, winning a matches against Orndorff at SuperBrawl III. He then proceeded to face Big Van Vader.

On April 6, 1993, Cactus Jack defeated Big Van Vader by counting out, but he was largely defeated in the process. Vader, a talented and athletic wrestler, was a heralded wrestler who had been trained in the Japanese "strong" style, and he was surprisingly tough, so many wrestlers refused to work with him out of fear of serious injury. Foley, on the other hand, decided to continue his duties with Valiant, and as a result of Cactus' victory in a rematch with Valiant on April 24, the two teams were in a difficult situation to sell a storyline injury. The protective mats at Ringside and Vader powerbombed Cactus onto the exposed concrete floor, resulting in a valid concussion and prompting Foley to temporarily lose sensation in his left foot. Though Foley was absent, WCW explored an angle in which Cactus Jack's absence, which culminated in a farcical comedy plot line in which he went insane, was analyzed, later escaped, and then developed amnesia. Foley had hoped that the injury storyline be accurate and bring him genuine compassion before his return. WCW's comedic vignettes, on the other hand, were so bad that Foley jokes in Have a Nice Day that they were the brainchild of WCW employees who viewed a definite moneymaking feud as a problem that must be addressed. The angle was named "Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic" by the respected Wrestling Newsletter Observer.

Cactus Jack defeated Vader in a Texas Deathmatch (a twist on a Last Man Standing match) in New Orleans on October 24, after the wheel spinning and the wheel stopping at this match choice. Race won the competition for Valiant by using a stun gun on Cactus, knocking him out of the match. The level of brutality and brutality in this match stunned the audience and commentators; they did not discuss much during the second half of the match. On a pay-per-view basis, WCW, a family-friendly charity, was able to refuse to book Cactus Jack against Valiant. Cactus and Big Van Vader played in Munich, Germany, on March 16, 1994, during a WCW European tour. Cactus began as a hangman, but neither wrestler knew that the ring ropes had been tightened before the match, and Cactus was unable to move. His ears were already split at the back as Cactus finally freed himself from the ropes and fell out of the ring. The two wrestlers locked up when Cactus regained the Ring, exchanging blows. During this time, Vader reached up and pulled Cactus' right ear off and ripped it off. As the referee picked up the ear and handed it to the ring announcer, the two guys continued wrestling. Vader claimed for years that the ear had been missing during the botched Hangman operation, but in a WWE Network video, Vader admits that after seeing a video that confirms that he had indeed removed Cactus's ear, he apologized. At Slamboree in 1994, Cactus and Kevin Sullivan had been expected to win the tag team championships. Foley was forced to choose between reattaching his ears or wrestling in the pay-per-view and capturing the titles. Foley decided to wrestle and captured his first title in WCW. Foley was enraged by WCW and company's new chief Eric Bischoff's inability to execute a storyline with Vain around losing his ear later on. Foley's agony turned into a triumph for him with Bischoff in charge. Foley's contract with WCW did not last. Foley's last match for WCW was a violent and turbulent tag-team match against The Nasty Boys, where Cactus was paired with Maxx Payne against the Nasty Boys. Cactus lost the game after being pushed off a 3 foot (0.91 m) high stage and landing first on the concrete.

During this time, WCW portrayed Cactus on ECW television as the WCW Tag Team champion, facing Sabu at Hostile City Showdown on June 24, 1994, the WCW also gave a brief co-promotion with ECW. Foley feuded with his Tag Team banner belt during a promo and threw it to the ground to please the hardcore fans who feared the mainstream media.

Foley fought as Cactus Jack in several promotions in the United States and Japan, including Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and IWA in Japan. Foley began flying between the United States and Japan in January 1995 and will mainly alternate wrestling in ECW and IWA for 14 months, doing a lot of work with his mentor and friend Terry Funk. Foley has also won championships on the Ozark Mountain and Steel City circuits.

Cactus Jack made his first appearance at the NWA-affiliated Eastern Championship Wrestling on May 31, 1994, with Cactus as Sabu's opponent for the first time in Philadelphia on June 24. Foley, who was part of ECW & WCW's talent exchange, spit on it for a live ECW television show segment. Foley continued with ECW and began a rivalry with Sabu. Foley then began working with Terry Funk, Mikey Whipwreck, and Kevin Sullivan on teams. Whipwreck was ECW, but he was also instructing the young Whipwreck.

Foley became Cactus Jack at the tail end of 1994, causing Boo Bradley to miss the SMW Championship. He and Brian Lee used to feud with Bradley and Chris Candido. Cactus began a crusade to rid Bradley of his vainque Tamara Fytch. When Candido accused Candido of having sexual relations with Fytch, he reignited a feud between Candido and Bradley. (In real life, Candido and Fytch were a couple). Before the conflict was settled, Cactus Jack left SMW.

Foley, on the other hand, rejoined ECW to feud with The Sandman shortly. Funk returned to work with Sandman, and the two struck Cactus Jack with a kendo stick forty-six times in a barbed wire rope match. At the Hostile City Showdown 1995, Cactus defeated Funk. Sandman defeated Sandman repeatedly in the ECW World Heavyweight Championship later in the series. Sandman was unconscious during their match at Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams, and the champion was named the champion. Referee Bill Alfonso, on the other hand, reversed his decision because the position cannot be changed hands by knockout. Foley then began to have a string of violent encounters with the Sandman, accusing him of never being defeated in a Falls Count Anywhere match. He then joined Tommy Dreamer's team. Foley was different from other traditional wrestlers, according to Heyman, so ECW, Foley was correct at home. Foley, on the other hand, did not enjoy working with Sandman as Sandman was often intoxicated during games and could not function properly; Sandman's overall health was a large part of Sandman's game plan; drinking large amounts of beer and smoking cigarettes made up a significant portion of the Sandman's overall gimmick.

Foley's 1995-1996 debut was an interesting year, particularly during his time in ECW. Two events prompted him to change his mind about a career that most believed made him feel like he was at home. One night, there was a sign in front of the audience saying "Cane Dewey" (this was done with Foley's permission but later understood), followed by a warning to use a Singapore cane on Foley's real-life eldest son, who was 3 years old at the time, but later learned), and then witnessing a botch in the first match of Wrestlepalooza, where J.T. was present), before he died. Smith took a dive, slipped off the ring apron, and landed head first on the concrete. Smith's head began swelling on the spot, and the audience responded to Smith's botch, "you f***ed up." These incidents angered the normally jovial Foley so much that he cut several memorable and scathing promos during this period to channel his ferocious indignation and indignation against ECW followers, who argued that much was demanded from him and the ECW roster. Foley went on a gambit where he condemned hardcore wrestling, vowed to renounce his status as a hardcore wrestling hero, and attempted to renounce his identity as a hardcore wrestling celebrity and criticized the audience by using a stifled and technical wrestling style. He said he was on a mission to save his partner from making the mistake of trying to please bloodthirsty followers. Foley later confessed in a 2015 interview that he remained indifferent towards ECW and its fanbase after Wrestlepalooza.

Cactus Jack and Dreamer's mismatched partnership continued until Wrestlepalooza, when Cactus took on Dreamer while Cactus was playing against Raven, Stevie Richards, and Big Dick Dudley (Dudley and Big Dick Dudley). As he wanted to use Raven's "greater cause," Cactus DDT'ed his partner and joined Raven's Nest. He was one of Raven's top henchmen for the remainder of his ECW service. Cactus defeated the previously undefeated 911 on August 28, ending the unbeaten 911. On ECW television, he began celebrating WWF and WCW, which enraged ECW followers. When word of Foley's departure from the WWF sparked, his indignation soared. Foley told a Nice Day that he had been asked an ECW roadie to sell T-shirts for him at an event held in Queens, New York, where he had been chastised many times (including as a heel). Foley was greeted by the ECW fanbase everywhere he went, even as he attempted to give sincere good-byes to the fans. Cactus Jack was scheduled to face WWF hater Shane Douglas, who won after handcuffed Cactus and then struck him with no fewer than ten straight chair shots, and then landed Mikey Whipwreck into the arena and land one last hard chair shot to Cactus's face, knocking him unconscious.

Foley's last ECW match was against Whipwreck on March 9, 1996, at Big Ass Extreme Bash, and he admits he was not looking forward to it because of the increasingly hostile reactions he received even when he wasn't in character. Foley's last match, according to the ECW fans, who had no idea that this was his last game, he's restored his affection. Throughout the game, they applauded him and yelled, "Please don't go." Foley told the audience that his reaction made everything worthwhile and made his departure from dancing with Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" after the game. Foley has said that this exit was his favorite moment in wrestling.

Foley went to Japan and sparred with Terry Funk and Shoji Nakamaki in 1995, during his time in ECW and other positions in the United States, where he also wrestled in the International Wrestling Association of Japan (IWA Japan), where he was involved in feuds with Terry Funk and Shoji Nakamaki. Foley had the nickname "Tsunami Stopper" during his brief stay in Japan. The level of brutality and brutality in hardcore wrestling matches in Japan were much higher than in Western promotions (except for ECW), something that Western wrestlers were not used to. In a game that featured barbed wire as the ring ropes and objects were set on fire, Cactus met Funk in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Scramble Bunkhouse Deathmatch at the Honjo Gymnasium in Saitama, just north of Tokyo. Foley and Funk mostly bragged in the seating area among the crowd, with folding chairs everywhere. Funk converted a Spinebuster by Cactus into a DDT after several violent scenes involving flaming chairs, flaming iron rods, Funk Hip-tossing Cactus' head, and Funk slamming Cactus' head into a wooden table, transforming him into a Cactus slamming Cactus' head into a wooden table. "Looking back, this match in Honjo is undoubtedly the one I'm proud of," Foley wrote in 2010. Cactus Jack was involved in a feud with Leatherface, who had been trayed during a tag team match.

However, perhaps Foley's most memorable matches of Foley's time in Japan were on August 20, 1995, where IWA produced a King of the Death Match tournament at their Kawasaki Stadium in its namesake city, which featured some of the youngest, most violent, and brutal matches of Foley's career. Hundreds of thousands of viewers were on hand at the tournament's first-round, which featured a barbed-wire baseball bat, thumbtack deathmatch in which he defeated Terry Gordy; the second round featured a barbed-wire board, bed of nails, and Cactus Jack defeated Shoji Nakamaki. The final was a barbed wire rope, exploding barbed wire boards, and a exploding ring time bomb deathmatch, which Cactus Jack defeated with the assistance of Tiger Jeet Singh. Both men were swarmed in blood, flesh cut from the wire, and badly wounded by the C4 explosions. Foley later revealed that he only received $300 for the entire night. Foley's right arm suffered second-degree burns from the C-4 explosions from the match with Funk and his arm smelt of explosive chemicals after the tournament. His father picked him up from the airport to carry him back to his Long Island home, but noticed something strange right away. When Foley returned home, his father and wife were worried about the awful stench, but he refused to say anything because he did not want them to be concerned. His wife told him the fires had been revealed to her after his father died, so she told her.

Foley continued wrestling in Japan, then teamed with Tracy Smothers, Tiger Jeet Singh, The Headhunters, and Bob Bargail for several runs at the IWA tag team championships, as well as a few runs at the IWA championship, where he defeated Tarzan Goto. Foley's other matches included bricks, body bags, thumbtacks, barbed wire, and panes, as well as fire. He would continue wrestling in Japan until June 1996; Foley's last significant match against W*ING Kanemura, which Cactus defeated, was a Caribbean Barbed Wire Barricade Glass Deathmatch in Japan.

The WWF took on Foley in 1996, when Foley, who Foley knew in his days in WCW, did not use him as a "enhancement specialist." McMahon was not a fan of Cactus Jack and wanted to hide Foley's face from public view, so he was shown several models for a new heel character, a man with a leather mask and chains named Mason the Mutilator. However, WWF decided that it was too dark and only left the mask, and that although interested in the concept of the character, Foley did not like the name, so McMahon accepted Mankind. Foley, determined not to make the Mankind character Cactus Jack with a mask and a different outfit, shrieked "Mommy" repeatedly throughout his matches, and he was apparently deranged. George, a rat who performed acts of masochism (such as pulling out his hair), was always on alert, and wore a mask. Mankind's last act was the Mandible Claw nerve hold, which involved sticking his ring and middle fingers into his opponent's mouth. "Have a nice day," his catch, who was never perplexed. Boiler Room Brawl's special match was born as a result of his stint with boiler rooms. This special match is both chaotic and risky, with heavy use of weaponry taking place inside an arena's mechanical/boiler room. Combatants involved in the tournament used everything from foreign objects to all sorts of exposed metal piping, concrete floors, and solid electrical equipment, all allowed by the match's no disqualification and no counting system. In most cases, the object of the game was to escape the boiler room first.

Mankind debuted on television and shocked Bob "Spark Plug" Holly on Monday Night Raw in San Bernardino, California, the day after WrestleMania XII, the day before WrestleMania XII, escalating into a feud with The Undertaker. Foley, a creatively inclined and dedicated fan, began to prepare for playing Mankind by researching the story, often spending the night in the respective arena's boiler room and occasionally under the wrestling ring for the first few months, but after that, he could get into character very quickly. The two players then began competing in other's matches until they were booked in the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl at SummerSlam, and the combatant had to reach the ring and retrieve the urn from Paul Bearer. After more than 20 minutes of brawling in the boiler room, the backstage corridors, and the exposed concrete floor, The Undertaker appeared to have won, but Paul Bearer refused to hand over the urn, effectively ending Paul and The Undertaker's feud. Although Paul Bearer was Mankind's boss, Mankind referred to him as "Uncle Paul." Mankind then became the top ten contenders to face Shawn Michaels, the nei Wolf champion, in In Your House: Mind Games. Michaels was disqualified by a combination of Vain and The Undertaker, who was unable to distinguish Michaels.

With the first-ever Buried Alive match at In Your House, the Mankind-undertaker rivalry raged. Buried Alive is now on. The wrestler won the contest, but Paul Bearer, Executioner, Mankind, and other heels assaulted The Undertaker and buried him alive. The Undertaker then challenged Mankind to a match at Survivor Series, which the Undertaker won. The feud raged after another match at In Your House: The Taker's Revenge of the Taker for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, which Undertaker had won at WrestleMania 13. Undertaker won the game, but the Bears were forced to leave early, igniting the feud. Jim Ross began recording a sequence of interviews with Mankind. Ross talked about Foley's home videos and the hippie-inspired character he portrayed in them, as well as his difficult journey in wrestling. The fans were also affected by the interviews, who were still a heel at this point.

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels were champions of Owen Hart's WWF Tag Team Championships, but Michaels was ill and could no longer participate, so he could no longer participate. Mankind attempted to replace him, but Austin said he wanted "nothing to do with a freak" and that he resigned himself to face Hart and the Bulldog alone next week. Foley introduced Dude Love, the Austin native who aided Austin in the victory, becoming the new Tag Team Champions half half way into the match. Dude Love featured "Love Handle" (a renamed Mandible Claw) and "Sweet Shine Music" (a simple kick to the shins, a play on Shawn Michaels' finishing move) in addition to Dude Love's final move). When Austin sustained a neck injury in a match at SummerSlam in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Austin and Foley vacated their tag team titles. In a Falls Count Anywhere match, Dude Love feuded with Hunter Hearst Helmsley. In which Dude Love and Mankind debated who should face the upcoming match in one of Foley's most memorable vignettes, one of the match's most popular vignettes aired before the match began. "They" eventually decided that it should be Cactus Jack, and Foley's old friend made his WWF debut as a face. Cactus Jack won the game with a piledriver over a table.

Foley (as Mankind) wrestled Sabu at Terry Funk's WrestleFest in September 1997, an event held to honor Foley's friend Terry Funk's retirement. Funk, on the other hand, announced his resignation soon after the fact, and in December 1997, he became "Chainsaw Charlie," aligning himself with Foley.

Foley performed under all three personas, including Cactus Jack (1st entry), Mankind (16th), and Dude Love (28th). At WrestleMania XIV, Charlie and Cactus defeated the New Age Outlaws in a Dumpster match to win the tag team championships (which had been intended to be a barbed-wire rope match, but the often tense and bloody match was called off due to Mike Tyson's high-profile presence at the game). Vince McMahon stripped them of their belts next night, citing Charlie and Cactus' throwing of the Outlaws in a random backstage garbage can, not the original dumpster, and not the Outlaws' rematch in a steel cage, which the Outlaws won with assistance from their new allies, D-Generation X. Foley walked away from the arena on April 6, 1998, when Cactus announced that the fans would not like him anymore because they didn't understand him and only cared about Stone Cold Steve Austin: fans began to leave the arena a minute or two before their match ended, after a hard-fought match with Terry Funk in Albany. Howard Finkel, the Ring announcer who announced that Austin, the country's hottest wrestler, would be on the show, and the audience erupted, with many returning to their seats. Foley later admitted that his audience reaction was hurt, that his hard work would not match Austin's fame, and that he would not be the company's best wrestler to face the company's megastar. Vince McMahon revealed to Austin this week that he would face a "mystery" enemy at Unforgiven. Austin retained the name after Dude Love, who ended the match by disqualification. Foley was dissatisfied with the result, and McMahon was forced to show that he deserved another shot at Austin's title against his former colleague, Terry Funk. The match was both the WWF's first-ever "Hardcore match" and the first time Foley wrestled under his name. Foley was successful, and after the match, a proud McMahon came out to Dude Love's music and presented Foley with a Dude Love costume. Dude Love defeated Austin for the title at Over the Edge. Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, McMahon's timekeeper and ring announcer, were given the timekeeper and ring announcer, and he made himself the special referee. However, the Undertaker came to ringside to ensure McMahon called the call correctly, and Dude Love lost the match and was "fired" by McMahon on the June 1 episode of Raw.

Foley reverted to his Mankind character, who had morphed into a more human and less creaturelike appearance, started wearing an untucked shirt with a loose necktie, and also renewed his wrestling rivalry with The Undertaker on the same episode. The two competed in the third Hell in a Cell match in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena on June 28, becoming one of the most notable competitions in professional wrestling history. Foley sustained numerous injuries and suffered two major bumps, the first being kicked off the top of the 16 feet (4.9 m) high Cell by The Undertaker, crashing through the Spanish announcer's wooden table and landing on the arena's concrete floor. After Terry Funk and others attempted to discourage him, Foley, barely five minutes after the first bump with a broken shoulder, climbed to the top of the Cell. The second bump, which was unplanned, came as The Undertaker choked Foley and Foley's fenced panel Foley broke and gave way to The Undertaker. Foley then crept 13 feet (4.0 m) through the Cell and landed on the ring mat, missing a tooth along the way. To bring a plot to an end, mankind had to abandon the game.

Although common knowledge holds that Foley's ascension to top event status was due to the match, live television audiences did not immediately get behind Mankind. Foley, who competed with Kane, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Undertaker, for a few months, decided that crowds would be more effective if Mankind were more of a joke, and that fans would react more as a goofy, broke down oaf. After Kane turned on him, he began to transition into this role after the SummerSlam championships in 1998.

Foley's next month began a feud with Vince McMahon, with Mankind attempting to be a mentor to the hated Mr. McMahon. On the October 5 episode of Raw, when McMahon was in a hospital nursing wounds, Mankind appeared on a male clown named Yurple in an attempt to cheer him up. Mankind then took a filthy sock off his foot to create "Mr. Socko," a soothing McMahon. Socko, which was supposed to be a one-time joke and was suggested by Al Snow, has become a overnight sensation. Mankind began holding the sock before applying his finishing device, the Mandible Claw, by inserting a musty sock in the mouths of opposing wrestlers. The sweat sock became incredibly popular among the fans, mainly because it was sold (mostly by Jerry "The King" Lawler during the performances) as a filthy, sweaty, repulsive, and vile sock. McMahon coerced Mankind, who saw the WWF president as a father figure, into doing his bidding. McMahon founded the WWF Hardcore Championship and awarded it to Mankind, making him the first-ever champion of the hardcore division. Mankind was subsequently favored to win the WWF Championship at Survivor Series, as McMahon seemed to be manipulating the tournament in order to ensure Mankind would win. Both he and The Rock reached the finals, where McMahon defeated Mankind on Mankind. McMahon ordered the timekeeper to ring the bell even though Mankind did not reply, a reference to the Montreal Screwjob from the year before. Mankind's face was made as a result of the Survivor Series, but The Rock turned heel and became McMahon's new Crown Jewel.

The corporation, Mankind, won a trophy shot against The Rock at Rock Bottom: In Your House. Mankind won the match by using his nimble claw hold (with the 'Mr.' Socko's prop was on his hand, and the referee announced that the Rock had become unresponsive. However, McMahon overruled the renaming because Mankind didn't keep his pre-match promise to make The Rock submit, which was disregarded by McMahon. Mankind defeated The Rock in his first WWF Championship in Worcester, Massachusetts, after several weeks of battling the Corporation. The taped show was broadcast on January 4, 1999, the date WWE announces as the start of the season. In professional wrestling, having title changes on broadcast television rather than pay-per-view was rare, but television ratings became more important as a result of the Monday Night Wars. Eric Bischoff, the head of rival promotion WCW, was trying to profit from the fact that Mankind's title victory was streamed live on Monday. The Mankind-Rock match had been broadcast live throughout the week, with announcer Tony Schiavone announcing the conclusion before it was broadcast. "That'll put a lot of butts in the seats," he mumbled. WCW's change backfired as Nielsen results showed that Raw took the ratings battle that night, despite the fact that the New World Order was reformed. According to Foley, large numbers of viewers migrated from Nitro to Raw, and felt a great deal of pride from this-and-WCW never defeated the WWF in the television ratings ever again.

In what is regarded as one of the company's most brutal matches, Mankind lost the WWF Championship to The Rock in a "I Quit" match (a sort of submission match) at the Royal Rumble in Anaheim, California. Foley took several violent and deadly bumps from The Rock all over the arena, including repeated steel chair shots to the head and a fall from the stands into solid electrical equipment that sparked upon impact. Although steel chair shots to the head were common in the Attitude Period, the most a wrestler would take in a single ten-minute match was two, or even three, with their hands in front of their head to minimize the impact and reduce the chance of a concussion. Foley had been arrested in a two-and-a-half minutes, none of whom had been handcuffed right before The Rock began his repetitious onslaught. Foley was supposed to take five chair shots to the head after the fifth shot fell to Foley's back, and the Rock continued to hit Foley six times in the head until they hit the two-thirds mark. Foley's wife Collette and five-year-old daughter Noelle both erupted in amazement as this match was replayed in Barry Blaustein's documentary Beyond the Mat, which depicts the effect the match had on Foley, his family, and even the rest of the audience, with Noelle claiming her father was dead as Foley's father was yelling Foley, his son and even the entire audience, and even the audience at ringside, and s The match had erupted to the point where some people in the audience yelled at The Rock and ordered that they should call him and the referee to call it off. Mankind's memory was lost, and The Rock's allies played "I Quit" from a video of Mankind saying "I Quit" from a previous interview with Shane McMahon.

Mankind regained the title after defeating Halftime Heat, which aired during halftime of Super Bowl XXIII, in the WWF's first-ever Empty Arena match in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. Mankind took a filthy sock from his foot, the arena's hallways, an office, and the catering hall, and then used a forklift to pin a subpoena in a basement loading area after 20 minutes of brawling in the ring. The two then competed in a Last Man Standing match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, which ended without a winner, ensuring Mankind retained the title. Mr. McMahon called a ladder match for the championship next night, which The Rock won with the help of The Big Show. Mankind will continue to WrestleMania XV to defeat The Big Show and then at Backlash a month later in a brutal and brutal Boiler Room Brawl, where the object of the match had been reduced from the 1996 match to just getting to the boiler room. Over The Edge, the corporation that was not part of the Big Show would compete with Mankind, Test, and Shamrock. Foley and the Rock 'n' Sock Connection, a comedy team formed later this year, became one of the most popular clubs at the time. On three occasions, the pair competed in the tag team championships. One of the most memorable matches was a Buried Alive match pitted the Rock 'n' Sock Connection against The Undertaker and The Big Show, who were out for revenge after losing the tag titles one week earlier. Mankind was thrown off the stage, landing hard on the dirt, and falling into the grave, and Mankind was thrown almost 25 feet (7.6 meters) in total. Foley helped Rawl gain the highest ratings ever with a segment starring himself (as Mankind) and The Rock. On September 27, 1999, "This Is Your Life" segment aired for an 8.4 percent, with Yurple the Clown making another appearance. Foley briefly reverted to his Cactus Jack persona for a Hardcore handicap match against Ministry of Shadow members Viscera and Mideon on May 10, 1999, which Cactus won; the match saw Cactus use two basketballs as weapons.

Foley returned from knee surgery to resurrect his feud with Triple H in August 1999, who had kayfabe injured Foley's left knee with his sledgehammer. Mankind drew with Triple H in a match for the number one contender in the WWF Championship, which culminated in a Triple Threat match between Steve Austin, Triple H, and Mankind at SummerSlam for the title. Foley crowned the reigning champion Austin for the third time at SummerSlam. Mankind's victory triggered an outraged Triple H assault in Austin, denying Austin's absence while recovering from a knee injury. Triple H defeated Mankind in his first WWF title, beating him on Monday night. Triple H defeated Mankind in another Boiler Room Brawl match fought by Vince McMahon in September 23, the third in a five-match "gauntlet" tournament set against Triple H. Foley also started to notice that he was going to have to die soon, in addition to the severe physical strain he had suffered on his body, he had began to suffer with cognitive difficulties such as forgetting simple bodily movements and learning how to write and spell basic words. Foley's last match was supposed to be a tag team match with Al Snow in November 1999, but Foley felt that the company would suffer too badly if another one of their main stars, Stone Cold Steve Austin, was out with a broken neck), even as The Rock's biggest stars went back to the roster. So Foley, despite the poor health he was in, decided to wait a few months before Austin's return, and this is when he continued his feud with Triple H.

Mankind's feud with Triple H began when he was supposed to have his last Boiler Room Brawl match with "Santa Claus." Mean Street Posse, Billy Gunn, and Road Dogg all dressed up as Santa Claus, and he was assaulted by him. Before Triple H appeared as a 6th Santa Clause and brought down Mankind, Mankind became "Santa Claus" and won the Boiler Room and claimed to win as "Santa Clauses." Mick Foley and the Rock had a "Pink Slip on a Pole Match" on December 27, 1999, where the first one to grab the pink slip first stayed in WWF, with the loser having to leave in which Foley lost. On the January 13, 2000 edition of SmackDown, Foley appeared as Mankind. In a Street Fight, Jack converted to his Cactus Jack persona in front of the crowd to announce Cactus Jack against Triple H for the WWF Championship at Royal Rumble. Cactus used a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire and thumbtacks-hereditary equipment from his pre-WWF days, but Triple H won the match after dropping two pedigrees, the second slamming Cactus face-first onto a pile of tacks. Foley, the titleholder, lost to a feud with No Way Out in a Cell match, where stipulations stated that Cactus would not use foreign metallic objects he used in the Royal Rumble, and that if he did not win the title, Foley would retire from wrestling. They had made their way into the top of the cell and Cactus was planning to Piledrive Triple H onto a barbed wire 2x4 on fire, but Triple H turned it into a backdrop, causing the cage to be replaced by the cage, and Cactus fell through the canvas. Triple H pinned an exhausted Cactus for a three-count win, and Foley's career was over. Foley had been away for a few weeks, but Linda McMahon was able to defend the position by suppling Chris Jericho's name in the main event of WrestleMania 2000 against Triple H, The Rock and Big Show, and Big Show. Foley did not wrestle again for four years after winning Triple H, and Foley did not wrestle again for four years.

Foley, who had resigned from active duty, served as the storyline WWF Commissioner under his own name rather than one of his personas. Foley has stated that he intended for his Commissioner Foley to be a "role model for geeks," cracking lame jokes and saying no attempt to be rude or scary. During this period, he had a talent for his office; rather, Mick would have an office in a variety of strange places (for example, closets). Foley converted cheap pops into a hit at every WWF show that he was so excited to be "right here in (whatever city he was performing in (e.g., New York)"! With an intentionally cheesy thumbs-up gesture, the whole scene was punctuated. Commissioner Foley was embroiled in rivalry with Kurt Angle, Edge, and Christian, as well as Vince McMahon, who were not even fighting them. After being "fired" onscreen by McMahon during which he was handed a brutal beating, he resigned from his role in December 2000.

Foley made a surprise return to the Raw just before WrestleMania X-Seven, where he revealed that he would be the special guest referee in the match between Mr. McMahon and Shane. Foley made sporadic appearances on WWF radio throughout the year, with Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura appearing as the guest referee for the Earl Hebner versus Nick Patrick referee match, as well as a tag-team bra and panties match between WWF wrestlers Lita and Trish Stratus versus Torrie Wilson at the Invasion pay-per-view match and a tag team bra and panties match between WWF wrestlers Lita Foley became commissioner in October 2001, just after the Invasion campaign was complete. Foley had the opportunity to shoot on the WWF's course and how dissatisfied he was with it during his brief tenure. Having argued that there were far too many titles in the company, he scheduled unification matches before the final pay-per-view of the storyline, the Survivor Series, was announced. He canceled his commissionership at Vince McMahon's request and left the organization after the Survivor Series.

Foley made his Ring of Honor debut on September 11, 2004, praising ROH and referring to it as "Ring of Hardcore," establishing himself as a face. Foley returned to ROH on October 15, where he confronted Ricky Steamboat, who said that traditional wrestling was better than hardcore wrestling. Foley also cut a scathing promo on Ric Flair as part of his true-life animosity over Flair's description of Foley as a "glorified stuntman" in his autobiography. Both Foley and Steamboat cut promos on the next day, resulting in a match between two teams of wrestlers handpicked by both men, with Nigel McGuiness and Chad Collyer representing Steamboat and B. J. Whitmer representing Foley, which was also won by McGuiness and Collyer. When Foley called ROH Champion Samoa Joe "softcore," he teased a heel turn. Foley returned to ROH for his final clash against Ricky Steamboat on December 26, where the two men made peace. Foley was turned down after being confronted by Samoa Joe and struck Joe over the head with a steel chair on January 15, 2005. Foley resurfaced in ROH on February 19, teasing a return to the ring but ultimately choosing Vordell Walker over Joe. Foley said he had "back-up plans" after Joe defeated Walker in a second match against Joe, which Joe also won. Foley returned to ROH as a face on July 8, confronting ROH Champion CM Punk, who had turned heel and mocked ROH and the championship after he had signed with WWE and threatened to return the ROH and the championship with him to WWE. Foley acted as a direct competitor to Vince McMahon, attempting to convince Punk to defend his name one last time before he was banned from ROH. Foley returned to ROH as a face on August 20, to save Jade Chung from Prince Nana. Foley was then stabbed by Alex Shelley and the Embassy until Austin Aries and Roderick Strong chased them away. Foley made his last regular appearance with ROH on September 17, while he was in A.J. Styles' Corner in a match against Embassy member Jimmy Rave, which Styles won. Foley spoke highly of Ring of Honor afterwards.

In a Cell match between Triple H and Kevin Nash at Bad Blood, Foley returned to WWE in June 2003 to referee the Hell. He was praised for his contributions in the fight and presented with the retired WWE Hardcore Championship belt during a Raw broadcast in Madison Square Garden on June 23, 2013. Foley was beat up and kicked down a flight of stairs by Randy Orton and Ric Flair in the evening. Foley returned to replace Stone Cold Steve Austin as Raw's co-general manager in December 2003. He became ill of the day-to-day commute and moved to write and spend time with his family soon. Foley, who was afraid to face WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton on the December 15 episode of Raw, walked out of the match rather than face him, and the result of the match was ruled a draw. Orton confronted Foley at the backstage, accusing him of being a coward in the process, before spitting in his face. Foley stepped out of the arena afterward.

Foley returned to wrestling in 2004, vying in the Royal Rumble and stripping Orton and himself of his trademark Cactus Jack outfit. At WrestleMania XX, he and The Rock reunited as the Rock 'n' Sock Connection and lost a handicap match to Evolution. Foley and Orton intensified their feud, culminating in a toughcore match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Backlash, where a thumbtack-covered Orton defeated Foley with his Cactus Jack persona to keep the title after striking Foley with his signature move, the RKO turned to a barbed wired baseball bat. Foley regards this match as one of his career's finest performances.

Foley, a color commentator on WWE's ECW One Night Stand, aired on June 12, 2005, and he has since signed a contract with WWE. Foley played in 2005, when fans were able to determine whether he'd be able to identify as: Mankind, Dude Love, or Cactus Jack—against Carlito at Taboo on Tuesday. The fans voted for Mankind, who went on to win the match – this was the first time Foley ever wrestled as Mankind. Foley returned to referee the WWE Championship match between Edge and John Cena on February 16, 2006 episode of Raw. Edge defeated Foley, and Foley, who will now mimic Cactus Jack in his wrestling show appearances and matches, but would still wrestle under his own name) challenged Edge to a difficultcore match at WrestleMania 22. Edge was largely bloodied and thumbtack covered after spearing Foley through a flaming table, where both performers sustained second-degree burns after anti-flame stuff was sweated off of their hands and not applied to the flaming table at their own request. An "impressed" Foley heeled and joined Edge against the newly revived ECW in the weeks leading up to the match. Foley, Edge and Lita defeated Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah McGillicutty in a tense, brutal tag-team hardcore match, with Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah McGillicutty on display, and he then fell onto a plywood board covered in more barbed wire.

Foley then embarked on a storyline rivalry with Ric Flair, which was inspired by both Foley and Ric Flair's real-life animosity. In Have a Nice Day! Foley said Flair was "every bit off the reservation side of it" as he was "great on the wrestling side of it." Flair's autobiography said Foley was "a glorified stuntman" and that he was only able to scale the WWF ladder because he was colleagues with the bookers. At a Raw event in December 2004, the two stars clashed onstage, but Foley has said that they have mostly reconciled. Flair branded Foley a "glorified stuntman" and Foley called Flair a "washed piece of crap" and challenged him to a match, igniting the feud. The result was a Two-out-of-Three Falls match at Vengeance, where Flair defeated Foley in two straight falls. The two then clashed in a brutal and bloody "I Quit" hardcore match at SummerSlam, in which Flair, who was covered in blood, thumbtacks, and barbed wire cut off barbed wire, ruled the match, prompting Foley to abandon by assaulting Melina with a barbed wire bat. Foley kissed Vince McMahon's buttocks as part of McMahon's "Kiss My Ass Club" gimmick on August 21. Melina betrayed Foley shortly thereafter and announced that he had been shot within minutes.

Foley returned to Raw on March 5, 2007, as the storyline goes, he tricked McMahon into allowing him his position back. Foley, the WWE Champion, defeated Randy Orton, King Booker, and Bobby Lashley in a WWE Championship Challenge match at Vengeance. Foley retained Cena. Foley was on Raw a month later as the special guest referee for a match between Jonathan Coachman and Mr. McMahon's storyline illegitimate son Hornswoggle. Foley appeared on SmackDown the same week as the special guest referee. Foley and his tag team partner Hornswoggle qualified for the Royal Rumble by defeating the Highlanders on January 7, 2008, but Foley was disqualified by Triple H during the Royal Rumble match.

Foley debuted as a color commentator for SmackDown alongside Michael Cole at Backlash in 2008, swapping Jonathan Coachman for Jonathan Coachman. Foley was kayfabe attacked by Edge during Edge's promo for his SummerSlam match against The Undertaker on August 1st. Foley sat out the SmackDown on August 8 to begin his recovery from the injury. On SmackDown, Tazz replaced Foley as a color commentator, while Raw wrestler Matt Striker filled in for Tazz on ECW. Foley told Long Island Press pro wrestling columnist Josh Stewart in August 2008 that "creatively, the announcing job wasn't going to be doing out too well." On the Observer radio show, he elaborated that the climate was incredibly frustrating. Foley's WWE contract came to an end on September 1, 2008, after the company had voluntarily left the organization.

Foley had signed a short-term deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, according to a press release from the Foley's office, Gillespie Talent. (TNA). Foley said in the statement that he was "very excited about the particulars of this deal and the likelihood that it holds." Foley made his TNA debut on September 5th at a TNA house show addressing how he loved the product and also mocked WWE. A photograph of a smiling face with a twist of Foley's catchphrase was included on the official TNA Wrestling website, "Have a good day." (And, before No Surrender, "Have a lovely Sunday!" says the author. "All in the world is in the details."

Foley made his first television appearance for TNA on September 18, 2008, where Jeff Jarrett introduced him to the audience on the arena's video wall. Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle made his full television debut in a promo two weeks later making claims about the WWE roster. He was the extra guest enforcer for Jartt and Angle's match at Bound for Glory IV. Foley said goodbye on Impact!, but Jeff Jartt later announced that they had come to an agreement on a new deal and would make a big announcement next week. Foley and Jartt announced on the October 23 episode of Impact! that they had become co-owners of TNA shortly after Kurt Angle headbutted him.

The Turkey Bowl was unveiled on November 27, TNA's Thanksgiving Day. Alex Shelley was pinned by Rhino, and Foley gave Rhino the check. Shelley was then required to face a Turkey Suit in accordance with the match rules, but with skepticism. Shelley "flipped off" Foley and carried on beating him up. Shelley is fortunate that he still has his job in the aftermath, according to Mick. Kevin Nash, Booker T., and Scott Steiner were competing against Brother Devon, A.J. at the main event in Mafia. In his debut matchup at Genesis, Mick Foley and Styles were in his debut matchup. Nash, on the other hand, had a bacterial infection and skipped Genesis. Cute Kip replaced him. Foley hit Scott Steiner with a double arm DDT into a chair, bringing the pin.

He defeated Sting to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for his first-ever title in TNA and his fourth World championship overall on April 19, 2009. Mick did not win the championship, but Sting became the new head of the Main Event Mafia by defeating Kurt Angle at Sacrifice.

Foley had also stated on Impact!

The TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary will be decided in a match once a year, according to Tings. However, he lost the King of the Mountain match to Kurt Angle in Slammiversary. Victory Road rematch, with Terry Funk admitting to him only once in his career (to Terry Funk in a spinning toe hold), and swearing he'd never do it again. Angle coerced him to submit with the ankle lock once more.

Foley won the TNA Legends Championship by pinning champion Kevin Nash in a tag team match where Nash teamed with Angle and Foley with Bobby Lashley on July 30, 2009. Nash regained the crown at Hard Justice after Traci Brooks interfered.

Impact's ninth edition is available. Foley turned heel as he attacked Abyss during and after a TNA World Tag Team Championship match against Booker T and Scott Steiner. Foley revealed Abyss as the one who ripped up his photo and beat him to a pulp with a videotape and a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Foley was then invited by Abyss to a Monster's Ball match, which Foley accepted. Abyss defeated Foley in the match, Bound for Glory. Foley turned face on Dr. Stevie and saved Abyss from him two weeks later. He revealed that he had played Dr. Stevie all along and had beaten Abyss to a match at Bound for Glory to see how tough he was.

On the edition of November 12 of Impact!

Raven returned to TNA and saved Stevie's future in the organization by costing Abyss a match and throwing a fireball in Foley's face.Foley diverted his attention away from Abyss and Dr. Stevie and toward Hulk Hogan's arrival in TNA, appearing to be anxious about him taking over TNA.

On the edition of December 3 of Impact!

Since Angle refused to tell Foley that Hogan is heading to TNA, Foley gave him yet another heel turn by booking Kurt Angle in a handicap match. Abyss and Foley defeated Stevie and Raven in a "Foley's Funhouse" tag team match at Final Resolution. Foley was assaulted by Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman as trying to reach Hogan on January 4, 2010.

On the edition of January 21 of Impact!

Foley was fired by Eric Bischoff, the company's new Executive Producer, after claiming to have been assaulted by him. Bischoff and Foley "talked it over" on Impact!'s February 11 edition, as Hogan had predicted two weeks earlier, and Foley was entered in the 8 Card Stud Tournament at Against All Odds. The match was a No Disqualification match against Abyss, who won the match and advanced.

On the edition of March 15 of Impact!

Bischoff also announced that he would shave Foley bald as a reward for assisting Jeff Jart in a handicap match the previous week. Foley was obviously following the scheme at first, but he forced Mr. Socko down Bischoff's throat, shaved him almost bald, until he reached the barber's chair. Foley lost to Jarrett in a No Disqualification Work vs. Career match set up by Bischoff, causing Foley to abandon TNA, forcing Foley to kayfabe. Foley was actually taken off television due to his commitment to exceeding the maximum number of days per year on his deal, which was at the time he was making appearances.

Foley returned to TNA on July 12, 2010, at the tapings of Impact!'s latest iteration, Matt Benton, Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Stevie Richards, Rhino, Brother Devon, Pat Kenney, and Al Snow joined the team for EV 2.0. As a culmination of hardcore wrestling and a farewell to the company, TNA president Dixie Carter agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay-per-view event, Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand. Foley referred to a last showdown match between Tommy Dreamer and Raven at the case. By A.J., the ECW alumni, also known as Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0), were assaulted on the following edition of Impact! Styles, Robert Roode, James Storm, Douglas Williams, and Matthew Morgan of Ric Flair's Fourtune stable, who believed they didn't deserve to be in TNA. Foley began writing a weekly column for TNA's website in August. Foley defeated Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing match on October 7, 2010. Foley's last match in TNA was determined to be the Last Man Standing match with Flair. Foley was in EV 2.0's corner when Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Richards, and Sabu defeated Fourtune members Styles, Kazarian, Morgan, Roode and Storm in a Lethal Lockdown match at Bound for Glory. Foley returned to Impact! on December 23 after not appearing for two months, regaling Fortune and Immortal. Foley disappeared from TNA television after Genesis, but he continued to appear on TNA television shows on a daily basis. Foley appeared on Impact Wrestling's May 12 edition as the "Network" consultant, who had been causing Immortal's problems for the past months. Foley, who had voiced dissatisfaction with TNA and said that he did not want to rework his deal with the organization after it came to an end in the fall of 2011, made a satisfaction with the Empty Arena match against The Rock compared to a TNA house show on Sunday. Foley had been fired as the Network Executive on the following edition of Impact Wrestling on June 2, according to Hulk Hogan. Foley, who had asked for his freedom from TNA, had been written off of television, but this was done to make him write it. On June 5, 2011, his resignation from the service was announced.

Foley made a brief return to Impact Wrestling at the 2020 Bound for Glory by video message on October 24, 2020. congratulate Ken Shamrock for his induction into the Impact Hall of Fame.

Writing career

Saint Mick, his fifth autobiography, was published on October 17, 2017.

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