How Mick Foley was removed from Wrestlemania XV's main event

Former WWE head writer Vince Russo has recently revealed in a column with WrestleZone about how Mick Foley was supposed to be in the Main event at Wrestlemania XV along with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Russo says that there’s no such magical word as a “push” and it all depends on how hard you work.

He recounts a story of the famous Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and The Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998. Mick Foley after falling from the top of the 30 foot steel cage on to the announcer’s table and then through the cell onto the ring scared Russo and he though he was seriously injured.

When Mankind was brought back into a room and while he was waiting for the trainers he asked “How was it, Vince? Was it better than the match that Shawn had?” referring to the first ever Hell in a Cell match at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997.

All Russo could think of was “Mick, you have a family…you have kids…and you’re just worried about your match being better then Shawn’s??? But that was Mick. I’ve never met anyone more prideful than him in my career.“

Russo pitched the idea of a triple threat match between Mankind, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin for the Wrestlemania XV Main Event to which the boss agreed because he knew “both worthy and deserving to be in that match“.

Russo then gave Mick Foley the news to which he was speechless. He had reached the very top of the business.

That same night, Shawn Michaels showed up at the taping.

Russo saw Michaels whispering something in Stone Cold’s ear.

Stone Cold came in and began with “Vince . . . I’m not so sure about this three-way at WrestleMania. I was talking to Shawn and . . . . “.

Shawn Michaels had convinced Stone Cold that a one-on-one between Austin and the Rock was the best way to go.

In the words of Russo “I was freakin’ livid! Why? Because all I could think about was Mick. I had already given him the news. Now it was going to be taken away. And, no doubt, I was going to have to be the one to tell him.“

Russo went to Mick, and I broke the news to him. “The look on his face broke my heart, but even though he was disappointed, Mick knew, and understood, that this was the wrestling business.“

Mick Foley finally made it to WrestleMania the next year – Russo was working with WCW.

Read the full story here.