The greatest faces in WWE history - No. 10
In this series, we look back at the 10 biggest babyfaces in professional wrestling from the Vince McMahon Jr. era, and we kick start things off from number 10. In professional wrestling, there are those who choose the industry as a way to go ahead in life, to get into TV shows and enter Hollywood, and then there are those whom the industry chooses, only because they love the business, and cannot possibly do anything else. These are the few who give everything to the business, and in the end, are the most fondly remembered bunch by the wrestling fans. You talk about the Bret Harts and The Undertakers, who are remembered by all the wrestling fans as the flag bearers of the great industry, as the true legends in a world which is otherwise scripted and not real. When you talk about these two guys, there is someone else that is often mentioned as the third person. Someone who dedicated his entire life to professional wrestling, so much so that he bled for the business more than anyone else. This certain legend earned and commanded respect from everyone, so much so that the fans began saying ‘Foley is no God. God is Foley’. As you might have guessed by now, it is none other than the Hardcore legend, Mick Foley.
When you talk about the sacrifices professional wrestlers make, Mick Foley’s name will top the list every single time. Not only did he shed blood, but he took some of the most dangerous bumps, and did some of the most unthinkable things, which not only did permanent damage to him and his body, but also etched his name as the most deranged superstar in the WWE, and in professional wrestling. When a guy loses most of his ear, his tongue, teeth, feeling in his body, innumerable scarring and surgeries, you know he cannot do anything else except for stepping into the squared circle and give his life to the business he loves. At the end of the day, the wrestling fans know that Mick Foley gave more to the wrestling business than what the business had given to him. This sets Mick Foley apart from the rest of the locker room. This puts Foley in a league of his own, something that very few can boast about. But no one can match the heart and soul of Mick Foley.
“When I tossed him off the cage, it was like time stopped. People talk about out-of-body experience; watching him fly from top of the cage, I could see him and I could see myself. I didn’t think Mick Foley could get up from that” – The Undertaker on Mick Foley.
Foley started out as a young fan of professional wrestling, and his love for the business took him around the world, performing in front of crowds ranging from 40 to over 40,000. Foley is worshipped in the ‘Land of Pure Wrestling’, or ‘Puroresu’ as Japan is fondly called, because of what he has done for the fans. Foley is one of those rare individuals, who no matter how deranged he looks on camera, has the warmest heart when the show is done. Except for one person, no one else has a single bad word to say about Mick Foley, and at the end of it all, that speaks volumes about an individual who is considered to be the most violent person in the history of the business, but writes books for children. Mick Foley has seen everything; the ups and downs of professional wrestling, and the harsh reality of the business. But at the end of it all, Mick Foley or Mankind or Dude Love, no matter how you want to call him, has earned the right to be called a true legend in this business.
I still remember watching Foley as a kid, first as a maniacal Mankind, to the fun loving Dude Love, to Cactus Jack and then as Mick Foley himself. Through all these different shades, Mick Foley loved entertaining the fans, and loved being a part of this business. You can talk about the most famous HIAC match in history, which involved Mankind and The Undertaker, or you can talk about the ‘I Quit’ match at the Royal Rumble between Mankind and The Rock; Mick Foley has always given his 100% for the fans, and has always went out of his way to entertain them, and give them more than their money’s worth. In this business, very few care more about the fans than themselves or their families, and Mick Foley was one of them.
“He’s a great friend and a great person. He has done so much for the world of wrestling, and he has kept it under great light. I want somebody to come along and do exactly what Mick is doing. He’s making something special out of the wrestling business, and you can’t beat that” – Terry Funk on Mick Foley.
Foley was involved in one of the most famous rivalries against another legend in the business who goes by the name of Terry Funk. Terry belongs to the Funk family, one of the most respected families in the wrestling circuit. These two have travelled all over the world, and were involved in some of the most brutal matches in professional wrestling history. Who can ever forget their ‘King of Death match’ tournament finals, where they absolutely demolished each other, and nearly killed themselves in the process? It was documented that Foley couldn’t move his arm for a long time after that, and to this day, still has numbness due to that match! Then they brought their rivalry to North America, into the land of extreme in ECW, and had many more legendary matches. It is also relatively less known that Foley was responsible for elevating The Rock during their famous rivalry. During their ‘I Quit’ match, Rock forgot what was initially discussed about the match, and went on to blast Foley about 13 times with a steel chair to the skull, when he was supposed to do it only 5 times! Foley has always gone out of his way to give back to the industry and the fans.
I remember reading how a certain legend accused Foley of being a ‘Glorified Stuntman’; at the end of the day, it is the fans who decide who is worth their hard earned money, and Mick Foley was surely one of them. The fact that WCW lost majority of their fan base when they announced Foley would be winning the then WWF title proves how highly Mick is regarded among the loyal wrestling fans. And Foley has earned the WWF title more than anyone else back in the day. After walking away from professional wrestling, Mick wasn’t able to do anything else. He had given his everything to the business, so much so that he couldn’t even walk properly any more! Mick will always remain as one of the biggest fan favourites to ever step into a wrestling ring. At the end of it all, Mick will go down as one of the most famous, loyal and loved superstars in the history of the business. This is what separates Foley from the rest, and this is why Foley is ‘God’.
When Mick was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, it brought down the curtains on the career of one of the most humble and celebrated superstars in wrestling history. We can be sure of seeing Foley on WWE TV for a long time to come, but looking back at the what Mick has given us, we surely won’t see anyone else who will do half of the things Foley has done for the business and for the fans. And for that, the business and the fans owe Mick Foley. And that’s why he has easily made this list.