Subscribe
Follow Us
Mick Foley has been a part of some of the most incredible and important matches in professional wrestling history,
A versatile performer who has wrestled all over the world, across dozens of promotions, and in just about any stipulation match a booker could dream up, Foley has crafted a legacy that is borderline unmatched in the history of the business and has inspired legions of young performers around the world to give wrestling a try, with many of those wrestlers, from Jon Moxley to Kevin Owens, now among the top performers in the sport today.
But Foley didn't do it alone.
No, as “Mankind” noted in a special appearance on Hot Ones, the “Hardcore Legend” had some pretty good collaborators work with him along the way, not just in the ring but also on the microphone calling his matches, specifically Jim Ross, who helped to turn many of his best WWE moments into all-time legendary memories that will stick with fans forever. But which call is his favorite? Well, for Foley, it was hard to settle on just one.
“I mean, there’s great hidden calls, and Jim’s got a new book coming out about his 50 greatest calls and the stories behind them, which should be a must-read for any diehard wrestling fan. But I mean, say you’re watching the World Cup, and a team goes up 3-0, and you see memes across the globe that say, ‘Enough is enough, somebody stop the d*mn match!” Mick Foley noted via WrestleTalk.
“I mean, it’s a tie for me between ‘As God as my witness, he’s been broken in half' and ‘Enough is enough, won’t somebody stop the d*mn match' from the same match, only a few minutes apart. I mean, he was really in the zone. And it was great that he didn’t know about it, so he was calling it as he felt it. And even if he does know something might be happening, he is the ultimate professional, he does a great job bringing those matches to life.”
Though Michael Cole may have eclipsed JR as the voice of WWE for a new generation of fans, it's hard to think back on the Attitude Era without his voice coming to mind. Remove his cadence, his enthusiasm, and his JR-isms and matches like Foley's Hell in the Cell effort against The Undertaker might have still been recalled fondly, but his over-the-top reactions were the cherry on top of the wrestlers' efforts. Good on Foley for not only appreciating that but also giving JR some free promotion for his forthcoming book, too.
Mick Foley reveals what he wants his legacy to be in wrestling.
Elsewhere in his appearance on Hot Ones, Mick Foley reflected on not just his legacy as a professional wrestler but also on his legacy as a person who has accomplished a lot inside and out of the squared circle.
Though fans may remember him best for his time as Cactus Jack, his best-selling books, or his appearance on Boy Meets World, Foley wants to be remembered for the way he treats people above all else.
“I like to think I treated people well. I like to think that was my lasting impression because I remember coming up through the ranks and not being treated well. And then I remember big stars going out of their way to be kind to me, and I thought, if I ever get to be in this position, that’s the way I’m going to treat people because I like how this feels,” Mick Foley told Sean Evans via WrestleZone.
“So that’s the way I hope I’m remembered. One of my hobbies is I do about 40 handwritten letters from Santa. When I had my hip and knee replaced in two different operations in 2017, I really worked on my handwriting. And so I hope that people remember like that guy for the cell like he wrote my kid? He’s been writing my kid letters from Santa for like seven years. So that’s honestly what I hope my legacy is that I treated people well.”
Coming up, Foley was never the golden boy who was expedited to the main event picture or championship gold. Vince McMahon famously had to be convinced by JR to give Foley a try in WWE, and he had to literally enter the promotion with an odd outfit and a leather mask because there were questions regarding his fit alongside performers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Still, the kindness showed to him along the way clearly touched Foley, and his desire to give that back to the next generation of performers and young kids alike is a big reason why he remains one of the most popular performers in wrestling history.
