Mick Foley - The Hardcore Legend Who Played With Fire and Barbed Wire

Mick Foley, the bald-headed, toothless wrestler, is a living legend in the world of wrestling. Known for his hardcore matches and stunts that defied all logic and sense, he was revered by wrestling fans around the world. He was a master of pain, a hardcore wrestler who’d be bleeding and battered by the end of his matches. His love for extreme sports and death-defying stunts made him one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time.

Early Life and Career

Born Michael Francis Foley in 1965, Mick Foley was raised in New York as a devout wrestling fan. In a bid to pursue his passion for the sport, he attended a wrestling school which paved the way for his long and illustrious career. Mick Foley’s wrestling journey began in the 1980s in a small wrestling territory in Texas where he took on the ring name Cactus Jack.

Stunts and Matches

Mick Foley’s matches were characterized by an insane level of physicality- a level that would send shivers down the spine of most wrestlers. He indulged in some of the most extreme stunts one could ever imagine. Barbed wire, fire, and thumbtacks were common fixtures in his matches. In one of his more infamous matches, known as the Hell in a Cell match, he was thrown off the top of the cage into the announcer’s table by the Undertaker. He suffered multiple injuries in the match, including a dislocated shoulder, internal bleeding, and numerous concussions.

Undertaker’s Toothless Opponent

Mick Foley was also involved in a match in which his tooth got knocked out. While wrestling the Undertaker, he was thrown into the ring steps with such ferocity that he lost one of his teeth. Instead of retiring hurt, he picked up the tooth and handed it to the referee before continuing with the match- much to the delight of the frenzied crowd.

Wrestling Characters

Over the years, Mick Foley played several characters in the wrestling world. These characters included Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind. Each character had its peculiarity, such as the happy-go-lucky Dude Love who’d gyrated his hips to the delight of the crowd of cheering fans.

Life After Wrestling

After retiring from wrestling, Mick Foley has since become an author, comedian, and actor, an unlikely mix for the man who used to use a barbed wire baseball bat as his weapon of choice. His memoir, “Have a Nice Day,” won the prestigious New York Times Bestseller Award. He also appeared in the sitcom BOY MEETS WORLD and played the role of FBI Agent Mulder for the WWE in a recreation of an X-Files episode. He also made cameo appearances in several movies and TV shows, including “30 Rock” and “Archie Comics.”