SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — He goes by many names: Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love. Mick Foley is known worldwide as professional wrestling’s “Hardcore Legend.” The WWE Hall of Famer, New York Times bestselling author, and comedian was recently in the Bay Area to meet and greet fans at GalaxyCon San Jose. While here, he virtually […]
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — He goes by many names: Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love. Mick Foley is known worldwide as professional wrestling’s “Hardcore Legend.”
The WWE Hall of Famer, New York Times bestselling author, and comedian was recently in the Bay Area to meet and greet fans at GalaxyCon San Jose. While here, he virtually stopped by The Finish with Kor & Tor to talk about why he does conventions, which celebrities are his biggest fans, what recent matches caught his eye, and whether he ever gets tired of being asked about that infamous 1998 Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker.
Watch the episode in the video player above and read the interview transcript below:
You’re no stranger to the convention circuit. What’s your favorite thing about interacting with fans in this setting?
“Oh, man, yeah, I do really like it. You know, they’re not for everybody. It’s different from a WWE appearance. We just come in for two or three hours, or one day, whereas at conventions I’m there the whole weekend. I like interacting with people. I’m pretty good at sensing who needs a little extra time, who might need a hug, and I try to leave people with a really good interaction. Every person I try to make a quality interaction with.”
I know you’re a big viewer of today’s wrestling across the board, especially WWE. Is there a recent match that really blew you away?
“Well, I was impressed with so many of the SummerSlam matches. Cody and Cena, I think really delivered the goods. And I think what ‘Mami’ (Rhea Ripley) is doing briefly is sensational — I love that. Becky Lynch is back, so I think WWE is looking at some really good days. They’ve done a great job getting their talent ready for the main stage, and that pays off in the end.”
Wrestling has changed a lot since you started out. There are more stipulation and hardcore matches now compared to the old days. How do you feel about that shift?
“Well, I don’t think WWE does a lot of stipulations, which is good. It’s easy to just have a card loaded up with stipulation matches, but after a while they lose their importance. I think WWE does a good job of making the special matches special, not overdoing it. There’s no formula. Nobody hands you a textbook when you come in telling you the correct number of stipulations versus traditional matches. Even though I made my name doing the wild stuff, for the most part I had traditional — well, wild traditional — matches, and I enjoyed those too. No question about it, I had chances to do anything-goes, falls-count-anywhere matches. In Japan, we messed around with barbed wire and other things I wouldn’t suggest anybody do. But in the end, it comes down to whether or not you can have good matches with just about anybody, in any style.”
One of my favorite wrestling shirts is of you and Terry Funk’s explosive ring match. I got it from Pro Wrestling Tees, and Kenny Omega himself complimented it. He loved it.
“You know, we’re coming up on 30 years since that historic match with me and Terry, and you’re talking about the 1995 Kawasaki Dream Tournament. In wrestling lore, it’s the King of the Death Match. Yeah, that was 30 years ago — 30 years.”
I know you get asked a lot about Hell in a Cell and being thrown off the cage. Do you ever get tired of that? Or is there another match you wish people would hype up instead?
“Well, you know what? It’s been 27 years since that match. I’d say it bothered me for about 15 of those years, but then I came to grips with it and realized I’m lucky to be remembered for anything. We’re all lucky to be remembered for anything, and I’m lucky I’ve got a few different things. For people watching at home who are like, ‘what’s the deal with this guy’s teeth?’—these bottom teeth were knocked out that night in that match. I figure I don’t need a house full of wrestling memorabilia as long as I have a mirror. When I smile every morning, I remember exactly what I did for a living and the price you pay to do it.”
Are you ready for Christmas? I know it’s still months away, but are you ready for the big day?
“Well, am I ready for Christmas? Oh my God, yeah, I’m ready. I’m ready for Christmas. I’m a year-round Christmas guy. I believe in the magic and the power of Christmas. It’s still what, four months away? As of two days ago, I had a fanny pack with the word ‘Merry’ spelled out in bright, colorful letters. I just did a Christmas movie with Beverly D’Angelo — yeah, that Beverly D’Angelo. I don’t know when it’ll be out, but it should be on a streaming platform this holiday season. My first Christmas movie! I was really excited about it, excited to work with Beverly, and just had a great time doing it.”
When you’re at conventions, do you ever get star struck? Or is there anyone you really look forward to seeing?
“Well, I had this great conversation with William Shatner — I’m kind of giving it away here — because I really enjoyed his documentary. Before that I had only ever said ‘hello’ to him. I felt compelled to tell him how much I enjoyed it. As soon as I finished, he looked up at me and said, ‘I love Dark Side of the Ring.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, they did an episode on me.’ He said, ‘I know, that’s why I’m saying it. The dedication you’ve shown to wrestling is so admirable.’ So I’ve got that on my bingo card.
And just last weekend, I got to see Susan Sarandon for the first time in 25 years. She came over like we’d just seen each other last week and asked if I could FaceTime with her son. I was like, ‘you’re an Academy Award winner, I’ll basically do whatever you’d like.’
So yeah, I definitely have moments where I get star struck. And I’ll dare say there are moments when some of these movie stars get star struck too, because they grew up watching me. It’s a nice thing. At GalaxyCon, you see all kinds of people. They’re really great conventions. And I’m even breaking one of the general rules — you usually don’t go back to the same con two years in a row — but I am, because I loved it. I love that part of the state, the people, and I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of you this weekend, right here in San Jose!”
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Category: General Sports
