r/IAmA • u/realmickfoley • Jun 11 '13
I am Mick Foley: I'm a WWE Hall Of Famer, I'm making a movie about Santa Claus, and I tell stories.
I'm excited to be RIGHT HERE, on Reddit for my AMA... can't be any more painful than anything that's happened in the ring. I spent about 30 years in the ring, loved every second of it, and for the past few years, I've been enjoying myself outside of it. Most recently, I hopped on board to help finish up a great documentary called I Am Santa Claus about what that jolly man in the red suit at your local mall does when it isn't Christmas time. check it out on kickstarter here. Well, I asked for it, now you guys ask me… ANYTHING.
EDIT: Ok, that's all for now! I promise I will come back and try to get to more later. I really appreciate all of your amazing questions, and check out I Am Santa Claus on Kickstarter! PROOF: https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/344474983680065536
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u/anonymousniceman Jun 11 '13
Mick,
I met you recently during your stand up tour in the UK. You played the Empire club in Belfast last and you were hopping on a flight home, I wished you a safe journey and you seemed genuinely thankful, you were really funny by the way. Anyway, there was a quick Q+A that night and I had my hand up to ask you this but wasn't chosen.
Knowing what we know now about head injuries and the debilitating and often tragic effect they can have on all sportsmen (including, but not limited to, Chris Benoit) would you still have taken the risks, the bumps and the unprotected headshots you took in your career all in the interest of entertaining us, the fans?
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Jun 11 '13
Hey there, Cactus! First, I wanted to tell you that you are my favourite wrestler of all time, and I wanted to thank you for everything you put your body and your family through over the years for the entertainment of wrestling fans everywhere. You have my respect forever. Also, I’m from Newfoundland, and I wanted to apologize for the pervy dude you wrote about in your first book at the St. John’s airport who was taking a video of Chyna’s breasts. There are some great wrestling fans in Newfoundland, hopefully you’ll get the chance to come back here some time. My question for you: What comedian do you think would make a good wrestler, and what wrestler would make a good comedian?
Again, thank you so much for everything you’ve unknowingly given me and many other wrestling fans. You’re the greatest. Bang bang!
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u/scottishbuzzard Jun 11 '13
Your feud with the Rock in 98-99 is what made me a fan of wrestling. Your first book sealed your reputation for me as the greatest of all time. Your match with HHH at the 2000 Rumble even had my non-wrestling fans out of their chairs. So for all of that and more, thank you.
My question- you never had a problem putting guys over, and after your retirement from full time wrestling, you'd come back and lose to help young guys get over. Do you feel that losing so much hurts your legacy a bit, and perhaps diluted the impact of when someone did beat you, given they just beat someone who lost most of his recent matches?
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u/juicebars Jun 11 '13
Mick, in your DVD you say that you bottled up a lot of emotion in your career and then used it in promos and matches which made your characters more emotionally believable. Do you think with things like Twitter that wrestlers won't be as willing to bottle up their grievances, and do you think that's a good or bad thing?
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Jun 11 '13
How did it feel when you found out that when they found out you won the title, all the WCW viewers switched over to see you win?
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u/mmmpiecrust Jun 11 '13
Hi Mick,
As a kid you were my idol. It didn't matter what other wrestlers came into the game, you were the man! I was such a huge fan I even made my AIM Screen name (totally 1998 I know) MickFoleyFan1! Your story of prevailing against the odds and how down to earth you are always meant a lot to me as a kid and as I grew up I tried to personify that mentality.
Tonight my wife is going to be induced and I am going to be a father for the first time. What is the #1 piece of advice you have for a new father?
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Jun 11 '13
I know you once tried and weren't happy with the script, but would you ever let anyone else try to make a movie based on your life? Thanks for doing this AMA, you're not only one of my favorite wrestlers, but one of my favorite writers as well.
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u/Salacious- Jun 11 '13
Do you think professional wrestlers make good role models for children?
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u/Son_Of_Sothoth Jun 11 '13
Mick, my name is Patrick and it's my 26th birthday. When I saw this was scheduled for today, I thought for sure it was destiny. I could go on and on about how much I love you, but you would get bored hearing the same old stuff.
I just want to say that when you hit TNA and your first match against Sting happened, I almost cried. My two favorite wrestlers of all time against each other! Thank you so much for everything!
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u/realmickfoley Jun 11 '13
Well thank you very much, I still remember that match against Sting. I still remember screaming for help when my foot became hideously entangled in the cage. And I remember Earl Hebner saying "that looks amazing man," giving me way too much credit for being able to create such a traumatic event. I eventually managed to let Sting know that I really truly was unable from freeing myself from my predicament.
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u/philwho Jun 11 '13
What was going through your mind after the Montreal Screwjob. I was at the RAW in Ottawa the day after and heard that you and a few others boycotted it in protest. Any comments about that?
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u/realmickfoley Jun 11 '13
I don't believe there were any others, or else the boycott may have lasted longer than a day. I definitely thought I was done with the company until I realized I had reached my contract and couldn't work anywhere in the world for the next five years. As much liked and respected Brett, and was upset by what had happened, that whole end of my career thing was a price I wasn't willing to pay... brother.
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u/whativebeenhiding Jun 12 '13
I'm convinced that whole thing was a work. How in the hell was there a documentary film crew around when it happened? A great work, but a work none the less.
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u/Jwagner0850 Jun 11 '13
This was easily the worst day of my life when i was watching wrestling. I stopped watching due to this incident. My god. The feels and memories...
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u/cybercuzco Jun 11 '13
Could you actually smell what The Rock was cooking?
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u/realmickfoley Jun 11 '13
I could not. I believe he was using that expression as a euphemism, the same way that the AC/DC song "Beating Around The Bush" is a very subtle and sensitive euphemism about an awkward young man who was unable to get to the point of the matter. One of their most touching ballads (I just happened to pick up that AC/DC album when that question came in, and I'm not actually familiar with that song).
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u/The_Price_Is_Right_B Jun 11 '13
I believe he was using that expression as a euphemism
Your logic is infallible.
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u/Biffingston Jun 11 '13
Then what is the hidden meaning behind "Big balls?"
I'm so confused.
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u/cybercuzco Jun 11 '13
Thanks for the answer Mick, as an aside, listen to the License to Ill album by the Beastie boys, lots of subtleties if you listen.
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u/RoxburysFinest Jun 11 '13
You mean The Rock was never actually cooking? My entire childhood is a lie, Mick.
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u/AdamBombTV Jun 11 '13
EDIT: Forgot to say "HI", that was rude of me.... Hi Mick, huge fan.
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Who do you think, out of the current crop of WWE Superstars, will be the locker-room leader in the next 10 to 15 years?
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Do you still have the Mankind mask?
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What was your best moment of your time with WCW, ECW and WWE, as an in ring competitor?
And just to note, out of the Attitude era, you were my favourite.
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Jun 11 '13
Have ALWAYS wondered this: if the chokeslam through the roof of the Cell wasn't planned, and the Cell legitimately gave way, what WAS the plan?! How were you guys getting off the roof of the Cell the 2nd time? Thanks Mick!
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u/realmickfoley Jun 11 '13
I really thought the cell would slowly tear, so that the Undertaker would be stuffing me down a hole and the image would be of me dangling upside down, being stuffed through a hole, not plummeting into unconsciousness... and the history books.
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u/SuperScopeSix Jun 11 '13 edited Jun 11 '13
That is definately my favorite match of all time. But wait a second... if it wasn't supposed to happen, why are there plastic ties laying all around Foley's body after he gets chokeslammed? You can't expect me to believe the whole top of the cage was held up with plastic ties, right?
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A__bKr5ZHqY
Edit: Mick, you are the greatest of all time!!!
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Jun 11 '13
Looking back on that incident, do you think you would have become so popular as you are now if it didn't happen? Also, thanks for being awesome, I should have your 4 books in the mail by tomorrow :)
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Jun 11 '13 edited Jun 11 '13
Thank you for answering this, I had always wanted to know what was and wasn't planned from that HiAC match. How much planning went into that match between you and Taker? Was the the first spot with Taker throwing you off the cell supposed to start the match, and did you and Taker think the match would even continue after that?? Also, is it safe to assume that you both kept a lot from Vince in regards to what you two were going to do?
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u/babykillerwastaken Jun 11 '13
How did the other wrestlers feel about you sticking your fingers in their mouth, did any of them just refuse to do it? Did you ever accidentally trigger anyone's gag reflex?
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Jun 11 '13
Hey Mick! Who was your favorite person to wrestle against? Was there anyone that you didn't get to wrestle against that you wish you had?
Thanks! And thanks for doing this AMA.
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u/zeebs758 Jun 11 '13
Sorry I bothered you in the Houston Airport for an autograph many years ago but I did appreciate it!
One question for you, was there ever a point in your wrestling career where you thought, “I am in the wrong profession”?
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u/scottishbuzzard Jun 11 '13
Would you rather open Mick Foley's Wrestling School, or Mick Foley's Theme Park?
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u/C_cage Jun 11 '13
Hey Mick! Thanks a lot for doing this. If you could book a card and the roster had any wrestler you wanted, what would the main event be?
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u/dangerhazard Jun 11 '13
In all of your years working across the world, what place would you imagine would be the best place to live?
What do you think of Daniel Bryan?
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u/adoseofhonesty Jun 11 '13
Do you feel like any more can be done to protect a wrestler or is it just, by nature, a sport that causes injuries? Recently both Ziggler and Fandango have been out due to concussions caused in the ring.
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u/Tom_HaverfordAMA Jun 11 '13
What is your most career defining moment in your own eyes?
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Jun 11 '13
How many hot dogs can you eat in one sitting? Bun and all.
I asked this to Colt Cabana also and he said 8 with mustard and pickles. Lets see if you can beat that.
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u/notfairtoflair Jun 11 '13
What was it like working with Kawada in Japan? You have fairly different styles, how did it work out?
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u/nchammer326 Jun 11 '13
I'm working on compiling a list of wrestlers and the moves they innovated. You're credited with innovating the Cactus Clothesline. Can you confirm this? If so, how did you come up with that move?
On that note, your Mandible Claw hold came from the infamous Sam Sheppard, and Wikipedia has this:
Could you elaborate on learning about the move? Also, I heard that Vince was skeptical of the move, saying something to the effect of "couldn't the other guy just bite down?" Did that actually happen?