Mick Foley

**Michael Francis "Mick" Foley** (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler and color commentator.

Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), as well as numerous promotions in Japan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of WWE, and participated in the main event of WrestleMania in 1999 and 2000 (as a special guest referee in the former). He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2013.

Foley has wrestled under his real name and various personas. His main persona during his time in WCW and ECW from 1991 to 1996 was **Cactus Jack**, a bloodthirsty and uncompromisingly physical brawler who often wrestled with sharp and/or solid objects, such as barbed wire, thumbtacks, or metal trashcans. When Foley got to the WWF in 1996, he debuted the persona known as **Mankind**, a masked, mentally deranged loner who stuffed a smelly gym sock in his opponents' mouths and spent his spare time dwelling in boiler rooms; and later Foley debuted **Dude Love**, a relaxed, fun-loving, jive-talking, tie-dyed shirt wearing hippie. These personas were known as the "Three Faces of Foley", and Cactus Jack made his debut in the WWF in 1997.

Foley is a four-time world champion (three WWF Championships and one TNA World Heavyweight Championship), an 11-time world tag team champion (eight WWF Tag Team Championships, two ECW World Tag Team Championships and one WCW World Tag Team Championship), a one-time TNA Legends Champion, and the inaugural WWF Hardcore Champion. Foley's dedicated and physical style of wrestling led him to often participate in violent and brutal matches that involved him taking dangerous bumps and putting his body through a considerable physical toll, and would sometimes cause him or his opponents to bleed copiously, earning him the moniker "The Hardcore Legend".

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ **As Cactus Jack**
		- *Cactus Elbow* / *Hipbuster* (Diving elbow drop from the ring apron to the outside of the ring)
		- Double underhook DDT
		- *Mr. Socko* (Mandible claw, sometimes wrapped in barbed wire)
		- *Stump Puller* (Pulling piledriver)
	+ **As Dude Love**
		- Double underhook DDT
		- *Love Handle* (Mandible claw)
		- *Sweet Shin Music* (Sole kick with theatrics to the opponent's shin) – parodied from Shawn Michaels
	+ **As Mankind / Mick Foley**
		- Double underhook DDT
		- *Mr. Socko* (Mandible claw)

* **Signature moves**
	+ Baseball slide
	+ *Cactus Jack Crack Smash* / *Nestea Plunge* (Senton to the outside of the ring, usually from the ring apron)
	+ Leg drop
	+ Multiple clothesline variations
		- *Cactus Clothesline*
		- Diving
	+ Multiple knee variations
		- Rebound knee lift, preceded by a toe kick
		- Running knee strike to the face of an cornered, sitting opponent
	+ *Tree of Woe*, followed by a running elbow drop or double axe handle
	+ Rear naked choke
	+ Russian legsweep
	+ Swinging neckbreaker, sometimes while running
	+ Two handed bulldog

* **Managers**
	+ Brian Hildebrand
	+ Downtown Bruno
	+ The Grand Lizard of Wrestling
	+ John Tolos
	+ Kevin Sullivan
	+ Linda McMahon
	+ Paul Bearer
	+ Ron Fuller

* **Nicknames**
	+ **"The Hardcore Legend"**
	+ "Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy"
	+ "The Unpredictable"

* **Entrance themes**
	+ **Universal Wrestling Federation**
		- "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
	+ **World Championship Wrestling**
		- "Funeral March" by Frédéric Chopin
		- "Mr. Bang Bang" by Jimmy Papa, Larry Velez and Michael Hayes
	+ **Extreme Championship Wrestling**
		- "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
		- "Back in Black" by AC/DC
	+ **World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment**
		- "Schizophrenic" by Jim Johnston
		- "Ode to Freud" by Jim Johnston
		- "Whole Lotta Groove" by Olivier Cyril Maunick (as Cactus Jack)
		- "Dude Love" by Jim Johnston (as Dude Love)
		- "Wreck" by Jim Johnston
	+ **Total Nonstop Action Wrestling**
		- "Chic Chic Bang Bang" by AD/AM
	+ **Independent circuit**
		- "Wreck" by Jim Johnston

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Continental Wrestling Association**
	+ CWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Gary Young
* **Extreme Championship Wrestling**
	+ ECW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Mikey Whipwreck
* **Extreme Mid-South Wrestling**
	+ North American Championship (3 times)
* **George Tragos / Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame**
	+ Frank Gotch Award (2010)
* **International Wrestling Association of Japan**
	+ IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tracy Smothers
	+ King of the Deathmatch (1995)
* **North American Wrestling**
	+ NAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **National Wrestling League**
	+ NWL Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Ozark Mountain Wrestling**
	+ OMW North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked **#19** of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the *PWI 500* in 1999
	+ Ranked **#46** of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the *PWI Years* in 2003
	+ Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1993)
	+ Match of the Year (1998) – vs. The Undertaker (King of the Ring)
	+ Match of the Year (1999) – vs. The Rock (Royal Rumble)
* **Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame**
	+ Class of 2017
* **Steel City Wrestling**
	+ SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ SCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Blue Meanie
* **Total Nonstop Action Wrestling**
	+ TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ TNA Legends Championship (1 time)
* **World Championship Wrestling**
	+ WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kevin Sullivan
* **World Class Championship Wrestling**
	+ USWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Braddock
	+ WCWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ WCWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Super Zodiak II (1) and Scott Braddock (1)
* **World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment**
	+ WWF Championship (3 times)
	+ WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF Tag Team Championship (8 times) – with Stone Cold Steve Austin (1), Chainsaw Charlie (1), Kane (2), The Rock (3) and Al Snow (1)
	+ Tag Team Royal Rumble (1998) – with Kane
	+ WWE Hall of Fame
		- Class of 2013
* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Best Brawler (1991–2000)
	+ Best on Interviews (1995, 2004, 2006)
	+ Best Pro Wrestling Book (2010) – *Countdown to Lockdown*
	+ Feud of the Year (2000) – vs. Triple H
	+ Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1993) – Cactus Jack Amnesia Angle
	+ Readers' Favorite Wrestler (1998)
	+ *Wrestling Observer Newsletter* Hall of Fame
		- Class of 2000