Mick Foley On Between The Ropes

[Guest JMA]

Mick Foley was a guest on Between The Ropes tonight. He had some very interesting comments (including a response to Flair's comments). I'd suggest everyone check it out -- it's on the BTR website here.

 

I REALLY enjoyed this show. Foley comes across as an incredibly nice guy who is very open about his feelings. I don't know what it is about Foley, but whenever he does an interview or is the guest on a radio show I feel like a twelve year-old mark again (which is a great feeling).

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This week on Between the Ropes, sponsored by www.ProFigures.com, wrestling legend and number one bestselling author, Mick Foley joined Fritz, Dickerman, and Vito DeNucci to talk about his upcoming appearance at the NWA Legends Fanfest in Fayetteville, North Carolina on August 14th and 15th.

 

 

 

Mick was asked about the anticipation of appearing at the NWA Legends Fanfest. He is flattered to appear at the Fanfest and mentions that it is a great lineup. He talked about the conventions that they had in the 80s, and how there are not as many today. He talked about one he did recently in Dallas with the reunion of Devastation Incorporated.

 

 

Mick thinks that his six month stint in the NWA might not qualify him as a legend. Mick mentioned that he might be the only person in the business to get the best of Harley Race because he hit him with a steel shovel while Harley never got his shot at Foley. However, Harley never told Foley that it hurt him.

 

 

 

Mick mentioned Vader and Dennis Knight’s fondness of being naked in the locker room, and how it led to the Naked Mideon gimmick. Mick said that when he was commissioner in the WWE, he wanted Naked Mideon to be his assistant before Debra was made his assistant. He talked about wanting to ask him for a quarter when he tried to call Vince. Mick mentioned that when he came back, Dennis was on the card as well, and he asked Mick about doing the elbow off the apron.

 

 

 

Talk moved on to the storyline that he was involved with Randy Orton. Mick said that he was happy with the storytelling and he said that it accomplished a lot. He feels that it helped Randy out a lot, and he has heard that from Randy and his father. He also feels that it got other people like Batista and Flair into the storyline. He said that it also got Rock back into a meaningful role with the company. Rock told Mick that he felt like his most recent return was how the fans wanted to see him. Mick feels that a good angle makes the others a little better because they want to match that performance.

 

 

 

Mick was asked about his Wrestlemania match and how he and Rock were willing to put over talent. Mick said that people appreciate it when veterans put over the younger guys. He said that there is an art to it, not just losing a match. He said that sometimes it is not losing a match because there are other factors that need to be considered, and it is a process. He knew that he wanted to do a second match because a single match does not get a guy over, it is a series of matches. If the angles and promos get over with the fans, two matches can be enough.

 

 

 

Mick said that he was rusty in his Wrestlemania and had some issues with his performance saying it did not have the intensity. Mick said that he was happier with his match at Backlash. Mick was happy to see the reaction to Randy Orton the next night on Raw, and feels that it helped Randy get to the next level. He felt like a proud father.

 

 

 

Mick had some comments about what Ric Flair said about his behind the scenes maneuvering, and said that he was not praising Michael Hayes ‘Badstreet’ album, or Brian Gerwitz’s writing on The Jenny McCarthy Show. Mick said that he wanted to get Ric Flair more involved in the program with him and Randy, but those ideas were shot down by the writers. He said that Ric was always professional around Mick during his most recent stint with WWE. He said that either Ric is not being honest in his book or is a complete liar. He does not know where Flair got the idea about Mick caring about his storylines only.

 

 

 

Mick does not want to pretend that Ric Flair’s comments are not out there, but you have to look at who Ric Flair’s friends are in the company. He said that it is the pot calling the kettle black about getting themselves and friends over. Mick mentions that his friends are not getting a super push in the company and brings up Al Snow and Kevin Kelly. Mick feels that his work is out there for people to see. Mick said that he is going to call Vince for letting it go unchecked, and he is going to say that he is thankful that he saw something in Mick Foley beyond the traditional WWE wrestler. He said that if Flair had any control of his time in the WWF in 2000, Foley would be cleaning pools now.

 

Mick talked about how he had to deal with book critics when he published Tietam Brown because of the perception of a wrestler. However, he got good reaction to the novel, and felt that it was a good book.

 

 

Mick said that if Flair’s intention was to get a match with Foley, it is not going to happen because of that. He said that Flair is working a program without the other person knowing. He felt that he was being buried while being praised by Flair. Talk moved on to the way that that the WWE wanted to stir things up, but Mick is not going to go on WWE programming to respond to what Flair wrote. Mick felt that in talking to Flair, he enjoyed working with him. Flair even told Mick that he never read his book.

 

 

 

Mick said that you need to separate the booker from the performer, and after rereading what he wrote before, he praised Flair a number of times as a wrestler. He feels that Ric did not care so much about the other programs while he was a booker. He thinks that things could have been different if he had complete control over his own storyline instead of being told to cut his hair, get an earring and change his name to Spartacus. He feels that he will be seen as a bad talent evaluator since he let Mick and Steve Austin leave WCW under his watch. He was not sure if Triple H was with WCW, and let go when he was the booker.

 

 

 

Talk moved on to how Ric’s complaints were about the way he was treated by people like Jim Herd and Eric Bischoff, just like Mick’s comments about Flair as a booker. Mick said that people did not buy his first book to read about Ric Flair because it was not a major part of the book. The only time that Flair was brought up was on WCW television by Terry Funk. Mick said that he never used Ric Flair to sell his book. Mick suggests that there must be something relevant about him now because they are focusing on Mick Foley in promoting Flair’s book.

 

 

Mick feels that he has made a connection with the fans, and that might lead to some people thinking more about his work than what he actually did in the ring.

 

 

 

Mick was asked about the WWF’s influence over the content in his book. Mick said that there was some concern in the company about Mick taking shots at Vince, but Vince did not want Foley’s book gutted. Mick asked where the criticism was in Flair’s book about Vince McMahon, Triple H or anyone else in power right now, and the people that Flair attacked were not active wrestlers with WWE. Mick said that things might have been under closer scrutiny after the Hardy book. Mick is thankful to Vince for giving him the chance to write his books, but he did screw Bret.

 

 

 

Mick talked about the criticism that Flair had about Bret Hart and Montreal and Owen Hart. Mick said that he talked to Bret after his comments were made about Flair. Mick suggested that you shouldn’t write when you are angry. Mick said that he edited what he wrote about Flair himself because he might have been angry at the time. He suggested that maybe he will release the unedited material about Flair in a future book.

 

 

 

Mick said that he would not rule out a match in the future. He recently had knee surgery and found out that fifteen years of taking bumps on concrete can hurt your knees. He has to look at the long term price of doing anything in the ring before he wrestles again. It was suggested by Fritz that he have a feud with Edge. Mick said that he talked to Edge and said that he enjoyed his recent matches with Randy Orton, and how the end of the last match might set up a double turn. He does not mind helping out other people with their work in the ring. He said that he also talked to Test recently, but it might have been a cheap attempt to talk to Stacy Keibler instead.

 

 

 

Mick talked about his new book, a novel about baseball that is coming out next year. He has rewritten it twice, and he is happy with the product. He said that things are not as disturbing as Tietam Brown. Mick also has a children’s book coming out October 4th. The children’s book was written four years ago, and he has read it to tens of thousands of kids, and they like it as well as adults. Mick said that the comments made by Flair are not bad enough to keep him away from returning to WWE.

 

 

 

Mick was commended by the hosts about how his book gave the reader a great mental picture of what they were reading even though Mick was not a professional writer. Mick said that you cannot capture the same intimacy if it is written by someone else.

 

 

 

Mick said that he is honored to write the introduction to Terry Funk’s book, and how Terry has still not read his first two books. Mick said that Terry Funk is his Tietam Brown, and how there is talk of doing a movie of Tietam Brown. Mick said that Terry read Tietam Brown in a day, and he would be interested in that role. The only fear the hosts had was the thought of seeing Terry doing ‘the deck’ naked.

 

 

 

Between the Ropes airs every Wednesday from 10:00 p.m. to Midnight on 740 the Team in Orlando, Florida. Check out www.betweentheropes.com to hear the live stream of the show every Wednesday. Archives of recent interviews can be found at www.betweentheropes.com.

 

 

From wrestlingobserver.com