Foley is Blog

[Guest Dr Stupid]

Foley is Blog: Bait & Switch

By Mick Foley

February 15, 2006

 

 

I would like thank everyone for their feedback on last week’s web log entry. It was not an easy piece to write, but I honestly felt that the “Foley is Blog” thing would be a joke if I didn’t address it. Not to mention the fact that I was having trouble sleeping until I let those thoughts out.

 

As a wrestling fan, I just need an out: a simple excuse that allows me to rationalize the things that I see. Randy Orton gave me that out on Friday Night SmackDown, just barely. I’m still not in favor of the whole scenario, but I’m going sit back for the next few weeks and see how it plays out.

 

But, just to be safe, to avoid any confusion, I have set up an appointment to have my will changed (No, this isn’t a joke). In the unlikely event that I die sometime soon, and assuming of course, that anyone cares, no one will be left wondering what I would have wanted. While I haven’t quite worked out all the details, it basically comes down to this. WWE tribute show?

 

Yes. Well meaning independent promoters doing Mick Foley memorial consisting of barbed wire matches inside of a West Virginia armory. No Thanks. A renewed Al Snow push as a result of my untimely demise. Definitely not.

 

Now, as promised a few weeks ago, here is my bait and switch column on Ric Flair.

 

 

What a coincidence! In one of the great mess ups in modern postal service history, both my Christmas card to Ric Flair and Ric’s Christmas card to me were simultaneously lost en route. I wonder what heartfelt Nature Boy message I missed out on due to that December debacle. Ok, maybe it’s more likely that neither card was actually sent…or written…or even momentarily considered. The truth is that while Ric and I do speak, and while hard feelings over our dueling memoirs seem to have subsided, we will probably never be soul mates, confidants, drinking buddies, or pen pals.

 

But, long before I met Ric Flair, I was a fan of Ric Flair, the performer. I still am, and always have been. Even when our mutual dislike for each other was its strongest, I was able to appreciate and enjoy a Ric Flair match or interview. Actually, that’s not quite true. For a while, it was hard to enjoy Ric’s matches. For a while, going back to the dying days of WCW, it was hard to even look at a Flair match without automatically thinking of what used to be.

 

Watching Ric wrestle in a t-shirt in his WCW swan song was a tough one to take. Hey, I believe in the art of the cover-up. It’s worked wonders for me. But, the cover-up was meant for guys like me and the Nasty Boys, not for guy like Ric Flair.*Authors Note* I once suggested a Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne thong vs. thong match, where the contest could only be decided by a small package or sunset flip for reasons unknown, the suggestion went nowhere. Like a lot of guys who love wrestling, I found myself thinking, “Why Doesn’t Ric just hang it up.” Surely, he’d have plenty to offer the business in terms of managerial skill, commentary or in some long term authority position. Maybe there would even be a slot for an annual Ric Flair in-ring return. But, as far as full time performing, well I thought some kind hearted soul needed to pull the plug on Ric Flair’s career.

 

Fortunately, my opinion, (not that I actually voiced it) doesn’t count for that much, for Ric Flair is on a wrestling roll, regularly stealing the show from guys half his age, and in the midst of a comeback that has put a figure four leg lock on poor mother Nature, and put a firm boot into Father Time’s wrinkled ass.

 

How does he do it? Well, he’s in phenomenal shape, not just for a guy his age, but for a guy of any age. But, there’s more to it than that. He was in phenomenal shape during that down time I spoke of, so it can’t be conditioning alone that has led to this roll. I think it comes down to passion. Ric Flair performs in the ring with a passion the like of which I seldom have seen.

 

When I wrote the forward to Terry Funk’s book, I mentioned that Funker and Flair were the only two guys who seemed to exude that passion with every step that they take. Sure, a lot of guys have a passion for what they do in the ring. A lot might agree that they belong on that list of two. Who knows, maybe I’m wrong. But, I’ve been around for some 20 years and during that time I’ve either seen or wrestled the best. And with the exception of Flair and the Funker, I think deep down we have to admit to taking an occasional night off. I’m not talking about missing a show. I’m talking about showing up, working hard, performing well, but doing so without the deep down conviction that ever in-ring moment was of the utmost importance.

 

Some of what Ric is accomplishing can possible be attributed to simple confidence. In his own book, Ric detailed his struggles to maintain the feeling that being “The Nature Boy” even mattered any more during the latter day destruction of WCW. Surely being incarcerated in a (fictional) mental institution or having your head shaved by Vince Russo wouldn’t do wonders for any one’s feeling of self.

 

But, with perseverance, and talent, and that passion I spoke of, Ric Flair has come back. He matters. And he knows it. We all do, by now. We know it when we see the epic emotional struggle that took place inside Taboo Tuesday’s September steel cage. We know it when we see a nearly 58 year old man, in his first ever ladder match, adapting to an environment that had clearly been created for much younger men, putting in a performance that has to go down with one of his best. And we know it when we see the response he receives, week in and week out. Fans who never saw, or were even alive at that time of Ric Flair’s glory days make it very clear that Ric Flair matters.

 

I once wrote Ric a letter where I insinuated that I was the only guy who could draw money with him. Alright, I did more than insinuated it. I pretty much went right out and claimed it. That statement understandably did not go over all that well with the Nature Boy. But, at the time, I felt it was true. As it turns out, I guess I was wrong on that one. Some of the credit should go to Triple H, for at the time of my letter, I wouldn’t have foreseen Triple H removed from the title race long enough to allow his personal issues with Flair to develop.

 

Most of the credit however belongs to Flair. He has somehow managed to create a very effective hybrid character that combines the “limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling dealing, son of a gun” character of old, with the grace of a beloved icon, with the danger of a wild man on the brink of losing his grip on sanity. Ric Flair doesn't need me - he can wrestle and draw money with anybody he choses.

 

At times, however, Ric seems to resemble a WWE version of a hard-nosed fullback on a top NFL team: getting the tough yards up the middle, making the blocks for the marquee running back, making the difficult short yardage catches when the games on the line. But, Ric seems to get pulled from the game at the most important time, with the ball near the goal, six points within his reach. Surely this fullback can’t quite make a touchdown if he can’t get the ball.

 

Of course, in our WWE version, Ric doesn’t need a football: he just needs a microphone. The goal line is close. Let’s give Ric the damn mike every once in a while.

 

Alright, for all you people who like controversy: I do one day plan to fully address the criticisms Ric leveled at me, because I do they think they were unfair, and don’t hold up very well to any serious scrutiny.

 

Finally, I was thrilled to be the authority for Edge/Cena Match (which will air Thursday night on USA). As odd as it sounds, I was even thrilled to be speared for it does open the door for some serious possibilities. Unfortunately, one possibility is that I will be in a miserable physical condition when an in-ring altercation eventually takes place. So, for the next several weeks though it pains me to say it, let alone follow through it, it’s off the buffet line and into the gym. Ouch!

 

 

I would love to read that letter Foley wrote to Flair, if it does actually exist.

 

I'm also sad we won't ever see Al Snow (powered by Foley's spirit) win the Royal Rumble, only to loose the title shot to Orton

[Wrestlefreak 0]

I love the way Mick randomly brings Al Snow into it!

[Guest Dr Stupid]

I once suggested a Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne thong vs. thong match, where the contest could only be decided by a small package or sunset flip for reasons unknown, the suggestion went nowhere.

 

My favourite part.

[Guest Dr Stupid]

In fact it has the honour of making it to my Sig.

[Scroby 0]

As odd as it sounds, I was even thrilled to be speared for it does open the door for some serious possibilities. Unfortunately, one possibility is that I will be in a miserable physical condition when an in-ring altercation eventually takes place.

 

At least he's honest about it.

[Placebo Effect 0]

We get it Foley. You'll eventually come back to work a program with Ric Flair. Stop harping on it.

[Angle-plex 0]

 

How many nights has Foley cried himself to sleep thinking of what Ric Flair thinks of him?

[NoCalMike 0]

Ric Flair should retire, hell he should have retired 10 years ago.

[SuperJerk 0]

 

How many nights has Foley cried himself to sleep thinking of what Ric Flair thinks of him?

Even weirder considering Foley kind of started it by what he said about Flair in "Have a Nice Day".

[Wrestlefreak 0]

 

How many nights has Foley cried himself to sleep thinking of what Ric Flair thinks of him?

Even weirder considering Foley kind of started it by what he said about Flair in "Have a Nice Day".

 

IMO, Foley's comments about other wrestlers are never vindictive, he's just having a laugh. Flair though clearly meant his to be rude.

[SuperJerk 0]

IMO, Foley's comments about other wrestlers are never vindictive, he's just having a laugh. Flair though clearly meant his to be rude.

Foley was attacking Flair's placement as head booker for WCW, and questioning his professional judgement. That's pretty far beyond what he said about the other wrestlers.

[Jericholic82 0]

Did you not see this?

 

"Some of the credit should go to Triple H, for at the time of my letter, I wouldn’t have foreseen Triple H removed from the title race long enough to allow his personal issues with Flair to develop."

 

OOOOOHHHHHH TAG

 

Now that's going in my sig.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

After Foley lost the belt in '99, but before he started making plans to be ref at WrestleMania, he was discussing what he could do now that he's out of the WWF main events, and he said something like "I guess I could go to WCW... I said I COULD go to WCW, but, well, I'm just not quite old enough." I loved that.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

 

How many nights has Foley cried himself to sleep thinking of what Ric Flair thinks of him?

Probably not that many seeing as how Foley is the only wrestler with two books laying claim to the #1 position on the NY Times Bestsellers list.

 

And Foley never once criticized Flair's in-ring performance in his book. He always talked about how Flair was great in the ring and on the mic, maybe even the greatest, but greatly disliked him as a booker. That's not that harsh of a thing to say, it's just saying that Flair's best at what everybody knows he's best at, and that's wrestling and not writing.

 

Plus, weren't Flair's criticisms of Foley all about his ringwork? Foley didn't talk ill of Flair's, so why would Flair say Foley's ringwork was terrible when, in truth, it's not?

[Hawk 34 0]

Because Flair didn't actually read the book. Word just got around to him, that Foley made a few shots at Flair in his book and Flair went on the defensive.

[Neil-o-Mac 0]

The shoot interview Foley did with ROH sheds a lot of interesting light on the situation. Thank God for eBay - I got it for £7.