Dude’s Love: Mick Foley in the WWE Hall of Fame

The New York Post was the first to report the story.

WWE confirmed it.

Mick Foley is the first announced member of the 2013 class in WWE’s Hall of Fame. He will join multiple other personalities who have contributed to the organization one way or another in a commencement ceremony at the hallowed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April the 6th. It is the night before WrestleMania XXIX at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The spot for Foley to be inducted is ironic because not only will he be inducted as a member of the Hall of Fame there, but it’s also the same arena he went to where he had a life-changing experience.

Like any wrestling fan in his youth, Foley wanted to see a huge show bad. Any means necessary. That meant hitchhiking his way to the Garden.

He is perched…fifteen feet high!

The main event of that show, which took place in 1983 when Mick was just 17, pit Don Muraco against Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka inside of a steel cage. Muraco won the match, but it was Snuka’s post-match leap of faith off the cage which inspired Foley to take up a career in wrestling.

Trained by Dominic Denucci, Foley had a penchant for taking dangerous-looking bumps. This specific physical trait set the stage for not only Foley’s in-ring style, but also some of the most outrageous stunts in professional wrestling history.

While he did work the rounds as a jobber at first, Foley would first strike national attention as Cactus Jack Manson, later shortened to Cactus Jack.  In the early 1990’s, Jack brought an unorthodox style completely unbefitting of an organization whose roots were down in technical/methodical teachings. Simply put, Foley was ahead of his time.

His matches with Vader were infamous. Not only were they hard-hitting, but they also led to an infamous Foley fable. While overseas in Germany, Cactus accidentally lost half an ear during a routine hangman stunt in the ropes. For a man whose rap sheet of injuries is as long as War and Peace, this physical discrepancy was probably his most disfiguring one. Later in the WWE, these two would also be a short-lived tag team. Who knew?

During his time in WCW, Jack was introduced to ECW as part of a talent exchange. Shortly thereafter, the Philadelphia-based promotion run by mastermind (and former WCW co-hort) Paul Heyman would be Foley’s full time job.

Between ECW and numerous stints of hardcore Japan, Foley’s reputation as a death-defying risk-taker were cemented ten-fold. It didn’t matter if it was a VCR or barbed wire, Jack’s uncanny ability for violence left him a figure both beloved and belittled by fans.

WWE came a calling in early 1996. While it was a sad goodbye for Cactus to leave ECW, there would be no looking back from here.

Foley would transform into Mason the Mutilator Mankind. This deranged alter-ego had a dark past while his in-ring persona played off the indication he loved pain. On a side-note, Foley would later appear as a third alter-ego Dude Love. That gimmick wasn’t as well received, but still get recognized as one of the triumvirate of Foley’s faces.

That table bump still makes me cringe!

Undertaker, from what this blogger understands, requested to be the opponent for Foley’s first WWE program. Mankind’s first WWE appearance sure enough was jumping the Undertaker after a match on RAW the night after WrestleMania XII. These two would feud on and off for the next three years, setting the stage for some of the most dangerously unbelievable matches perhaps ever in the history of sports-entertainment. At the same time, the style in which these two worked complimented them. Those battle tactics would translate greatly into their other opponents.

Foley would be a big catalyst during WWE’s Attitude Era. He brought a hardcore edge, one refined from his days in Japan and ECW. As a matter of fact, it was not uncommon to hear ECW chants during various no holds barred encounters. The leap of faith off the Hell in the Cell from King of the Ring in 1998 is widely considered a crowning achievement in WWE. Although this blogger notes getting a Pedigree face-first into thumbtacks is quite badass too.

December 28th, 1998 was the day WWE taped the RAW in which Mankind won the WWE Championship from The Rock. Airing on January the 4th in 1999, this was the show that went up against the “Fingerpoke of asses in the seats'” edition of WCW Nitro. Foley’s title win captured the hearts of millions, while WCW’s title swap broke the hearts of millions. This was the true turning point of the ‘War’, one which WCW could never recover from.

After winning the coveted title two more times in 1999, Foley would ‘retire’ from full time competition in early 2000 after a loss inside Hell in the Cell against Triple H.

While Foley would co-main event WrestleMania of 2000, his next major role in the WWE was that of  the lovable goof Commissioner. His rule was always final as the gavel on the desk illustrated. “MICK JUST GAVE YOU SODA” was as important to his character as getting chucked off a cage.

In later years, Foley would turn up to work the occasional program. Whether it was to make a star out of Randy Orton, or to make Edge the most hardcore son of a bitch as opponent or ally, Foley’s presence in either program highly elevated his opponents’ stature.

Foley also endured a tour of TNA. He did indeed win their big gold strap once, but the run was mostly forgettable.

“WILL YOU BE A LEGEND OR A STATISTIC?”

Foley re-signed with the WWE in 2011. His appearances are sporadic, but he makes them count. Whether it was a comedy spot in the Royal Rumble, or to have a verbal joust with champ CM Punk, Foley’s enigma never wore off with audiences and fans alike.

For a man whose contributions in the WWE could be measured in multiple ways, it is a great honor for Mick Foley to be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame. MSG is not only where will history will be forever implanted, but it’s also where it all began for a hitchhiker wanting to see a leap of faith.

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Foley has a number of great products written or filmed on him. If you are new to the man and need to pick some stuff up, here are some links to do so:

Mick Foley’s Author Page @ Amazon – This features all the books he has ever written, ranging from autobiographies to novels.

Beyond the Mat – Barry W. Blaustein’s labor of love revolving around the real world of “fake” wrestling. Mick’s role is painful as he tries to juggle his death-defying antics with family. The original 2000 DVD, which is linked here, features an exclusive commentary track with Foley and Terry Funk.

Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops – WWE’s first full-hearted DVD presentation on Mick Foley. Sure there is Three Faces of Foley (and Madman Unleashed which was A&E’s Biography on him) that was released earlier, but it is nothing but fluff. Released in 2001, it’s a split format of documentary/matches. The documentary is over an hour long, and covers material from later 1999 to the end of 2000. Be aware that the Kennel from Hell match from Unforgiven 1999 is on here with exclusive commentary from Foley and Kevin (not Kelly) Kelly.

Greatest Hits and Misses, A Life in Wrestling – WWE’s second foray into presenting Foley’s career. This is all matches, albeit with some awesome bonus features added in. The version linked is the 2007 “Hardcore Edition”, which is an expanded third disc option. If you’re new to the wrestling biz, get that one as it contains more recent matches in there as well.

Wrestling Legend - If you need a ‘best of’ compilation of Foley’s TNA work, it is all there. I’ll admit I missed most of it, but some of those matches look pretty darn good.

For All Mankind – Not to be confused with a History Channel documentary by the same name, this is the new WWE project chronicling Foley’s life and career. As of this writing, the DVD and Blu-ray are scheduled to be released April the 16th. The format is expected to be documentary/matches. The documentary is planned around Foley’s life, while the matches may have a lot of repeats. At least the repeats won’t be censored this time, as some of them on recent sets are blur-fests.

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It wouldn’t be a Foley article without this:

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WrestleMania Profile: Bret Hart

When it comes to Wrestlemania, there are men whose careers count on bringing on epic performances of a lifetime.

At the same time, there are men whose careers are legendary to the point that whatever they do on the grandest stage is just icing on the cake.

This would perfectly describe Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Bret’s career is a who’s who of accomplishments, in which some of them just so happen to occur at WrestleMania.

From battle royals to submission-based quarrels, Bret has seemingly done just about everything there is at Wrestlemania. Let’s take a look back at some of his more major accomplishments.

His inaugural Wrestlemania contest was one in earnest, as Bret was one of the last men eliminated in the battle royal at Wrestlemania 2. Keep in mind this was during the Hart Foundation’s infancy, and the one hurling Bret (and Jim Neidhart for that matter) over the top was Andre the Giant.

Although a six-man tag at Wrestlemania III (Hart Foundation w/ Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs & Tito Santana) did have a good amount of heat to it, it would be a few years before the Hart Foundation had a meaningful match on the big show.

On a one-off singles appearance, Bret took part in a battle royal at Wrestlemania IV that would change the course of his history. After being eliminated by Bad News Brown, Bret jumped Brown from behind and destroyed his trophy. This would turn Bret Hart face, and Hitman would stay good for close to a decade.

Instead of the crooked viles of heel work in most of their prior matches, the Hart Foundation at Wrestlemania VII were fun-loving good guys pandering to the zeal of the crowd. It didn’t help them much against the Nasty Boys however, as Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags used their cheating to win the tag team championships.

On one hand, this was an end of an era as the Hart Foundation amicably split up shortly afterwards.

On the other hand, this was the start of a new era, as Bret would launch his singles career.

Wrestlemania VIII saw Bret Hart face off against Roddy Piper for the Intercontinental Championship. This match was so impressive that in an earlier entry, this was the 1992 pick for the best matches of the 1990s. Bret, in a move that even stifles contemporaries today, was able to nicely conceal a blade job three-quarters of the way through the bout. The finish was one of the neatest reversals in the history of Wrestlemania: Piper locked Bret in the his patented sleeper, and then Bret kicked off the turnbuckles, and hooked Piper into a pinning predicament thus becoming a two-time IC belt-holder.

Wrestlemania IX and X are inter-twined, as a story seemingly started and ended between those two events. Yokozuna faced Hart for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania IX. Yoko, who had Mr. Fuji as a pick in his corner, won the title after the manager Fuji threw salt in the Hitman’s eyes. Hulk Hogan seemingly came out to ‘avenge’ Hart, and won the title in a impromptu match. Yokozuna would win the title again at King of the Ring, the same event where Hart won the KOTR tournament.

Now between KOTR and Wrestlemania X, another major component would enter into the mix. Bret’s little brother Owen would tag with him and the rest of the Hart brothers at the Survivor Series. Owen was the only one eliminated, and it sparked some jealousy from the little nugget. After patching things up on paper, the feud re-ignited big time as Owen turned on Bret after Bret was ‘injured’ during a tag title match at the Royal Rumble. Jealously turned into righteousness, and Owen received the bout he wanted with Bret for Wrestlemania X.

More on that in a second.

Bret’s business wasn’t done at the Rumble, as he would take part in the Rumble match itself. He and Lex Luger simultaneously eliminated one another, and therefore each received a title bout for Wrestlemania X. A coin-toss on RAW further signified the two-match format for the big day.

In the opening contest of Wrestlemania X, Owen defeated Bret, the first of what would be many matches between the two. It was a great contest, easily the best opener in ‘Mania history. The other shocker about this match was that Owen pinned Bret clean as a sheet. With Bret as mega-huge at the time as he is, you’d almost think that a ‘cheap’ win would be the only way to go. In the long run, Owen benefitted big off the clean win.

In the main event of the show, Bret defeated Yokozuna (who had defeated Lex via DQ earlier) via pinfall after Yokozuna messed up (planned) a Bonzai Drop. Just like the Yoko/Luger match earlier with Mr. Perfect, this match had a special referee. Roddy Piper, whom Bret Hart had faced for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania VIII, made the call for this important match.

Speaking of Roddy, this wouldn’t be his last foray into representing Bret Hart at WrestleMania. Wrestlemania XI saw a match that was every bit as bad as Survivor Series 1994 was great. Bret Hart. Bob Backlund. Submissions only (well, it was really ‘I Quit’). Bret won, but in the long run it’s considered a match best served in the trash can.

Although XI wouldn’t mean much in the overall career of Bret Hart, XII sure would.

Bret would walk into WrestleMania XII as the WWE Champion. His opponent was Shawn Michaels, winner of the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive year. While most of the attention was on the Heartbreak Kid, Hart wasn’t exactly silent on the sidelines either. In the background, he was ready to prove he was the Iron Man about to paint a 60 minute masterpiece. Before the match, it was decided the match would go 0-0 in regulation with a forced overtime period. This would make a note of how tough either man was to beat. In what is the longest match in Wrestlemania history, Shawn defeated Bret in the second minute of overtime to clinch his first-ever WWE Championship. This would mark a sabbatical for Bret, whose stretch of in-ring time without a break was quickly approaching a decade.

While he was away, a new rival burst onto the scene.

Steve Austin entered WWE via a hot stint in ECW. While Austin’s early WWE days were nothing to write home about, one promo changed everything. After that King of the Ring promo, a newfound confidence arose in Austin. Confidence that allowed the rattlesnake to call out Bret Hart for a future challenge.

As summarized from Austin’s profile, the two would have on-going feud stemming from the fall of 1996. By the time Wrestlemania 13 rolled around, this duel had reached its apex.

It was yet another Submissions Match. Unlike the Backlund disaster of a couple of years before, this one was primed on being a masterpiece. Instead of swapping holds, these two were trading punches. Both men gave each other everything they had. Hart even bladed Austin, which in turn would give the WWE Universe some of the most iconic imagery in WrestleMania history. Austin’s resilience gave the fans ammunition to root Steve on while making Bret look like a transitional villain. Austin valiantly tried to get out of Bret’s Sharpshooter, but passed out in a pool of his own blood trying to get out. This match not only turned out to be a classic, but it is also regarded by many as the best double-turn in professional wrestling history.

Later on in 1997, the Montreal Screwjob reared its ugly head and people feared Bret would NEVER return to the WWE.

Upon a phone call and a handshake, Bret went to Stamford, Connecticut to meet with Vince McMahon and make his DVD. In this blogger’s opinion, it’s the best WWE DVD ever put out.

In turn, this led into his 2006 Hall of Fame induction. Who inducted ‘The Hitman’? None other than Austin himself. It was very fitting because not only did their legendary match happen in the Rosemont Horizon, but also it was a wild turning point for both men in their respective careers. Austin and Hart were also friends outside the ring and that made the request easier to accept.

At the dawn of 2010, Bret Hart returned to WWE and RAW to make amends with Shawn Michaels. After he did, Bret was thrust into a feud with Vince McMahon. This culminated into a No Holds Barred match at WM XXVI, a match that will go down as one of the slowest-paced matches in history. Hart persuaded his family members to turn on Vince, and it led to making Vince tap in Bret’s Sharpshooter.

Overall, Bret’s Wrestlemania history is like icing on the proverbial cake. He may not have singularly put WrestleMania on the map. Hell, he’s not considered a ‘Showstopper’, or ‘Headliner’, or ‘Main Event’, or even ‘Immortal’. Not only was he the excellence in execution, but Bret’s matches were amongst the best there ever would be.

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CONTESTS

Wrestlemania II: Andre the Giant won a 20-Man Battle Royal Featuring WWE Superstars and NFL Players, lastly eliminating Bret Hart. (9:53) NR

Wrestlemania III: The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart, w/ Jimmy Hart) & ‘Dangerous Danny Davis defeated The British Bulldogs (Tom Billington and Davey Boy Smith) & Tito Santana in a Six-Man Tag Match by pinfall. (8:52) **1/2

Wrestlemania IV: Bad News Brown won a 20-Man Battle Royal by defeating Bret Hart last. (10:40). NR. After Brown’s victory, Bret proceeded to destroy the trophy, and therefore he turned face.

Wrestlemania V: The Hart Foundation defeated The Honky Tonk Man & Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart by pinfall. (7:37) **

Wrestlemania VI: The Hart Foundation defeated The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov and Nikolai Volkoff) by pinfall. (0:19) NR

Wrestlemania VII: The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs) w/ Jimmy Hart defeated The Hart Foundation by pinfall to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships. (12:10) **3/4

Wrestlemania VIII: Bret Hart defeated Roddy Piper by a reversal out of a sleeper into a pinfall to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship. (13:51) ****1/4

Wrestlemania IX: Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) defeated Bret Hart by pinfall to capture the WWE Championship. (8:55) **1/2. After the match, Hulk Hogan came out to ‘avenge’ Hart, and in a impromptu match, defeated Yokozuna to become WWE Champion.

Wrestlemania X: Owen Hart defeated Bret Hart by pinfall. (20:21) *****

- Bret Hart defeated Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) by pinfall to win the WWE Championship with Roddy Piper as special referee. (10:38) **1/2

Wrestlemania XI: Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund in a “I Quit” Match after Roddy Piper determined that the sound Backlund made into the microphone was a submission. (9:34) *

Wrestlemania XII: Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron man match (1-0) to win the WWE Championship. This occurred in overtime. (1:01:56) ****1/2

Wrestlemania 13: Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin in a Submission Match after special guest referee Ken Shamrock deemed Steve Austin unable to compete due to blood loss. (22:05) ***** Launched Steve Austin into the stratosphere, and both men flipped roles post-match.

Wrestlemania 22: Bret Hart was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Steve Austin.

Wrestlemania XXVI: Bret Hart defeated Vince McMahon by submission in a No Holds Barred Match with Bruce Hart as special referee. (11:09) *

Overall Record: 8-6 (5 pinfall victories, 2 submission victories, and one referee stoppage win. 2 battle royal losses, 4 pinfall losses.)

Overall Combined Length In-Ring: 3:27:56 (3 hours, 27 minutes, and 56 seconds. That’s about 13:12 a contest.)

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Wrestlemania Profile: Stone Cold Steve Austin

Wrestlemania means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

While some people may have invented the ‘feel’ or the ‘work ethic’ of the big day, some people were literally launched into the stratosphere by a game-day performance.

Take case in point, Steve Austin.

By the time Wrestlemania 13 hit, ‘Stone Cold’ was already on his way to the top.

After entering the WWE from ECW, a heel Steve Austin became a bland ‘Ringmaster’, mouthed by manager Ted DiBiase.

During these early WWE days, Austin became embroiled in a feud with Savio Vega. This led to a surprisingly underrated classic, which saw Austin win with a ‘Million Dollar Dream’.

Combining the defecting Ted DiBiase to a classic speech at the King of the Ring, little did Austin know that he would make the company more than a million dollars in the upcoming year. More about that here.

As 13 dawned, Austin’s nemesis in life was one ‘Hitman’ Bret Hart. The two had a feud stemming from when Austin called out ‘Hitman’ during the Mind Games pay-per-view back from that previous September.

Survivor Series didn’t end the rage, and neither did the Royal Rumble.

So on to Wrestlemania, and a ‘Submission’ match!

While much has been written on the subject, long story short it’s a beautiful match. Not only was the contest a classic, but the imagery and the post-match angles were ones for the ages too!

Blood streaming down his face, Austin’s literal image of not giving up under pressure made him somewhat a sympathetic figure, completely contrasting his ‘stone cold’ personality.

After that encounter, Austin and Hart switched roles, and Austin would go on to have three Wrestlemania title matches.

1998 saw Austin battle Shawn, who as noted in the previous profile, was burning the candle at both ends. Austin won the WWE Championship, and thus officially became ‘The Man’.

1999 saw Austin battle The Rock, who had himself carry great momentum from not-so-great beginnings. Add in Vince McMahon’s invariably-hostile ego, and we got combustible elements in the city of brotherly love. Austin overcame evil yet again, and became a 3-time WWE Champion.

Austin was absent at 2000 as he recovered from spinal fusion surgery, stemming from the botched piledriver from Summerslam 1997.

2001 saw Austin battle The Rock yet again for the title, but instead of a typical good/bad dichotomy, it was just man vs. man. Or at least until the end when Vince McMahon interfered on Austin’s behalf. It was a shocking all-time moment that led to a heel turn that will be as fondly remembered as a popcorn fart.

2002 had Austin, well, in the undercard, and none too happy about it. Austin winning was an afterthought, as serious Creative issues would force Austin’s hand to eventually ditch the company. Temporarily.

Wrestlemania XIX would be Austin’s last competitive match. The main focus of the story was revolving around newly-turned-heel Hollywood Rock, who vowed to whip the bald-headed candy ass of Austin at the grandest stage. Rock lived up to it, as he pinned Austin after delivering three poetic Rock Bottoms.

Although Austin would retire from wrestling, his involvement at Wrestlemania was far from over.

In 2004 and 2007, he special guest refereed matches. One of them featured two men who leaved the WWE immediately afterwards (Brock Lesnar/Goldberg), and the other revolved around billionaire hair (Umaga/Bobby Lashley).

2005 saw him be a guest on Piper’s Pit, which was wildly entertaining. 

Finally in 2009, Austin celebrated his Hall of Fame induction with a ‘Salute to Texas’. 

Never has ATV’s on the big stage feel like such a big deal.

Overall, Austin owes a lot of his career to a bloody still image from 13. While he had been going to the top anyway, that night in 
 Chicago sealed his fate in the best way possible. From brewskis to Stunners, Austin’s Wrestlemania work shall be described as one big, “OH HELL YEAHHHH!”
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CONTESTS
Wrestlemania XII: Steve Austin w/ Ted DiBiase defeated Savio Vega via Submission (10:00) **3/4
Wrestlemania 13: Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin in a Submission Match after special guest referee Ken Shamrock deemed Steve Austin unable to compete due to blood loss. (22:05) ***** Launched Steve Austin into the stratosphere, and both men flipped roles post-match.
Wrestlemania XIV: Steve Austin defeated Shawn Michaels via pinfall to win the WWE Championship after Mike Tyson's fast-count (20:02) ***3/4. Austin officially became 'the man' after winning the belt.
Wrestlemania XV: Steve Austin defeated The Rock via pinfall in a No Disqualification match to win the WWE Championship after Mankind made the count. (16:52) ***1/2
Wrestlemania X-Seven: Steve Austin defeated The Rock via pinfall in a No Disqualification match to win the WWE Championship after Vince McMahon interfered on Austin's behalf. (33:06) ****3/4. This was the start of Austin's ill-fated heel turn.
Wrestlemania X-8: Steve Austin defeated Scott Hall (w/ Kevin Nash) via pinfall. (9:51) **
Wrestlemania XIX: The Rock defeated Steve Austin via pinfall after delivering a THIRD Rock Bottom. (17:53) ***3/4. This was Austin's last competitive match.
Wrestlemania XX: Special guest refereed Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
Wrestlemania 21: Was a guest on Piper’s Pit.
Wrestlemania 23: Special guest referred “The Battle of the Billionaires”, Bobby Lashley (w/ Donald Trump) vs. Umaga (w/ Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon)
The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania (aka Wrestlemania 25): Was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and did ‘A Salute to Texas’ during the show.
Overall Record: 5-2 (4 pinfall victories, 1 submission victory, 1 loss due to ref stoppage, 1 pinfall loss)
Overall Combined Length In-Ring: 2:09:49. That is an average of 18:25 a match.