HELL OF A RIDE
Wrestling legend Mick Foley is ready to lay the smack down on Hobart, reports
HE’S a prolific author whose books have topped the New
York Times bestseller list twice, an acclaimed stand-up comedian, a reality TV and documentary star, a renowned spoken-word artist, and a committed political activist.
So anyone who writes Mick Foley off as a dumb wrestler who has taken too many blows to the head “does so at their own peril”.
“It’s kind of a Catch-22,” Foley said. “Wrestlers are prejudged, but then it’s so easy to leap over the low bar that is set for us.
“While I’d rather that it wasn’t a news story that a wrestler wrote a book, now that I’ve written 10, if that’s still surprising people and getting attention then I’ll buy into it.”
Despite his achievements outside the squared circle, the three-time World Wrestling Entertainment champion’s legion of fans (he’s got nearly two million Twitter followers) still remember Foley best for what unfolded in Pittsburgh on the night of June 28, 1998 — 20 years ago this month.
Portraying his famous character Mankind, Foley faced off against wrestling immortal The Undertaker in a brutal “Hell in a Cell’’ match, inside a five-metrehigh steel cage.
Already known for his ability to withstand a massive amount of punishment, Foley took things to another level that night.
The Undertaker famously threw Foley from the roof of the cage, dislocating his shoulder as he crashed through a ringside announcer’s table. But Foley climbed back up — only for the cage roof to give way, leaving him unconscious in the ring with a dislocated jaw and one of his front teeth lodged in his nose.
Thanks to those incredible incidents, the match has become perhaps the most talked-about in sports entertainment history, and has solidified Foley’s status as a WWE legend.
Now Foley — who also had his right ear ripped off in a 1994 match in Germany — is taking fans back to that night in Pittsburgh via his spoke-word show 20 Years of
Hell, which he’s bringing to Hobart next month.
Captivating audiences with his stories comes naturally to Foley, a born raconteur who has won rave reviews at some of the world’s biggest comedy festivals.
“When I started doing these type of things, getting up in front of even small crowds was almost as nerve-racking as a big match,” Foley told Pulse from his home on Long Island.
“I’m not sure it was ever on a par with WrestleMania, but there’s that same potential for humiliating failure. There’s always a chance that things will take a terrible turn for the worse.”
While his live performances are inevitably packed with wrestling fans, Foley said 20 Years of Hell would also appeal to anyone who “loves a great adventure story”, even if they wouldn’t know Bill Goldberg from Bill Gates.
“[Hell in a Cell 1998] is the one match that all wrestling fans show their non-fan friends,” he said.
“They might not become fans, but it’s really hard to watch that match and not become interested.
“If you take the time to watch the whole match, it becomes an emotional rollercoaster. For the most part, people just see the big spots and cringe, but it’s actually an emotional journey.
“What I’ll try to do when I come to town is take people along for that ride with me.
“You can not be a fan of a certain sport, but still get swept away if the story is told well enough on stage or screen.”
Joined by his old WWE sparring partner Al Snow, Mick Foley presents 20 Years of Hell at the Hobart Function and Conference Centre from 9pm on July 19. Tickets are $74.28-$110.09, go to
www.ticketbooth.com.au for bookings.