Why Mick Foley Hates Popular Wrestling Term

Mick Foley doesn’t want to disrespect fans.

During a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Mick Foley looked back on his infamous “I Quit” Match with The Rock at the 1999 Royal Rumble.

In the closing stages of the match, with his hands handcuffed behind his back, Foley took a total of ten unprotected steel chair shots to the head. Not only was the action shocking for those watching at home, but Foley’s distraught wife and children were shown in the crowd, a moment captured in Beyond The Mat.

After confirming that the original plan was only for five shots the head, Foley reflected on his partnership with The Rock as part of the Rock and Sock Connection. The star said that the unscripted nature of their segments was the key to their success.

“I’d like to say it was his idea… part of the fun of being with Rock is that nobody gave us a script, we went out there as the Rock and Sock Connection. So even when I started playing off his catchphrases, it worked so well because it was live, whereas if I’d said, ‘Hey, how do you feel about this?’ Maybe it would have gotten shot down.”

This led Foley into a discussion about the word “mark” and why he feels it’s self-defeating to talk down to fans of your work.

“I remember I was doing a signing… I had to remember I’m at a signing, because I was marking out so much for our own work. And by the way, I only use the word mark in a positive way towards myself. I think the idea of referring to your fans in negative terms is self-defeating.

You’re talking about your fans, people who like what you do, and then you’re going to give them a name based on them liking what you do? What does that make you? I consider what I do to wrestling is an art form… and if you take pride in what you do, then you should not be criticizing the people who like it.

So when I say marking out, I only do that in happy terms, and usually about myself.”

Mick Foley Recovering After Surgery

In the same interview, Mick Foley revealed that he’s physically doing better than he has in several years after undergoing surgery. The veteran explained that hip and knee replacements had made a huge difference and led to him losing 90lbs.

Foley added that despite originally thinking a lot of his pain was being caused by his back, a specialist discovered that the real culprit was his hip. That same doctor said Foley’s hip was the worst he’d ever seen, and was amazed that the former WWE star could even walk.

H/t to WrestlingNews.Co