Mick Foley is undoubtedly one of the most unconventional WWE Hall of Fame wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. Throughout his career, Foley was not known for his technical ability, nor did he have a colossal stature. However, Foley used his popularity as a hardcore professional wrestler to become one of the most beloved names ever in the WWE.
Michael Francis Foley — who's date of birth is June 7, 1965 — was born in Bloomington, Indiana, but was raised in East Setaucket, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. He attended the State University of New York College at Cortland, where he received a degree in communications. During his time in college, he hitchhiked his way to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he was amazed by the cage match between "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and Don Muraco. Although Snuka lost the match, he was able to perform the Superfly splash from the top of the cage to Muraco. This moment captivated Foley enough for him to aspire to become a pro wrestler. In fact, Foley would mimic this moment while portraying his Dude Love character in WWE.
Early Years
Foley spent the early stages of his career as an enhancement talent in the WWF, under the names Jack Foley and Nick Foley. Two years after his pro wrestling debut, Foley began competing in the Memphis territory as Cactus Jack, and finally began to win matches. His success in Memphis gained him a better position when he competed again in the American Wrestling Association. In 1988, while competing for both AWA and CWA, he and Gary Young were defeated by Jimmy Golden & Robert Fuller in a Loser Leaves Town match. This led Foley to commence his tenure with the World Class Wrestling Association. He also was a part of the AWA Superclash III, teaming up with the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs in a defeat against Chavo, Hector, and Mando Guerrero.
After continuing to build popularity in WCWA and USWA, Foley made his debut for NWA World Championship Wrestling in 1990. Foley left WCW in 1990 and competed primarily for UWF, USWA, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and GWF. He returned to WCW in 1991, mainly feuding against Sting for the United States Championship, and Ron Simmons. Foley was not used in a major form during this WCW run, with the exception of winning the WCW Tag Team Championship with Kevin Sullivan at Slamboree 1994. This was also the same year as his ECW debut, even winning the tag titles with Mikey Whipwreck just a few matches into his tenure with the company.
Foley's WWE Hall of Fame Career
In 1996, after competing for ECW and IWA Japan, Foley made his WWF debut as Mankind. His first feud was against The Undertaker, who he was able to defeat at SummerSlam 1996 in a Boiler Room Brawl. In fact, Mankind was thrust into the main event scene the first year as a WWE superstar, competing against Shawn Michaels at In Your House: Mind Games. Throughout his legendary WWE career, Foley competed against names including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Randy Orton, Big Show, Kane, Triple H, John Cena, and a "WrestleMania moment" match against Edge in 2006. Perhaps his most memorable match was against The Undertaker at the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view, as the two competed in a Hell in a Cell match.
Foley created several championship moments in the WWE, including tag team championship reigns with Steve Austin, Kane, Al Snow, and Terry Funk (as Chainsaw Charlie), as well as his Rock 'n' Sock Connection partner The Rock, his biggest achievement was on December 29, 1998, as he defeated The Rock on Monday Night Raw (aired on January 4) to win his first WWF Championship. To this day, this moment is among the greatest fan reactions in pro wrestling history. Foley would go on to win the world title two more times, making his resume a three-time WWE Champion, eight-time WWE Tag Team Champion, and one-time Hardcore Champion.
Mick Foley Net Worth
After leaving WWE in 2008, Foley competed for the TNA brand (now Impact Wrestling), winning the wrestling promotion's TNA World Heavyweight Championship, and Legends Championship and competing against names such as Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Ric Flair, and Kevin Nash. He made his WWE return in 2012, competing in the Royal Rumble. This would be his final WWE match before retiring from in-ring competition.
Based on his legendary career, the husband of Collette Foley and father of Dewey Francis, Noelle Margaret, Michael Francis, Jr., and Hughie Francis has earned an estimated net worth of $18 million. This makes him among one of the 25 richest wrestlers in the world.
From his time in World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, with included several world championship reigns and even stints as General Manager, Mick Foley is truly a legend in the pro wrestling business and well-deserving of his 2013 WWE Hall of Fame induction. In addition, Foley as established himself as a very popular comedian over the past decade.
