I had famous matches with Undertaker, The Rock and Triple H
Oliver Browning
If there is one man who embodies hardcore wrestling, it's Mick Foley.
The 59-year-old, who starred in WCW and WWF throughout the 1990s and beyond, put his body through hell night after night, all in the name of entertainment.
Mick Foley is a hardcore wrestling legend
3
Mick Foley is a hardcore wrestling legend
During a pro-wrestling career that lasted more than two decades, he had famous feuds with the likes of The Rock, Shawn Michaels and Sting on the biggest of stages.
But he's remembered most for an infamous Hell in the Cell match with The Undertaker in 1998.
The pair immediately set the standard for future bouts inside the structure, which has become a fan-favourite gimmick in the years since.
Surprise WWE star helped Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels reconcile years after heated rivalry
I've taken WWE's most brutal finishers and fans will be surprised about Stone Cold Stunner
In one iconic moment Foley, as his alter-ego Mankind, was choke-slammed through the roof of the cell.
Footage of the star sprawled out on the canvas as Undertaker looks down from the top of the cell is etched in the memory of every fan who witnessed it.
No doubt it was one of the most hardcore moments of Foley's career, and a match that saw him sustain a number of legitimate injuries performing the stunts.
But interestingly, it's not Undertaker who he credits as the hardest-hitting competitor of his era.
"He was very comfortable opening me up," Foley explained, recalling their 'Texas death match' at WCW Halloween Havoc in 1993.
"When I’m asked by fans who was the hardest-hitting competitor I’d ever shared a ring with, I don’t even have to think about it; it was Vader.
Foley, as Cactus Jack, went to war with Vader
3
Foley, as Cactus Jack, went to war with VaderCredit: WWE
"It jogs your brain. It really does. Nobody brought it the way that Vader did, and there were those who did not like to work that style, and I did. I liked working with Vader because his size made me such an underdog."
Foley went on to explain that Vader, who passed away in 2018 aged 63, was able to bring out the best in him as a competitor.
"[There are] two types of people that Vader would face. There were those who were so intimidated. Then there were those who saw it as an amazing challenge, and I saw it as an amazing challenge.
WWE star The Godfather reveals how The Undertaker once broke character during a match to send firm message to him as a rookie wrestler
"He was about business when he got in there. If you weren’t interested in having a great match, he was going to tear you apart.
"He forced you to be your best."
Vader, a hardcore icon who battered WCW legends like Sting, Ric Flair and Foley for fun, was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2022.
Vader was a hardcore legend in his own right, who was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
3
Vader was a hardcore legend in his own right, who was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
It's perhaps unsurprising that he's been credited as the hardest hitter in history, given his 450-pound frame destroyed almost every competitor that dared to step in his way.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings