Mick Foley Blogs
Happy Anniversary
25 years. No off-season. No reruns. And since that Westminster Dog show situation was resolved (in which the dog show would preempt Raw for two weeks each year) several years ago, no off weeks. That’s nothing short of amazing, and absolutely a cause for celebration. Even if Raw occasionally frustrates you, isn’t there something really nice about knowing it’s there for you… always there for you, no matter what?
There is a premium placed on exclusivity, with words like “first time ever”, “limited engagement”, “farewell tour” etc. used to amplify the importance of an event. Hey, did you know that my 20 Years Of Hell tour is a limited engagement of 20 dates in 20 cities this April – June? Oh, it’s true! But isn’t there something just downright comforting about knowing that Raw is there for you, each and every Monday?
I was a WCW guy when Raw premiered 25 years ago – a new show from a company I was pretty sure I’d never work for. Little did I know it was a show that would change my life. Literally, some of the best moments of my life have taken place on Monday nights in rings, locker rooms, backstage areas, and even boiler rooms in arenas all around the country. I’m so proud to be part of the Raw legacy, and very appreciative of the invitation extended to me by Mr McMahon to be part of the 25th year anniversary. It’s my own opinion that my on-air firing last March should prevent me from appearing on the show for at least a year, and Mr. McMahon respected my opinion. If the company was in a jam, and short on star power for the big event, I would gladly lend a hand. But with Stone Cold, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, The Dudley Boyz, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, The New Age Outlaws, Brother Love, The Million Dollar Man, Sgt. Slaughter and the return of the legendary announcing duo of JR and Jerry Lawler, there will be no shortage of firepower on what should be an incredible night for WWE and the WWE Universe. I hope you’ll tune in. But if don’t, no need to worry; Raw will be there for you next Monday, and the Monday after that…with no end in sight.
Here are my 5 personal favorite moments on Raw. Let me know your favorites – not just a Foley moment, but in all of Raw history.
5) Mankind vs Stone Cold, sometime in 1996, maybe even 1997. Maybe I can’t remember the exact date, but I remember what it felt like to be giving and taking with The Texas Rattlesnake when we were both heels. Just a cool, totally improvised match when Mankind was on his way up, and Steve was right on the verge of exploding into the stratosphere.
4) My debut as WWE Commissioner – June 2000. On June 7, 2000, I shaved my head as a sign to myself that I would never do anything in public again. Ever. Two days later, I received a call from Mr. McMahon. “Hey pal, how’d you like to be the new Commissioner?” So I showed up a few days later with a new look, a new role, and carte blanche to say or do just about anything I wanted to. One of my biggest career regrets is not recognizing how special that opportunity was, and doing whatever I needed to do to hold onto it for as long as possible.
3) Being fired by Stephanie McMahon. All I wanted when I took the Raw GM job in July 2016 was to make a difference where I could, and to be fired in spectacular fashion on my way out. The March 13, 2017 promo with Stephanie and Triple H (a week before my official firing) allowed me to do just that, and left me with a post show rush reminiscent of the way I felt after big PPV matches.
2) This Is Your Life with The Rock. Rumor has it that Mr. McMahon hated this segment to the point where he had to be talked out of physically ending the segment, which he considered to be a train wreck of epic proportions. Sure it was a train wreck – but wasn’t it magnificent. The Rock at his best, with no rehearsal, not scripting, the return of Yurple, and the debut of the dueling Rock and Sock Connection jackets (hand drawn with gold markers by Jerry Lawler) and Mr Rocko.
1) My first WWE title win – January 4, 1999. Not only was it an incredibly surreal and cool moment to hold the prestigious title for the first time, but “the night the channels changed” also changed the way I was perceived within the business literally overnight.