| Growing up in East Setauket, New York, the | | | | emerged the winner, acquiring the legendary |
| young Mick Foley was a huge fan of | | | | status he has had in Japan ever since. |
| professional wrestling, even hitch-hiking to | | | | |
| Madison Square Garden in 1983 to witness his | | | | Upon his return to the United States, Foley |
| favourite wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka | | | | received word that the biggest wrestling |
| battle his arch rival Don Muraco in the | | | | company in the world, the WWF, wanted to meet |
| confines of a steel cage. Foley now points to | | | | with him. After an initial meeting Foley |
| The Superfly's dive off the top of the cage | | | | finally got his dream job in the company that |
| onto the prone Muraco as the precise second | | | | he had watched while growing up. He packed up |
| when he decided he wanted to become a | | | | his belongings, gave his car to a young |
| professional wrestler. | | | | trainee wrestler he knew (a welcome gesture |
| | | | considering money and new and used car credit |
| Mick began training in Pennsylvania, | | | | wasn't something a poor, independent wrestler |
| oftentimes having to sleep in the back of his | | | | could get their hands on all that easily) and |
| car and subsisting on peanut butter and jelly | | | | moved back home to New York. Mick quickly |
| sandwiches due to the financial constraints | | | | became popular due to his combination of an |
| of driving 18 hours every weekend to train | | | | intense, realistic wrestling style and the |
| while still being at college. Mick embraced | | | | sheer lunacy of some of the falls he took |
| this difficult situation however, aware that | | | | including falling over 20 feet twice in one |
| this was all part of him "paying his dues". | | | | match (including one fall that knocked him |
| He quickly realised that what he lacked in | | | | out cold), and having to finish the bout with |
| technical wrestling skill, he more than made | | | | bruised kidneys and a dislocated shoulder. |
| up for in his ability to take a beating and | | | | |
| get right back up. | | | | Despite all his efforts, Mick was resigned to |
| | | | the fact that since he didn't look like a |
| Mick eventually made it up to WCW in 1989, | | | | star, he'd never be given the chance to be |
| then the second largest wrestling promotion | | | | champion. However, at the end of 1998, WWF |
| in the United States behind the then-WWF; | | | | decided to give him the title belt due to his |
| but, after being placed in ridiculous | | | | efforts over the years. He retired from the |
| storylines and having office staff tell him | | | | ring in 2000 and wrote two autobiographies |
| he'd never be a success due to the fact that | | | | that shocked the world when they both entered |
| he "didn't look like a star", Foley left the | | | | the New York Times bestseller list at number |
| company and travelled to Japan, where he | | | | one on the day of their releases. |
| cemented his reputation as a madman - | | | | |
| particularly after his participation in the | | | | His journey through life has been the |
| King of the Death Match tournament in Tokyo. | | | | inspiration for, not only wrestlers, but |
| The event promoted inhuman matches featuring | | | | musicians and actors everywhere to follow |
| barbed wire, thumbtacks, glass and fire. | | | | their dreams - no matter how slim the chances |
| Foley wrestled three matches that day, with | | | | of "making it" appear to be; evidenced by the |
| fans witnessing Foley being blown up by C4 | | | | "Foley Is God" signs that appear in wrestling |
| explosives while wrapped in barbed wire with | | | | arenas all over the world. |
| thumbtacks sticking in his head. Foley | | | | |