Wrestler Mick Foley Prepares to Unleash a New Autobiography

Mick Foley, world famous wrestler, once hitch-hiked across New York State to see his hero, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, wrestle in a steel cage. Several years later, Foley would become a hero himself. He trained in Pittsburgh under Dominic DeNucci, and he made his national TV debut as one of those unknown wrestlers who got squashed. Foley made it as a featured wrestler on the old Global Wrestling Federation, which aired on ESPN in the early 90s. His wrestling moniker was Cactus Jack.

When that promotion folded, Foley found a home in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It soon became clear that Foley would risk serious injury in nearly every match. If he weren't splattering himself on the concrete floor, Foley was diving off the ring to crush his opponent with his "hipbuster" elbow. It's the only wrestling move named after the damage it inflicts on the guy who does it.

Foley left WCW in 1994 and went to Japan, where he won the King of the Death Matches tournament. He survived barbed wire, thumbtacks and even explosive devices to emerge as the most hardcore wrestler on the planet.

Back in the States, Foley enjoyed a brief run as the Steel City Wrestling champion before hitting his stride in the home of hardcore wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling. After thrilling the Philadelphia crowds with his death-defying action, he denounced the hardcore style. His anti-hardcore rants hit home because they were so true - it's really not worth it to abuse your body, because some fans won't appreciate it enough.

Foley got the biggest break of his career when he joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1996. He portrayed Mankind, a former piano prodigy who snapped when he realized he couldn't fulfill his mother's expectations. He wore a mask and tore out his own hair. Mankind attacked The Undertaker as soon as he entered the company, and he was a top star in the WWE for six years.

Foley became a fan favorite after a sit-down interview in which he showed his old backyard wrestling tapes. Not only did the young Foley dive off the roof of his house, his character was a swingin' love god. He then lived out that dream in the WWE as Dude Love.

In the 1999 Royal Rumble, Foley appeared three times - as Mankind, Cactus and Dude. Although he didn't win the Rumble, Foley defeated The Rock at the end of the year to win his first WWE title. He would go on to win the belt twice more. Mankind eventually became a more comedy-based character, as he adopted Mr. Socko as his mascot. Foley would put the sock on his hand and shove it down his opponent's throat.

As time went on, the physical abuse started to slow Foley down, and he retired in 2000. He had an entertaining run as the Commissioner of the WWE, but things really picked up when he wrote his autobiography.

"Have A Nice Day" rose to No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list, and his follow-up, "Foley Is Good" was also a success. Foley also wrote "Tietam Brown" and "Scooter" a pair of non-wrestling novels. Foley is currently preparing his third autobiography.

The best thing about Mick Foley is that he is a great guy with no "big star" complex whatsoever. My wife and I drove him to Pittsburgh once for an International Wrestling Cartel show that we were working on (I'm an announcer). He was great to talk to, and he was as interested in us as we were in him. I'm sure his new book will be a success, and I'm looking forward to reading it.