Mankind is bringing his memories of the “Hell in a Cell” battle to Fergus.
Mick Foley, 53, aka “Mankind,” is well known for his fierce battle with the Undertaker in the 1998 “Hell in a Cell” match.
On Sept. 8, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.) Hall of Fame wrestler will be sharing his story about that day with 100 people at the The Goofie Newfie Pub and Grill in Fergus through his 20 Years of Hell show.
“For 20 years people have been asking me about this one match 10 times more than I’m asked about anything or everything else put together,” Foley said in a phone interview on Aug. 22.
“I didn’t enjoy talking about it because I thought it overshadowed other things I did, but as you get older you come to realize that you’re lucky to be remembered for anything.
“And in this case it’s something people recall so fondly.”
Foley has been performing shows about his wrestling career for eight years but this is the first time he’s focusing on a single match.
“I started talking about [the ‘Hell in a Cell’ match] four or five years ago and I realized that I had some really good stories and that if I worked on building bridges between the stories and expanding things and looking at some of the lesser known aspects and the surreal aspects of that evening then I could put together a full one man show based on one night,” he said.
Foley added, “From the first show I did I just thought I was really onto something and as hard as I’d worked on other shows I thought this was the best show I’d done from the opening night.”
The “cell” is a giant wrestling cage made of chain link fencing. In Mankind’s match with the Undertaker, Foley first introduced thumb tacks in the ring.
“The cell match was the origin of thumb tacks in North Amercia,” he said. “I’d been in what they called a ‘Push Pin Misery Death Match’ in Japan …
“What seemed like a good idea on paper, and it did get a great reaction, ended up being overused but at that time, 1998, when I unveiled them and you know they scattered across the ring, it was quite a reaction but yeah they absolutely were real thumb tacks.”
Foley added, “They hurt more coming out one by one than they do all going in together – and besides with the camera light on and the roar of the crowd, everything hurts a little bit less, a lot less.”
The cell match also resulted in Foley losing teeth.
“I had those teeth when I started this match and they were gone when I finished it,” he said.
He did it for the entertainment value.
“I loved the reactions,” he said. “I loved creating emotions in people and as I got older I really appreciated the humour that could be part of wrestling.
“I didn’t embrace that so much in my early years and then as you get older you realize it’s an easier way to connect and just as meaningful, maybe more meaningful, to take people’s minds off their problems.”
While Foley is known for his viciousness in the ring, he’s also known for his kindness outside of wrestling.
“I … think that when you literally are travelling the world, or at least 37 countries in the world, and keeping your eyes open, you’ll learn the world doesn’t revolve around you,” he said.
“As self-centred as we tend to be when you get into wrestling, to earn acceptance from total strangers at age 30 I started really taking a bigger interest in the world and wondering how I could have a positive impact on it.
“I’ve been trying to do that ever since.
“Retiring from full-time wrestling in 2000, I’ve tried to take an active role in volunteering and raise some money for some good causes.”
One of his greatest accomplishments is his volunteering with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), one of the United State’s largest anti-sexual violence organizations.
“I was actually Rainn’s volunteer of the month several years ago when I was an active online volunteer for Rainn,” he said.
His other biggest accomplishments include winning the WWE title from Dwayne Johnson and being inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Along with accomplishments comes disappointment and the two aspects of Foley’s career he regrets the most are: not fighting Vince McMahon for the company in 2001 and crumpling up Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean script before even auditioning.
“I think at that point Disney had had a couple of lackluster movies based on their theme park rides and I thought ‘no one’s going to want to watch a pirate movie in this day and age.’”
While the 20 Years of Hell show is about the “Hell in a Cell” match against the Undertaker, Foley said no question is off limits during the show’s question and answer section.
Because the Goofie Newfie is a smaller venue, each $75 ticket has VIP status and includes admission to a meet and greet before the show, a picture with Foley and two autographs on provided 8×10 photos or purchased merchandise.
Tickets can be purchased at the Goofie Newfie; by calling Greg Manley, of Scorpion Entertainment, at 519-731-4966; or by emailing scorpionentertainment99@gmail.com with PayPal or an e-transfer payment.
“I’ll have as much fun there as I used to have in Madison Square Gardens, at that size,” Foley said of the Goodie Newfie show.
“So I’m really looking forward to it.
“You know, the whole idea of a club that doesn’t sell tickets online but does it old school at the door and actually produces better results, it’s really intriguing to me and I think it will make for a great atmosphere.”
The show is appropriate for all ages and Foley said even non-wrestling fans would likely be entertained.
“I’m very proud that the non-fans really enjoy themselves,” he said. “I do make it accessible and it’s not a dirty show.
“I curse once in my two hours on stage and I try to make a story that includes graphic descriptions of grisly injuries somehow palatable for everyone.”
