Mick Foley Discusses His "Defining WrestleMania Moment"

Mick Foley had many gimmicks throughout his career, but the one constant for Foley was always bland entrances. He never had musicians serenading him to the ring while wrestling, but he did have one welcome him to the stage for his one-man show tour.

That musician was Nita Strauss who has played for countless WWE Superstars. Foley recalled Strauss playing before one of his shows in an interview with Kid Cadet for GalaxyCon.

"It was in Pasadena at the Ice House, which is a beautiful venue but only seats 100 people. Nita, do you remember what I told you two or three nights after when we did the fundraise?" asked Foley.

"I said Nita, 'I've never had an entrance' and when I saw you playing ? part of the fallout of head injuries is that you sometimes forget the magnitude of stuff done and unfortunately you sometimes feel like you have not accomplished much when all the evidence says that you have ? I said, 'You play my music like it really reminded me like I was somebody. It made me feel really special to hear you play my music. I never had pyro and I never had an entrance. Every year I would go to 'Mania and I'd see these extravagant entrances, and I never had one. So, it didn't matter that it was in front of 180 people. It mattered that it was my friend who is an amazing guitarist doing it for me out of friendship and refusing to accept money. It made that show one of the biggest things I've ever done in my life. Not just in my one-man shows, but in my entire career. That was one of the biggest nights of my life because you made it that way."

Speaking of WrestleMania, Foley was then asked by Strauss what the defining WrestleMania moment of his career is.

"Keep in mind that when I retired the first time, in 2000, you didn't really need to have a defining WrestleMania moment on your resume to be a fully-realized legend. I really credit or blame Shawn Michaels for putting that additional pressure on people because, when he started referring to himself as Mr. WrestleMania and having show stealers year-in and year-out, it started being mentioned. Maybe I was a little hyper-sensitive that I hadn't had that moment," said Foley.

He then mentioned that the Dumpster Match that he and Terry Funk had against the New Age Outlaws at WrestleMania XIV was, perhaps, his best Mania moment for quite some time.

"But I hadn't had that defining moment," stated Foley. "So, when I had the chance to work with Edge?I thought Edge was the best all-around performer in the business in 2006, as far as wrestling incredible matches, but also sinking his teeth into everything no matter how serious or how ridiculous. I said, 'Edge, I've never had that moment. Call me out on it and make me rise to that occasion.'"

Foley added that it took getting speared through the table on fire for him to realize that this was that moment even though it burned the hair off his forearms and burned Edge's eyelashes.

"It was so weird that we're surrounded by this potpourri of burnt hair, charred flesh and stale blood. Then, only in wrestling can you say the words, 'I love you' to another dude and not have it be even vaguely homoerotic. He said, 'I love you' and I said, 'I love you too.' Earl Hebner counted three and I felt like the weight of the world off my shoulders like, 'I had it!' Nothing even comes close. That was really special," stated Foley.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Galaxy Con and give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.