INTERVIEW CLASSIC: Mick Foley talks King of the Ring 1997 vs. Triple H, Taker breaking character, Fiend-Mankind parallels, Samoa Joe, more

In this week’s Interview Classic episode from five years ago (4-17-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents an interview with Mick Foley, a pioneer of early hardcore style wrestling and one of his generation’s great promo artists. In this wide-ranging interview lasting well over an hour, Foley talks about these topics:

• His memories of the 1997 King of the Ring match with Triple H that was highlighted on Raw last week in the Triple H Career Moment Countdown.
• Advice Triple H gave him about his in-ring style as a babyface.
• His thoughts on empty arena wrestling, his memories of Backlash 1999's Boiler Room match with Big Show and his Halftime Heat match with The Rock (including a great story on helping Rock prepare by watching the Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler empty arena match).
• The parallels of The Fiend/Bray Wyatt and Mankind/Mick Foley characters with a critique of Bray's early work.
• How he feels about pro wrestling still happening despite the rest of entertainment shutting down due to the coronavirus.
• His thoughts on Vince McMahon and how he has changed over the years.
• Memories of working for Joe Pedicino and his Global Wrestling Federation.
• NXT starting a true developmental off-shoot where wrestlers can find their voice in a smaller setting.
• His son working behind the scenes in NXT and where his son's passion lies.
• Working with Big Show on his new Netflix sitcom series.
• Did Big Show have the career he deserved?
• His kinship with Chris Jericho and thoughts on the long-lasting career he's had.
• A great anecdote about Japanese wrestling culture, Jericho bulking up, and Jericho's approach to t-shirts in Japan.
• What prompted him to compliment Samoa Joe's color commentary on Twitter.
• His thoughts on MVP and the new team of Cedric Alexander & Ricochet.
• His opinion on Drew McIntyre as a centerpiece top act in WWE.
• His updated thoughts on the women's division in WWE including Becky Lynch.

VIP AFTERSHOW TOPICS…

• Any interest in writing another wrestling book and the plot idea he has in mind.
• Mick’s position on semi-colons and commas.
• Someone who betrayed his trust and how it changed his approach to interacting online.
• Which two or three wrestlers did he have the most fun working with.
• His thoughts on Undertaker breaking character and diving into social media and long-form interviews, in light of Mick’s Hall of Fame speech comment about not wanting to live in a world where Undertaker is Tweeting.
• What he’s doing to fill his time isolating himself during the coronavirus.

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