Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal

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Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal

3.42 of 5 stars 3.42 · rating details · 313 ratings · 32 reviews

The undisputed king of the literary ring is back with another handwritten, hardcore home run. Forget the ghost writer and the computer keyboard - this mesmerizing memoir is straight from the pen and notebook paper of the Hardcore Legend, Mick Foley, chronicling the heart-pounding build-up to "Lockdown", one of the most important matches of his long and storied career. Fole...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published October 1st 2010 by Grand Central Publishing

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Mar 06, 2013 Brandon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies, pro-wrestling, 2011

"Does the world really need a 4th biography? Well Jon, when I saw the sales, the answer was no".

Words spoken by Mick Foley - wrestler, bestselling author, philanthropist - on a recent appearance for Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show". My initial thought was, "Awww, poor Micky" - However, what do you expect from a guy who has now written 4 books about his life? Most people post this information online, daily, for free! Welcome to the world of social networking and blogging, Mr. Foley. That being said...more "Does the world really need a 4th biography? Well Jon, when I saw the sales, the answer was no".

Words spoken by Mick Foley - wrestler, bestselling author, philanthropist - on a recent appearance for Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show". My initial thought was, "Awww, poor Micky" - However, what do you expect from a guy who has now written 4 books about his life? Most people post this information online, daily, for free! Welcome to the world of social networking and blogging, Mr. Foley. That being said, don't take anything away from this man - he's a fantastic writer.

Within the pages of Foley's first post-WWE-association book, he goes into detail about what made him leave the safety of Vince McMahon's pro wrestling monopoly and try his hand working for the "competition" (and I use that word lightly as they're not really all that much of a threat as they are a decent alternative). The main premise, or reason, for the book is a glimpse inside the life of Foley leading up to what he considers one of the biggest matches of his career, a steel cage match against fellow legend, Sting. However, I felt this was more or less the weakest part of the book. The stronger material lies outside the TNA material.

Foley spends a lot of time talking about his relentless charity work, which is inspiring to say the least. He has a great chapter on how today's generation of performers are far better off than those of the old days, however, he urges them to save money and plan for retirement. The wrestling business can be your best friend when you're on top but a cruel and heartless ex-lover when you've fallen from grace. Regardless of your spot on the roster, EVERYONE is just one wrong move away from a career ending injury. He touches on rampant drug use that leads to many early deaths. In fact, the sheer number of deaths for those under 50 within the last 20 years nearly reaches 70 on Foley's list. It's such a shame.

Foley strikes you as just an all around great person. He's easily one of the most likeable people I've ever read about (this includes other material written by others) and comes across as just a fantastic family man and massive dork. This book really saved my overall opinion of the man due to the bad taste left in my mouth after finishing his previous book, Hardcore Diaries. Foley came across as a little arrogant in that outing, maybe it just came across that way only to me as it's a complete 180 this time around.

Cross posted on Every Read Thing (less)

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Mar 23, 2012 Sam Denney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: wrestling fans

Countdown to Lockdown is Mick Foley's fourth wrestling memoir. I was pleased to discover that this time around he was in a much happier place than at the time of writing number three. The Hardcore Diaries ended its story on a vaguely unhappy note, as a seemingly disillusioned Foley looked back on a professionally frustrating period in his life. There was no mistaking the sense that he wasn't happy with the way his career was going. In Countdown to Lockdown, Foley has jumped ship from WWE to TNA...more Countdown to Lockdown is Mick Foley's fourth wrestling memoir. I was pleased to discover that this time around he was in a much happier place than at the time of writing number three. The Hardcore Diaries ended its story on a vaguely unhappy note, as a seemingly disillusioned Foley looked back on a professionally frustrating period in his life. There was no mistaking the sense that he wasn't happy with the way his career was going. In Countdown to Lockdown, Foley has jumped ship from WWE to TNA and is once again trying to create a good buzz about a forthcoming match; this time against Sting at the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view. The book skips back and forth in time a little, as we learn the whys and wherefores of the move, and how things have changed.

While Foley's Hardcore Diaries account of the weeks before WWE's One Night Stand event saw him banging his head against creative brick walls and struggling to put together a match he could be proud of, Countdown to Lockdown covers a similar period under different circumstances. Foley's ideas are taken on board this time, and now his main obstacle is his own physical condition. Foley steps up to the challenge more readily when he feels he is the master of his own destiny and is determined to give the fans a good show. His descriptions of promos, matches and general build-up contain more of the passion and fire that defined his wrestling golden years, and the book is much better as a result. Of course, all of this positivity has to be viewed with the knowledge that, by 2011, Foley's relationship with TNA would sour, leading to his return to WWE as an occasional guest. The wrestling world moves on quickly, and there's always time for another reconciliation, another crack of the whip.

While the diary sections of Countdown to Lockdown are more upbeat, Foley doesn't shy away from some of the more recent wrestling controversies including the Chris Benoit murder-suicide and the ensuing media storm. This is where Foley proves himself to be a cut above the average wrestler in terms of insight, sensitivity and willingness to tackle the thorny issue of steroid use. The consecutive chapters "A Bad Day in June", "An Open Letter" and "A Substance Problem" are some of the most important words ever written about the world of wrestling. I can't think of anyone else who could have covered the subjects with such deep background knowledge gained from a life in the business, and the kind of honesty that comes from a firm ocnviction that, no matter how difficult, these things must be said.

In the end, I'm just a fan of Mick Foley's work. This time around, I particularly enjoyed his description of the Mick Foley / Cactus Jack interview and continue to admire him for his charity work and commitment to his famliy. I will continue to read these memoirs as long as he continues to write them and, as such, my opinion on this book is even further than usual from objective. Put simply, I think that wrestling fans are lucky there's a guy doing what he does with these memoirs.

Arbitrary Rating: 4 hardways out of 5.(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Shane Porteous added it

A golden rule I go by when reviewing/rating books is to read them in full first. For this review I am bending that rule and because of that I am not going to rate it (in an attempt to be a little more fair). The reason why I didn’t read this in full is because I am a huge wrestling fan that is why I bought the book. That is probably why 98 percent of people who read this book are wrestling fans. So I must admit I only read the chapters that were about wrestling. Don’t get me wrong I think it is...more A golden rule I go by when reviewing/rating books is to read them in full first. For this review I am bending that rule and because of that I am not going to rate it (in an attempt to be a little more fair). The reason why I didn’t read this in full is because I am a huge wrestling fan that is why I bought the book. That is probably why 98 percent of people who read this book are wrestling fans. So I must admit I only read the chapters that were about wrestling. Don’t get me wrong I think it is fabulous what Mick Foley has done for various charities and I admire him for it. But I wouldn’t buy a Lady Gaga album when I am looking for Slipknot (if you get what I mean). Mick Foley understands this perfectly and I found his “wrestling meter” on top of every chapter to be very helpful in deciding which chapters to read.

I think it is only right to point out that I haven’t read his second and third biography. I am not a smark/mark and have never had an urge to know every little thing that goes on behind the scenes. Besides, back then I had enough time to live and breathe wrestling so I saw everything I wanted to during that time in Foley’s career.

I became a fan of Mick Foley’s ever since I saw him compete as Mankind in a royal rumble. I truly loved the deranged character he portrayed, who with the exception of the Undertaker was the first “darkly themed” wrestler I saw that was scary, not campy. Later on I became more acquainted with his Cactus Jack character which eventually became my favourite wrestling persona.

Unfortunately I wasn’t privy to his wrestling years when he was Cactus Jack so I was very eager to get a copy of his first biography, knowing it went in depth about his earlier years. His first biography is the best auto-biography I have ever read; in fact I have read it so much that my paperback copy is on the brink of falling apart, literally.

One thing that I really liked about his first biography is how in-depth it went about aspects of the wrestling world. His humorous, humbled and yet opinionated point of view made for top notch reading.

I had stopped watching WWE several years ago when I just couldn’t get behind most of the new “Stars” (A term I use loosely). I just felt that most of the new crop couldn’t hold a candle to their predecessors and frankly had no business being in a Main Event match. The few legitimate stars that the still had Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, Triple HHH and Rey Mysterio weren’t being used properly. Please keep in mind that is just my opinion, obviously a lot of people disagree with me so I don’t mean any disrespect to current fans of WWE.

So I suddenly found myself without my weekly dose of pro wrestling, until I discovered TNA. The likes of Abyss, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels made mainstream wrestling interesting again (again this is my opinion, no disrespect meant to anybody). When Mick Foley joined TNA I was ecstatic and was really glad with his contributions to this upstart company.

So when he released his fourth biography I was really interested to find out how he got into TNA and his decision to leave WWE. That is the main reason why I got myself a copy of this book, because I was really interested to hear his humble yet opinionated.

I thought the concept of this book was intriguing, counting down to his match with Sting. His first encounter with Sting back in WCW played a major part in getting him over with the mainstream audience so I instantly understood the reason why he wanted to write a book around his rematch.

Keeping this in mind, this is a much smaller book in scope compared to his first auto-biography. I must admit I was a little disappointed by the chapters that spoke about his departure from WWE and his joining of TNA. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t looking for more drama I just wanted it to be a little more in-depth. The chapters almost felt subdued, and I guess I was expecting something different to what I got.

Either way I only got this book yesterday, so I read it very quickly, which goes to show that Mick Foley’s charm and skill in story telling is still alive and well. This is by no means a bad read and I do recommend it for fans of wrestling and Mick Foley. It just didn’t quite meet expectations.

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Aug 06, 2011 Justin Sylvia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Considering that i had all ready read Foley is Good & The Hardcore Diaries before, i knew that i wouldn't be disappointed or let down when reading this intriguing entry into the life of the Hardcore Legend. I am actually kind of bummed that the T.V. Show that Mick mentioned in his book didn't end up working out for a very idiotic reason, one of which you'll have to discover by reading this book yourself. I really hope that Mick decided to write more books like this because i completely and a...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this during SSR at work while most of the students were off taking a group picture.

Countdown to Lockdown is former WWE (and TNA) champion Mick Foley's fourth memoir that attempts to chronicle the six week journey to his match with Sting at the TNA pay per view, Lockdown. Attempts is the key word here because Foley takes the approach of alternating every third or so chapter as a "Countdown" to the match, while the rest of the chapters focus on various and sundry topics, from his short...more I finished this during SSR at work while most of the students were off taking a group picture.

Countdown to Lockdown is former WWE (and TNA) champion Mick Foley's fourth memoir that attempts to chronicle the six week journey to his match with Sting at the TNA pay per view, Lockdown. Attempts is the key word here because Foley takes the approach of alternating every third or so chapter as a "Countdown" to the match, while the rest of the chapters focus on various and sundry topics, from his short stint as a WWE announcer to his charity work all with lots and lots of Tori Amos. Seriously, this guy loves him some Tori.

Each of Foley's memoirs declined in quality after the inaugural entry, but I'd rank this one slightly above The Hardcore Diaries, his last wrestling-related book, because there's a lot more for him to cover this time around. In The Hardcore Diaries, Foley did a better job of chronicling the one match and how the build-up to what he wanted to do for that storyline went horribly askew of his original vision. However, in addition to the build-up to this particular match in the Six Sides of Steel (TNA's fancy name for a cage match), Foley covers his departure from WWE, his decision to sign with TNA, and shares his thoughts on the state of wrestling. While the timing of events is often confusing, his take on what happens - getting yelled at and disrespected on commentary by Vince McMahon, coming back for WWE championship matches he wasn't prepared for, and the Benoit family tragedy - makes for reading that is compelling and thoughtful.

At the same time, there are some completely throwaway and filler chapters devoted to Kurt Angle being overly sensitive about his amateur record and his kids really liking the Motor City Machine Guns. Foley's writing style almost makes up for it as it is conversational and self-deprecating, but too much space is devoted to inconsequential material that ends with a fart or fat joke at Mick's expense.

However, the highlight of the book is Foley's trip to Africa, showing the difference his charity work in Sierra Leone has done for the people there. It's easy to dismiss the pages devoted to his charitable contributions and time spent with RAINN or ChildFund International as self-congratulatory, but I didn't see it that way and found these chapters to be the most affecting and effective in the entire book. After my wife and I get a good assessment of our financial situation post-taxes, I'm really hoping to sponsor a child through Child Fund and that's all due to Mick Foley's description of his experience.

As a book, I merely "liked" it, but I think, if things work out well, I'll come to appreciate this volume of Foley's memoirs later on a lot more as an inspiration.(less)

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Jun 05, 2010 Reid Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've just finished with Cactus Jack's latest memoir detailing his last years in the WWE through his debut in TNA and the night he fought Sting at Lockdown 2009 in a steel cage match for the world title. While the wrestling sections are wonderful, fully detailing his mindset of not continuing with the WWE for a final time to the thought process that lead to things like this..., yet those aren't the best parts. The best sections are the truly sincere tales of his visits from charity and child spon...more

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Dec 20, 2010 Gef rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-library

One of the books that brought me back to reading nearly a decade ago was Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day, so when I spied this book I thought I would give it a go. I'm no longer a wrestling fan, but I remembered how intriguing Foley's first memoir was and figured this one would be as well.

Unfortunately, this one didn't provide the same impact--oh lord, a pun--as his first book. Maybe it's because I cannot bring myself to sit through the doldrums of pro wrestling anymore, or maybe Foley's constant m...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Mosh added it

I have to wonder if Mick's taken one too many chair shots to the head. While his writing is enjoyable and genial, his tangents have tangetial tangents to the point that it becomes distracting. At the same time, his chapter on financing a school in Nigeria is some of the most heartfelt writing I've read in a long time (and I totally identify with his Tori Amos obsession). You don't have to be a wrestling fan for this book, but it helps. You don't have to have common sense on important social issu...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Gary Norris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: auto-biographies, e-books

Mick Foley's fourth(!) autobiography is in the same style as his previous one "The Hardcore Diaries", though an improvement at least in part because it documents an enjoyable and fairly successful period in his career (his feud with Sting) and a major change in his professional life (leaving the WWE) rather than what turned out to be a fairly crappy and forgettable period as with The Hardcore Diaries. Plus, he has some interesting thoughts on steroid use and the whole scandal following Chris Ben...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not the best wrestling book-or the best Mick Foley book-out there. There are pieces of a book here, but not enough to make it a substantial read, even in this sub-genre of memoirs. Ultimately, less is more here, and if Mick waited a few more years to publish, he would likely have had a stronger book. As such, this is more of a 2.5-star read rather than a 3-star book.

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Mar 10, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another awesome book from the HCL! (Hard Core Legend) Mick Foley always comes through, and I look forward to each any everyone of his releases. He didn't disappoint with "Countdown To Lockdown", and I'm sure if he continues to chronicle his journey through Wrestling, or just decides to write another fiction novel, it will be worth the read as well.

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Jul 27, 2011 Mr. Carney added it

More of the same really. Tracks a few weeks leading up to a big match against Sting and is full of the usual Foley things, funny jokes, silly stories and insights into how he goes about preparing his body and mind for a big match. The man is a great writer, a fantastic storyteller and just an all round good bloke. Keep these books coming...

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Aug 15, 2012 Hephaestus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hephaestus' rating system:

5 Stars: The book went above and beyond my expectations, delivering a tremendous literary understanding while not sacrificing the pacing of a compelling story.

4 Stars: The book was everything I had hoped it would be, delivering a terrific story while not blowing my mind.

3 Stars: The book was average - which does NOT mean bad. The book may have been well written, but the story was nothing special.

2 Stars: The book was below average. It did not meet my expectations and...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Tim Van Wijngaarden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again Mick Foley writes an amazing memoire, his fourth and probably last one might be the least in the series, but Foley once again sheds an unseen light onto many backstage elements of the Wrestling World, a must-read for every wrestling fan.

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Aug 10, 2012 Brandon O'Neill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mick retains his good book streak in Countdown to Lockdown. Good read if you like his others. He also highlights meeting Tori Amos, running into Paul Wolfowitz and his charity work in Africa and Mexico.

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Mar 06, 2012 Alex Aloise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shocker. I read another wrestling book.
Though he ventures off on to some totally left-field tangents at times, this probably Mick Foley's best biography since Have A Nice Day.

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Feb 20, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Probably Foley's best effort since his first book. Since he's not under the WWE umbrella on this one, he's able to speak a little more freely on some issues from WWE and Vince. However, he's tactful enough not to completely burn any bridges either. Any fan of his previous books or wrestling biographies would enjoy this book.

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Apr 28, 2011 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was excited to read this one, since his other books were fun reads. Not so into this one. Too much about non-wrestling things. Didn't feel inspired.

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Mar 31, 2013 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mick Foley has a relatable narrative voice, and more importantly, he's a funny guy. This book will make you smile!

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Oct 25, 2010 Terrence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Highly enjoyable read. Foley has a very conversational style which probably infuriates strict grammarists but works. Touches upon many topics beyond wrestling. Foley is someone to be admired for all the good he does.

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Oct 17, 2011 Zack Darrah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While not as good as his two, I did enjoy this one more than The Hardcore Diaries, a must read for a Mick Foley fan as myself.

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Jul 14, 2010 Lisa Vira rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: will-not-finish

Mick Foley is quite a funny guy. This one just couldn't hold my interest. I may go back to it one day.

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Oct 01, 2010 Jen marked it as to-read

Shelves: biography

Recommended by Laurie Halse Anderson.

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May 01, 2011 Brian Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

***star only review***

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Dec 03, 2010 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, 2010

I love Mick Foley, and I haven't watched wrestling with any regularity in years. This is the third of his memoirs I've read. He's a indisputably great person, and it really comes through in his writing. I don't see myself reading his novels, and I don't have any desire to read his 3rd memoir, where he admits he was pretty bitter. I think I'll just wait until I can get his childrens' books and then pretend to read them to my kids. Junk food for my literary soul, and I love it.

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Mar 22, 2011 Krishna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, bios, nonfiction, sports

Worth reading for Foley fans.

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May 14, 2011 Barry rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've read 3 out of Foley's 4 books. Unfortunately, I didn't care too much for this one too. I like to read his books mostly for the insight he provides into the wrestling business. And while there is a bit of insider information in this book, it wasn't enough to sustain my attention. I did read the whole book, however I feel like I retained very little. All I can think is, gee, Foley should donate some of his money.

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Apr 26, 2012 Davy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a relief. His 3rd memior was a downer this one was a lot more positive. Plus with his 1st book gave us an inside look at WCW, ECW, and WWE. The 2nd gave us more of a look into WWE and a look into the entertainment history as a whole. The 3rd was a negitive look into the WWE creative process. This one was refreshing in that it gave us a look into TNA.

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Jul 28, 2010 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

This is actually the first of Mick Foley's books I've read. I was surprised by his ability to elegantly describe the brutal world he's inhabited for so many years. I'm definitely going to check out his other books.

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Mar 05, 2011 Bowie V. rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know, that Mick Foley wrote a pretty good book.

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About Mick Foley

Mick Foley grew up on Long Island, New York. He is the author of the genre-defining #1 New York Times bestsellers: Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker Than Wrestling and Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. Foley has wrestled professionally for over fifteen years and was the three-time World Wrestling Entertainment Champion. He currently wrestles on TNA. Foley lives with his wi...more

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Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks

Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling

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