Mick Foley's Blog, page 2

WRESTLING STORIES FOR WRESTLING FANS

Michael PS Hayes is perhaps my favorite wrestling philosopher. He's also the last remaining man in America rocking a fanny pack, but that's a different story for a different time. Suffice to say that Hayes knows his stuff when it comes to the world of sports-entertainment. One of my favorite Hayes tales is that of a much-loved steak-house. Brother, people travelled great distances to get to that steakhouse, which featured some of the best damn steaks known to mankind (people as a whole, not the wrestler). Eventually, the steak-house began adding other selections to its menu - chicken, pasta, a variety of vegetables. The steak-house patrons raved about these new selections, saying things like "wow, have you tried the chicken at that steak-house? It's incredible!" The new items were so popular that the steak-house decided they could do without having steak on the menu at all...at which point, people stopped going to the steak-house at all.

Up until this past week in Montreal, I'd become so convinced that my chicken, pasta and vegetables were so good that I was thinking of removing steak from my comedy menu altogether. Thank goodness I came to my senses - with more than a little assistance from Australian comic Brendon Burns. If you've got a gimmick, work it. Just seeing such a vast list of comedians under one roof, most of them with many years of comedy experience, made me realize how fortunate I was to have a specialty item that set me apart; a way of attracting people into my particular establishment when there were so many others to choose from.

I saw literally dozens of comedians perform while I was in Montreal - all of them good, some of them great; masters of timing and one liners. But it's darn hard to create a fanbase for the vast majority of these comedians - a way of creating name-face recognition. As evidence, I'm hard-pressed to remember the names of all but a few of the comics I saw. Sure, some of the biggest stars in the comedy world were there - people with rockstar-like followings. But they had to work damn hard to get to that status - with most of them honing their craft in tiny clubs for little money, before eventually getting that name-face recognition thing going.

I got to see Amy Schumer, a comic who is right on the brink of beoming huge, and her material had me laughing out loud for a complete hour. If you get a chance to see her - do it! Follow her @AmySchumer as well. She's great..and she even tells a wrestling story, which her audience ate up. But that wrestling story is like one of those cool vegetables on Ms Schumer's much larger plate. Something tells me that  an entire hour of"Schumer Talks Wrestling" would derail that promising career in a hurry.

Likewise, I can venture out of wrestling territory once in a while, as long as I don't stay away too long. As long as I remember that it's the steak, and not the chicken, the pasta or the vegetables that people are coming to dine on. I can talk current events, politics, Tori Amos, even porn, but an entire hour of "Foley Talks Boners" is not likely to be anyone's idea of a great night out.

I felt really good about the word of mouth and the reviews that Brendon Burns and I received for our shows in Montreal. I was relieved that a venerable comedy source like UK's Chortle enjoyed the show and treated it with respect. As Chortle reviewer Steve Bennett pointed out, that "it's not alienating for the rest of us." So if you're a wrestling fan, by all means, feel free to bring a brave and adventurous loved one to one of my shows. They'll have a good time. They'll enjoy all the side dishes, and they'll find the atmosphere to be warm and welcoming. But Montreal taught me that my shows aren't actually FOR them. They are FOR you, the wrestling fan.

I used to think that the mark of a good comic was having the ability to come up with new material for almost every show. I'd even go out of my way to make sure that the early and late shows in a particular venue (like London's Leicester Square Theatre) were completely different. You know who ended up benefitting from that decision? The three people who attended both shows. You know who that decision ended up hurting? The other 397 people in the audience. I'm going to stop worrying about what percentage of meterial is new, and which stories are already in print. Some stories take on entirely new life on stage. For example, the DDP cookie story, from 1999's "have a Nice Day" seems to be screaming out for a live re-telling. And with DDP himself in the crowd at the upcoming "Post-SummerSlam Jam" (August 19) the stage of The Hollywood Improv might just be the perfect place that dust off that old gem.

My experience in Montreal at the Just for Laughs festival taught me exactly who I was and what I do, just in the nick of time. I'm a wrestler who tells wrestling stories for wrestling fans. I do occasionally serve chicken, pasta and a variety of vegetables that I believe you will enjoy. I still believe I can make points about the world-at-large through lessons I've learned in 27 years in the wrestling business. But I will try to never forget that almost all of you are coming for the steak.

 

Catch me at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland from August 8-11, at the Post-SummerSlam Jam on August 19 in Hollywood, CA, or in Sioux Falls, SD on September 7 & 8. You can get tickets and information for these and all my upcoming shows at http://realmickfoley.com by clicking on EVENTS.

I am now represented by Joe Eshenbaugh at Innovative Artists. If anyone out there is looking to book a certain Hardcore Legend for comedy events, acting opportunities, voice-work, etc., please contact Joe at http://www.innovativecomedy.com/ 

I continue to be managed by the team of Braverman & Bloom , and continue to work for WWE. 

 

 

 

 

A MOST IMPORTANT MONTH

Yes, I know I posted a piece a while back called "The Shame of Shameless Plugging", in which I wrote of how much I disliked continually having to tweet/text/write/message, and otherwise plug my upcoming projects. I felt like only a small per-centage of my followers really had any interest in what I did outside wrestling, and that these plugs were an infringement on their time.

Well, I've kind of gotten over that. I honestly love performing in these comedy venues, and the fact is, if I don't get the word out about these shows, there pretty much are no shows. It's sink or swim..or simply sit out life on the side of the pool. And, brother, I've decided I'm going to swim!

The next five weeks are among the most important of my non-wrestling life, and I hope those of you out there who have cared enough to watch me in the ring or read anything I've done, will follow or support me in another endeavor. Wrestling is always going to be my first true love, and I'm damn proud to be an representative of WWE, but in the next five weeks, I am going to be taking a dive into the deep end of the comedy pool; fully submerging myself in the two most important comedy festivals in the world - The Montreal "Just For Laughs" festival, where I'll be teaming up with the inimitable Brendon Burns (one of the smartest, funniest comics I've ever heard) for our "Good God Almighty" show, and  the Edinburgh "Fringe Fest" in Scotland. In building to these two huge festivals, I'll be doing a show in Ocala, Florida on July 12th, and then 5 big shows with Brendon Burns on Long Island and along the New Jersey shore from July 18-22.

Look, you just don't get invited to these festivals if you're not good. I wouldn't be putting myself out there if I didn't think I had a legit chance to make a dent in the comedy business. I believe that WWE will embrace what I do - they are bringing their cameras to my July 18 show at The Brokerage in Bellmore - and that these upcoming five weeks may lead to comedy shows for our troops in bases in the US and abroad, and a potential one-man-show for WWE. The leap from sports-entertainment to comedy and story-telling in not nearly as dramatic as some of you think it is. In addition, these festivals should lead to more shows in cities around the world; I've already got a February tour of Australia with Brendon Burns in the works, and a 2013 tour (or tours) of The UK and Ireland is a no-brainer, given the enthusiasm my 2011 and 2012 tours were met with.

For those of you within driving distance of any of these upcoming shows, I have only one request - try it, you'll like it. And for those out there whose interest in me dopes not extend outside the world of sports-entertainment...that's fine. When these plugs pop up, you can disreguard them, or choose to unfollow if you feel stongly enough about it. Un-following is just a click of a button away. But remember, you're just un-following me, not breaking up with me; no need to explain why you're not following. But I think the vast majority of people following me would like to see me do well in a pursuit I'm working hard on..and dong pretty well in. Thanks to all of you for your support.

Information for ALL of my upcoming comedy shows can be found in the EVENTS section of my website :    http://realmickfoley.com

YOU THINK YOU KNOW HIM?

You Think You Know Him? – a review of THE STORY OF EDGE

 

Until I watched this DVD in its entirety, I don’t think I’d ever paused to think about how appropriate that opening line “You think you know me”  - from Edge’s entrance song truly was.  As great as Edge was inside that ring - as classic as his matches were, as amazing as some of the feats of athleticism and bravery could be – what I found most enthralling about this new must-see DVD from WWE was the light it shone on Edge’s constant unveiling process.

 The first word that came to mind for me was “chameleon” , as, throughout his career, Edge seemed to take on new characteristics, to constantly add layers to the complex character he portrayed so well and for so long on our TV screens, and in our arenas. But calling Edge a chameleon is almost an insult to the subtleties with which he was able to imbue into those layers. One didn’t watch a single episode of Raw, and say “look, there’s Edge changing before our very eyes.” He was more like an engine shifting gears so smoothly, you might not feel the shifts at all; you just suddenly realize you’re enjoying the ride of your life, without completely understanding how you got there.

This DVD does a tremendous job of describing that ride, and explaining its origin; how a young, shy kid named Adam Copeland followed his dream of one day being a WWE Superstar - through the independent ranks of Canada, getting his first taste of WWE, finding fame in the tag-team ranks, before shattering what had been thought to be the glass ceiling that separates those who are Superstars in name only, from those who exemplify the more traditional Webster’s definition of that word: “superstar”.

My main complaint on some DVD’s in WWE’s past, is that they seem almost formulaic – always well done and produced with that polish only WWE knows how to apply. But I sometimes got the idea that these DVD’s were relying on whatever interesting and knowledgeable talent wasn’t busy on a particular day. Like a stroll through catering would turn up just enough talent, who could provide just enough good sound-bites to give the WWE Universe just enough to keep them happy. I’m happy to say, that this DVD continues the recent trend as seen in the recent exemplary DVD’s on Stone Cold and The Rock - towards really searching out the people who knew the stories, who lived the matches, who were personal witnesses to the great moments that unfolded in Edge’s career.

Edge’s trainers – Sweet Daddy Sikki, and Ron Hutchinson are interviewed. Adam’s mom adds a great deal to her son’s story. The key guys on his rise to fame – including, of course Christian, share valuable insight into the mindset, work ethic and drive that took Edge to the top. Other WWE Superstars who were witnesses to different stages, who were there for the revelation of different layers, talk about what it was like to be along for those unique rides. But I give credit to WWE for reaching out to their former Superstars – guys like Rhyno , Dave Batista, Lita, Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy, and yes, even me – allowing this unique story to unfold and be told as accurately, and as interestingly as possible.

Quite simply, this is an amazing DVD, about one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. Like the career of Edge himself, it’s one heck of a ride.

I WANNA WRITEAbout a week after Dee Snider embarked on ...

I WANNA WRITE



About a week after Dee Snider embarked on his journey into memoir writing, I received a voice message from the aspiring writer, concerned that the process was not going as hoped. “Mick, it’s Dee”, he said. “I’m taking a dump here. Could use your help.” No, it’s not what you think. The legendary Twisted Sister front-man was not looking to utilize me vaunted butt-wiping skills – as impressive as they may be. Instead he was hoping that a seasoned memoirist, with four (yes four) autobiographies to his name, could offer a little guidance.



Dee’s message had confused me however. I pictured the poor guy at the bowl of rock n roll literature, struggling in vain, straining away, unable to produce even a single nugget of knowledge. Instead, when I arrived at the Snider home – every bit as beautiful as it appears on reality television – I discovered that Dee could simply not producing these nuggets; the bowl of rock n roll literature was in real danger of over-flowing. They seemed to be just spilling out of him, word after word, story after story, with no end in sight.



My advice? Let it out. Let it all out. We can clean it up later.



Weeks later, I was flattered to be among the very first readers of the initial manuscript. Dee’s strain is our gain. “Shut up and Give me the Mic” is a great read; laced with the same humor, audacity and knowing appreciation for the bizarre that made Snider’s best songs so iconic. More importantly, Snider’s book serves as a valuable document to rock n roll history – about a band that played literally thousands of shows before they became an ‘overnight” success.

We’ve all read the somewhat typical tales of rock-star excess and debauchery as told to a journalist or ghost-written from hazy recollections. Snider’s book is different. By possessing both the foresight to remain clean and sober throughout his journey, and the determination to insist that every word on every page be his and his alone Dee Snider has given us a memoir that wants to –and does – rock. Thanks for all those nuggets of knowledge, Dee. You clean up nicely.

AN ANSWER FOR AMBROSE

 I have only spoken to FCW prospect Dean Ambrose on three different occasions. Following his match on a WWE house show on Long Island, I went out of my way to tell him I had enjoyed his match. The skills and unique qualities qualities he posseses might very well make him a force to be reckoned with somewhere down the line. He has supporters in lofty places who feel he might be a huge asset to WWE for a decade or more in the future. I'm also told that his interviews ( "promos" as we call them) are compelling, intelligent and emotional; every bit as good as the top guys in WWE.

My second conversation with Mr Ambrose got quite a bit of attention. I know there has been alot of speculation as to the nature of this conversation. To me, it was whatever anyone wanted it to be; a shoot, a work, or somewhare in the middle - as almost all compelling pieces in sports-entertainment ultimately are.

I'm far more concerned with my third conversation with the guy. Look, Ive been accused from time to time of taking some things in the business a little too seriously. Maybe I do. But like that sailor-man of old, "I am what I am, and that's all that I am." After all these years, there are some things that just bother me. Remember that "Cane Dewey" promo from 1995 that so many are still fond of? It actually came from a very heavy place in my heart, when my wife impressed on me just how sick it was for any fan to be making a sign advocating the beating (even in jest) of my 3 year-old child.

That's the immediate feeling I got when I actually read the Dean Ambrose tweet that mentioned his dream to seeing me no longer able to make a dime in the wrestling business - with a particularly nasty mention of how he wanted to see my home repossesed and my children starved. Maybe the 1995 Cactus Jack would have cut a promo on the guy. The 2102 Mick Foley just wonders what would make something say something so stupid, heartless and ignorant. I felt Dean Ambrose had crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed, so took the opportunity before the Hampton, Virginia Smackdown to ask/tell him to please stop crossing a line that I wasn't comfortable with. Ric Flair had once asked a similar consideration of me before a memorable promo we shared in New Jersey in 2006. Of course I honored his request. Ours is a business built on trust and respect. I thought Dean Ambrose understood this. But less than a day after making my request, I saw that my children were once again the subject of his tweets - a reference to how I might feel differently about something if my children were in wheel-chairs. Maybe I would have cut a heck of a promo about it in 1995. Seventeen years later, I just wanted to get the fuck away from the whole scenario. It's not fun, it's not cutting edge. It just sucks.

Sports-entertainment has to involve a certain ammount of respect and trust. It's pretty obvious Dean Ambrose doesn't have any respect for me, my requests, or what I have done in the wrestling business. Therefore I can't place the slightest ammount of trust in him. Has anyone wondered if I'm feeling better following the concussion I spoke of in that December 2010 TNA Impact promo with Flair?  I'm not feeling too much better. I tend to have two types of days when it comes to that muted, under-water feeling I spoke of in that promo - bad and worse. I'm just not the same guy who took 11 chair shots from the Rock in 1999. I haven't been that guy in a long time.  Given my history of concussions, I would have to be a fool to place my future in the hands of someone I don't trust.  Perhaps I do have another decent match left in me. If so, it will be with a guy like Dolph Ziggler, who might well be the best worker in the business, and just needs that ONE little something to allow the WWE Universe to see  how talented he really is. Or a guy like the Miz - one of the best heels of this generation. Say what you want to about Miz, but the guy is damn good at what he does.

But Dean Ambrose? No. I may not have the power I once did in the business, but I still have the power to say no to things that just flat-out seem wrong. Like trying to put Dean Ambrose on the WWE map. A few weeks ago, it seemed like an interesting challenge. Now, it seems like an insult. A few weeks ago, it seemed like cutting-edge stuff. Now it just seems like bullshit. He is a very good talent. He has those supporters in high places. Let them wrestle him. Maybe they can put him on the WWE map. Good luck.

It's tough to get over in WWE. I certainly wouldn't want to be one of the young guys facing someone like Skip Sheffield, knowing that the priority placed on getting over will be somewhat higher than looking out for the well-being of an opponent. I'm not picking on Skip, either; I like him, think he has a wold of potential, and he has personally shown me nothing but respect. But that clothesline on that kid in Hampton, Virginia? To quote one of my idols, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - "Not tonight, bruddah!" I went through that with The Dynamite Kid in 1986, when I was 21 years old. I willingly did it then. I did it at 25. I did it at 30. I did it at 34. I came back and did it at 38, and 40, and so on and so forth. I refuse do it at 46...almost 47. Especially not for Dean Ambrose.

DIVA BELIEVER

 

This may come as something of a surprise to those who saw me only as a very minor player on the biggest show of the year, but this past Wrestlemania week may have been my busiest one yet. With no match or substantial role to worry about,  I was able to take in the majesty of the occasion, and appreciate just how fortunate I was to take part in a veritable bonanza of Wrestlemania events. I visited a children's hospital, presided over the WWE's National Reading Challenge, walked the red carpet at a high-end fashion show, did a VIP signing at Axxess, attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and busted my butt to make my segment with Santino, Captain Keith and Ron Simmons the very best it could be. Truly, I felt like I was among the hardest working men in the WWE – with the keyword in that sentence being "men".  For if 2000 was the year I main-evented Mania, and 2004 was the reunion of the Rock'n'Sock Connection, and 2006 was the year I captured my elusive Mania "moment", I believe I will look back on 2012 as the year I finally understood just how hard our WWE Divas work, how their contribution to the company extends far beyond their work inside the ring, and just how fortunate WWE is to have such diverse, determined group of young women representing them.

There will always be part of me that is proud to be considered "old school" - for that romantic image of sacrifice, paying dues and respect that such a sacred term brings to mind. Several years ago, when I heard of WWE's intention to actually recruit beautiful women and teach them to wrestle, I thought the notion to be utterly ridiculous. You didn't find the female stars of tomorrow through a televised search; you found them the old-fashioned way – by finding that certain quality that allowed talent to shine in the armories, middle school gyms, and county fairs that dot the independent wrestling landscape. Female wrestlers, I was sure, could only be found training in the Dojos of Japan, like Kharma, finding bookings in whatever country would have her, like Lita, catching eyes and turning heads at every stop like Beth Phoenix, or born with the business in their blood, like Natalya.

I still think I'm largely right; combing those Indy shows is still a great way to find those stars of tomorrow, and I hope one day I can suggest a few women who have done great things, and fallen just short of a well-deserved shot with WWE. But as I've come to see, you really can recruit beautiful women and teach them to wrestle – if they're willing to work for it. This business has a way of weeding out the ones that don't really want it. If you don't learn to love it, you're usually going to hate it – that's just the nature of the beast that asks those lucky enough to be selected to find the joy in being slammed repeatedly, both emotionally and physically, while traveling the country and the world at a pace that few could withstand.

I began to see the possibilities about the time I realized Candice Michelle had somehow morphed from a charming, beautiful young woman into a hard-working, top notch performer.  I happened to be backstage getting ready for my match at the 2007 "Night of the Champions" when Candice returned from her match, tears of joy streaming down her face after winning her first World Championship. She'd learned to love the business – and it showed. It showed in so many of the new generation of Divas, too – from those mean girls in Lay Cool, to the naughty, demonstrative Maryse, (I'm still the only announcer to properly say her name) to the world's most beautiful wedding planner, Alicia Fox, to my future partner in RAINN fund-raising, Eve Torres, to the two (or three, depending on how you look at it) most unlikely Diva success stories I could imagine – Kelly Kelly and The Bella Twins.

 

It's hard for me to even fathom that Kelly Kelly has been in WWE since 2006. But go back to that summer and you can actually see footage of Ms Kelly dancing, with Melina and yours truly (yes, I was actually dancing on ECW, albeit poorly) while Joey Styles provides the very finest in shocked and bewildered commentary. I vividly remember thinking, "nice kid, beautiful girl…she'll never make it", after that initial dance extravaganza. Yet, there she was, six long years later, hitting a move I'd never seen, on the biggest show of the year in front of 78,000 screaming fans.

 

 I smile every time I think of Brie and Nikki Bella. Maybe because I honestly never thought I'd see them again after our inaugural (quite memorable) interaction over five years ago. Months later, I was stunned to see them hanging on - when I had the opportunity to address WWE developmental talent in the fall of 2007. I had thought the wrestling business would have chewed them up and spit them out almost immediately. Yet there they were, perspiring profusely, listening intently, looking down-right determined, giving me tiny, identical waves, as if to say, "yes, it's us, we're still here…surprised?"  

I've had a chance to see them progress from afar, and a little chance to get to know them as individuals since I've been back in WWE. I can even tell them apart most of the time.  Most recently, I had a chance to watch them represent the WWE over a five day period in Miami. Remember me telling you how I felt like I was the hardest working man in WWE that week? But  this particular man didn't even come close to carrying the work-load of Brie or Nikki and so many of our wonderful Divas. They did everything I did..and then some – with  finesse, elegance, beauty, and high-heels!

Maybe the Bellas make me smile because they are symbolic of the idea that sometimes, you really can teach an old dog new tricks – that my way may not be the only way and that that the venerable old-school – as tried and true as it may be, is not the only place to instill a passion, a love and a commitment for one's craft.  I used to resent those I encountered so frequently who judged my particular book by its tattered cover.  But recently, I've come to see that I can be just as guilty when it comes to matters  of pre-judging others in our business.  I think it's just human nature to jump to conclusions, whether those conclusions are arrived at by pre-judging beauties or the beasts.

 

Funny how our WWE Divas can make me feel so good about being so wrong on so many different occasions.

THANKS A MILLION FOR THE SIXTY THOUSAND!

FINALLY…The Sock can stop bothering you! Actually, it wasn't that bad, was it? I know I was pretty steady with the plugs for RAINN and the raffle for an entire month. But when it was all said and done, YOU raised almost $60,000 to help survivors of sexual violence*, AND you helped create awareness about a subject that is difficult for most people to speak of, let alone do something about.
At the beginning of the raffle, I wrote that we would need about 2,500 entrants to meet my hopes for a very successful event. That's almost exactly what we got! I really can't thank all of you enough for the generosity to give of yourselves at a really tough financial time; knowing that the odds of winning were extremely small, but that the act of giving was just as important as the luck of winning. Well, maybe not QUITE as important as winning, but pretty close!
I admit, there was a little part of me – the glass half empty part - that wondered why more people weren't climbing on board The Hardcore Legend's raffle train, especially with the incredible Grand Prize I'd assembled – with A LOT of help from WWE. But I stopped looking at that glass half-empty a couple of weeks ago, and thought instead of how many of you were entering, tweeting, re-tweeting or spreading the word through some other means. We had almost FIVE HUNDRED new entrants on the last day of the raffle alone – with many of them making purchases of hundreds of dollars in raffle tickets. So many of the messages I received were of a similar sentiment: "I hope I win, but if not, I'm happy the money is going to a great cause." By the end of the raffle, I had not only stopped looking at the glass as half-empty, but had come to see it as almost overflowing with good cheer!
Even though the raffle drawing is officially over, I won't feel like my job is done until the winner of the raffle - a very excited young man from Ontario, Canada, is heading north on a plane from Miami, after having the best Wrestlemania experience imaginable. Honestly, I thought the winner was going to come from the UK, where we had so much support and interest. I hope that all of you, from around the world, will consider entering again next time.  Our winner and his guest have agreed to let us film the raffle-winning festivities during the weekend, and I hope that I can use the footage to let others see and feel the majesty of the occasion; to let them see that people really do win – and that the possibility of winning a future raffle is only a small purchase away. I'm already thinking of ways to make next year's raffle EVEN better, and am hoping that I can combine forces with The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels to form some sort of a Super-raffle for a winner and THREE guests to have the adventure of a lifetime in New York City and New Jersey. I know HBK's raffle this year is likely to bring in quite a bit more than mine, but I really believe the two of us together can make a combined effort bigger than the sum of its parts – and really show the world what a difference our sports-entertainment world can make. WWE was so good to both of us to make our raffles a reality, but I'm hoping that next year, they will embrace the idea with even more enthusiasm – making it accessible to even more of the WWE Universe.
I KNOW I'm going to leave out a few people here, but there are so many people to thank – and I'd really like to name as many as I can, instead of just the blanket "thanks".
Thanks to the WWE's lovely Sue Achison for making the Mania tickets HOF and Axxess tickets a reality. Did you know that Sue let me sit at the WWE table at the USO Gala in DC last year, even though I was obviously not an official part of the company? But, somehow, I was always part of the extended, dysfunctional WWE family. Thanks to Chelsea, Kate, Alyssa and Scott and all the members of my RAINN family. Keep doing what you do. Thank you Eve Torres, for wading into this this thing with me, and for being a great partner - even after breaking my Broski's heart. Thanks to the assorted, eclectic group of WWE Superstars and Divas, Impact wrestlers and Knockouts who got the word out via the miracle of Twitter and other means: CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Zack Ryder, Beth Phoenix, The Bella Twins (who I absolutely adore) Paul Bearer, Kharma, David Otunga, Randy Orton, Joey Styles, William Regal. AJ, Natalya, Stacy Keibler (yes, we stay in touch)Billy Corgan (honorary wrestler, shredder of Stratocasters and Smasher of Pumpkins)JBL, Shelly Martinez, Lilian Garcia, Good ol' JR, Tommy Dreamer, Kurt Angle, Jeremy Borash, Colt Cabana, Daffney ODB, DDP. Shawn Grande (Boston Celtics radio hunk) Richelle Carey (CNN Headline News achor) Kadee Strickland (incredible actress, even better person) Hurricane Helms, J-E- Ha ha-Double F, J-A-Ha ha, double R, Ha ha, Double T – Jeff Jarrett, Dee Snider, Jill Thompson (illustrator of two of my WWE books) Velvet Sky (initiator of naughty motor-boating incident) Shawn Michaels, The Blue Meanie, Maria, Bret hart, Matt Hardy, The Miz, X-Pac, Lance Storm, Wade Barrett, Lita, Melina, Maryse, MVP, Trish Stratus and Al Snow. Wait, come to think of it, Al Snow did NOT tweet about the raffle. Not even once. My bad.
I KNOW I'm missing some people. But clearly, there was no shortage of people willing to help, and no shortage of me nagging them to help me. But, hey, on this, the 18th anniversary of the loss of my right ear (still March 16th on the west coast) I think I've earned the right to badger people once a year when I think the cause calls for it. And I felt like this cause called for it.
Wait, I remember now one of the people I left out. You! Because none of this happens without your support. Thanks so much.

 

* If you, or someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or log onto the RAINN's online hotline at http://rainn.org Information on rape, sexual assault and incest, as well as information on how to donate or volunteer can also be found at http://rainn.org

 

What This Wrestlemania Raffle Means to Me

 

                               What the Wrestlemania Raffle Means to Me

 

Last April, I felt slightly over-whelmed when asked by RAINN – Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network – to launch a Twitter campaign, designed to raise money and awareness for survivors of sexual violence. The issue had become very important to me, and as a weekly volunteer on RAINN's online hotline, I knew how important their work towards crisis intervention, prevention and education were for a subject that was rarely spoken of; an issue that largely is pushed off into the corner of public consciousness – leaving survivors to suffer in shame and silence. Part of the reason that I had picked RAINN and the issue of sexual violence as a way to make a difference is that I knew from research that it was an issue thought to concern just women, and survivors. Surely, I had thought, there is no way that a person like me – who is neither female or  a survivor, could make much of a difference with this type of issue.

But the more I learned, the more I came to feel that this was exactly the type of issue where I could make a difference. Maybe, I could be part of a new generation of people on the front lines of this battle, becoming part of a much larger societal conversation that might eventually dispel old myths and free survivors from the feelings of worthlessness and depression and the thoughts of self-harm and suicide that are such common bi-products of sexual violence.

I started donating – first a little, then a lot, and eventually gave 100% of the proceeds ( originally, just the advance, but in publishing, if a book does not outsell its advance, there are no other proceeds) from my book "Countdown to Lockdown" – 50% to RAINN for their programs helping survivors in the United States, and 50% to Child Fund International for over 200 loans and scholarships for the survivors of rape, and their children in the West African country of Sierra Leone.

I even decided to get further involved, in a more hands-on way, and took RAINN's volunteer training course, allowing me to work once a week or more on the online hotline, working directly with survivors of sexual violence.  Each week I feel the pain of these survivors, some whose assaults were very recent; others who were telling their story for the first time in years, sometimes decades. So, I feel like I have been walking the walk, in addition to talking the talk, and that I might be in a unique situation to use an online fund-raiser as a way to shine a light on this problem that far too seldom, had any light shined on it at all.

I had a just about a quarter of the Twitter followers (about 62,000) than I currently enjoy (250,000) when I did my #10 for RAINN campaign last April. We didn't really know what to expect, but we set $10,000 as out modest initial goal. But our little campaign turned into the "Little Engine That Could" of charitable fund-raisers, topping out at TEN TIMES our initial goal – bringing in $101,000 to help RAINN in their quest to end sexual violence and offer help for those in crisis. Then, with the help of my two older kids, I launched an E-bay online auction of some of my most valued pieces of career memorabilia, which, (with the help of a Billy Corgan Fender Strat,) brought in an additional $20,000. In addition to the money – perhaps even more important than the money - the campaign and auction helped bring valuable awareness to the issues of rape and sexual assault.

I really thought about doing the same campaign again this year. But I felt like there might be a few issues that would make duplicating the type of success we had last year extremely difficult, and likely, impossible.

1)      A great deal of the total donations had stemmed from a handful of large gifts from individuals, such as Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter, who each contributed $10,000. Another $15,000 came in the form of well publicized lawn-cuttings, stemming from an off the cuff comment I made about showing up and cutting people's lawns if the contributed enough money.  I was able to match the first $10,000 and matched funds right at the end with an anonymous donor who kicked in $9,000 – which got us to the $100,000. I knew I wasn't in the same position to donate those large sums this year – career really winding down and four kids to put through college - and for obvious reasons, would be less likely to get that same type of super-generous commitment from Dixie Carter. Last year, it seemed daring and cool to ask my former employer, Mr. McMahon for that type of donation. This year – I don't know; I just wouldn't have felt right about asking him. Without those big donations, another  #10forRAINN seemed destined for disappointment.

2)      A full month of asking all of you for donations, even for a good cause, was draining. Hey, it's a tough economy, and any regular Twitter follower gets asked to help out with great causes every day. After a while, the constant campaign seems like an intrusion, especially for people who tune in to Twitter to escape real life for a while. The truth is, even in last year's very successful campaign, only a small percentage of followers contributed financially – about 1%, which is actually very high for this type of online fund-raiser. Others tweeted, re-tweeted and got the word out, but even in a great fund-raiser, only a small percentage are going to get involved. Honestly, not a very high percentage of fans are even going to get this far in this article; they just have other things to think about at the different stages of their lives.

3)      Part of the reason my memorabilia did so well was it was clearly some of my best and most meaningful stuff. Unfortunately, there is only one "Hell in a Cell" shirt, and one pair of historic leopard print Cactus Jack boots – with the exception of the ones Stagecoach rushed to me for this year's Rumble. I didn't want to be coming up with the crumbs of the Foley career cereal box – auctioning off that t-shirt I wore somewhere when I wrestled someone.

 

So, what to do, what to do, what to do?

 

Well, how about combining the power of social media with the power of WWE – a perfect marriage if ever there was one – and let the WWE Universe know that for a cost as low as $10 to enter, they would have a chance to enter a once in a lifetime dream Wrestlemania vacation raffle!* You've seen the prize package; in my mind, it's unprecedented! Go ahead, take a look at http://realmickfoley.com/mania  And it just keeps getting better. This past Tuesday alone, I was able to add three amazing items to the raffle.

1)      The Bella Twins will be joining Eve Torres (who has been a huge part of this raffle effort) and one mystery Diva to be named later for the luncheon part of the prize.

2)      I will present the winner of the raffle with the exact half Rock/half Cena t-shirt I wore for my return to Raw in November. Imagine putting that bad boy on and reliving one of the worst Raw segments in recent history!

3)      The winner and a guest will get to have a cup of coffee with David Otunga! Yes, and according to my sources, he will be bringing the thermos.

No matter how great the prize, the truth is, only a small percentage of the WWE Universe is going to climb on board this particular train. But we only need a small percent. My hope is, that if you have made it this far into this piece of writing that you are willing to consider being in that small percent.  1% of 250,000 followers is 2,500 entrants – about the number of entrants we need to make this raffle a true success. I think we can do it! Plus, if some key WWE Superstars and Divas get involved, we could get double that number. Or triple. Or more. I think it's the perfect prize for an audience that is very adept at social media and very passionate and loyal to WWE. I just have to try to perfect the very inexact science of letting followers know it's out there without over-doing it, and reminding the WWE Superstars and Divas to get involved without becoming a nuisance to them.

Then again, I've done some cool stuff in this world of sports entertainment. Maybe some things in life, like RAINN, are worth being a nuisance over. Maybe The Rock, and Cena, and Punk and Jericho, and Mia and Orton, and Ziggler and Ryder ought to expect their phones to be ringing (or receiving texts; no one really calls anymore). Maybe the Hardcore Legend could create an entirely new persona behind the scenes – Mickey the Nuisance! This really could be big – in terms of money, and greater understanding about a very difficult subject that I have come to know very well. But, it could serve another positive purpose as well. Maybe, just maybe, this raffle can be one of those things that catches the public's attention, and allows then to at least consider what I have known for a fact for many years: WWE, wrestling, sports-entertainment can be a positive force in so many ways.

 

*Actually, unbeknownst to me, The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels had done a similar raffle last year, and is once again doing a Wrestlemania raffle to benefit three great organizations. Check out his raffle on his Twitter site @ShawnMichaels  . Who knows, maybe next year HBK and I can join forces for some type of Super-raffle!

THE SHAME OF SHAMELESS PLUGGING

THE SHAME OF SHAMELESS PLUGGING

 

  Looks like the two-minute warning is about to sound (an American football reference for my friends outside of the US) when it comes to my non-WWE dates. I've got my last Independent wrestling show tonight (guest ref) in Nashville  (Jan 14, in case you read this after the fact),  a handful of comedy dates in the US, the WrestleReunion show at the end of January in LA, and the big UK/Ireland tour from February 22nd – March 3rd. This tour hasn't resulted in the one-day sellouts that I bragged about so often the last time around. Belfast is sold out and Birmingham and Cardiff are getting very close, but Dublin needs some help. and it looks like three shows in London may have been one more than needed. Tickets for Liverpool and Sheffield are moving well, but are still available. Information about the shows can be found in the EVENTS section of my website, which I will plug momentarily.  After which, as far as I can tell, I'm done with outside projects for a while. WWE has been incredibly understanding when it comes to allowing me to fulfill the commitments I made, and once these commitments are fulfilled, I am looking forward to getting much further involved with the company in a variety of ways.

 In the meantime, I'm going to do my very best to make sure that everything I'm involved with is as good as it can be, and I can produce as many smiles, laughs and general feelings of enjoyment as I possibly can. I hope that sometime in the future, I can perform more of a one-man show type of event - playing to my strengths as a story-teller as opposed to the stand-up comic that I've never felt comfortable trying to be. I don't think I've ever actually referred to myself as a comic, or a comedian; just as a guy who happens to tell humorous stories in stand-up venues. Hopefully, I can work on the one-man show concept with WWE's involvement, as I think adding elements of music, video,  and perhaps a special effect or two would make for a really cool evening. I'm not abandoning the stand-up idea completely, as I'm hoping to do a weekend a month, teaming with the Rev Bob Levy, and I'm going to do a little talking and see if WWE might not be able to include a Friday comedy event into the WrestleMania weekend in Miami. The Rev Bob idea is almost completely dependent on how well we draw together at our January 20-21 shows in Scotia, NY and February 3-4 shows in Swiftwater, PA.  I might as well get that plug for my website in now – for ALL upcoming events, including my only west coast comedy gig, January 26th at Slim's in San Francisco, just go to http://realmickfoley.com and click on EVENTS. Easy, right?

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH MAY SURPRISE, SHOCK, DISSAPOINT AND SADDEN SOME FANS!

This stand-up journey has been a great experience. I will always be grateful that I gave it an honest-to-goodness shot, and therefore, won't be that guy on the couch ten years from now, looking at the TV, saying "I wish I'd given that comedy thing a shot." Plus, I can do guest set every now and then, and do believe I can gear-up a few times a year for comedy fund-raisers like the one I did in December on Long Island. Some laughs, some graphs and $2,500 raised for children living in homeless shelters was a win-win for everyone involved. I think anyone who has attended these shows can see that I genuinely enjoy performing at these stand-up venues, even if stand-up is not a perfect fit for me. I think the vast majority of people who have attended have genuinely enjoyed themselves, too, and have probably walked away pleasantly surprised at how much fun they had. Therein lies part of the problem, I think; I'm still asking people to take a giant leap of faith and spend their time and hard-earned money on what is still a largely unknown entity. At least people who got to a straight-up autograph signing know what it is they're getting, and feel more comfortable dealing with a known entity – the autograph. While it's true that I've had some very good, enthusiastic crowds, I've always felt that the crowds would have been just as good if not better, had the same amount of time and energy gone into promoting autograph signings, as opposed to stand-up/story-telling/meet and greets. Maybe, if I had more energy, and truly loved all aspects of the comedy business, I could make a real go at it. But I don't love all aspects of it. In fact, there is part of it that makes me cringe – even makes me feel less of myself while I'm doing it. Here's where the surprising, shocking, disappointing, saddening aspect comes in. Ready for it? Drum roll please. Ba-rump-a-bum-bum, ba rump-a-bum-bum. I just don't like continually plugging these events. I really dislike it. I'd go so far as to say I hate it. That's right - THE KING OF THE SHAMELESS PLUGS HATES SHAMELESS PLUGS! Why? Because they cease to be shameless when they are almost always accompanied by a sense of shame. Maybe it's a fine line between letting people know about an event, and pretty much begging them to come. But somewhere along the line, especially on Twitter, I feel like I crossed that line. I'm just tired of feeling like the success or failure of an event depends solely on how many tweets I can get out about it. Sometimes, as was the case in Nashville and Birmingham, where the local media really got behind the shows, the feeling of Twitter dependence is unfounded. But sometimes it's not. Sometimes, those extra 50 people you can tweet into a comedy club can be the difference between a modest success and an emabarassing failure. Single-handedly tweeting an extra 50 fans into a WWE event just isn't that signifigant. In comedy, for all but the most established of acts, it's pretty darn important. It's taken me a while, but I've come to realize that the price I've had to pay to get those extra 50 people into the club is just not worth the shame that comes along with it. I don't look down on anyone who makes the choice to aggresively promote their projects through social media. I imagine if I was a young wrestler, or comedian in this age of Twitter and Facebook, I'd be plugging away out of neccsesity, and think no less of myself for doing it.But, I've realized that plugging away out of neccesity at my age does cause me to look down on myself. Most importantly, though, I think I've come to realize that my younger kids need their dad a little more than the world needs another comedian.

 I guess that pretty much explains my New Year's "10 Tweets a Week" rule. I really do like interacting with people on Twitter. As I've mentioned in tweets in the past, my twitter site has become almost a hate-free zone, and I'm proud of the fact that we have slowly and steadily built up a following of over 200,000 followers. I'm going to try to learn from my mistakes of the past and not use the site as an ipulsive venting system when I find myself annoyed about some minor mishap in my life. Maybe during my next televised WWE appearance, the powers that be can actually flash my address up on the screen, and we'll see even more upward movement.  I'm hoping that in the next few months, I can use twitter as a means of interacting with the WWE Universe and beyond – and just occasionally refer people to the website, http://realmickfoley.com for any and all upcoming events. I'll do my best to make the site a cool place to visit, with exclusive content, blogs, etc., as well as cool clips and stories I've seen.  I'm going to try the best I can to post articles about me in the press section, so that people who like me can find them on their own, as opposed to me using Twitter to say "look at me, look at me!" Let me take this opportunity to beat potential bloggers to the punch - I am fully aware that this blog about the shame of shameless plugging contains many a seemingly shamelss plug. Trust me, there is shame involved in each and every one of them. Such is the dillema when one makes their living participating in arts (yes, I do consider wrestling, comedy and writing to be arts) that simply can't exist without some publicity, but which lose their sense of fun and importance when the need for publicity overtakes the art.

I'm still going to be doing a RAINN campaign this year, but am exploring a cool way to make it more interactive and fun – and by brainstorming with Eve Torres, I think I can make this year's campaign more of an inclusive WWE Divas and Superstars issue as opposed to my month-long asking/pleading/begging campaign. In truth, I would do the pleading by myself if I have to. Some things are still worth pleading for – like the work that @Rainn01 does. But my days of shameless plugging for the sake of comedy are thankfully, drawing to a close.

ABOUT THAT RANT I WENT ON Look, I know it was dumb to go...

ABOUT THAT RANT I WENT ON

Look, I know it was dumb to go on a Twitter rant about a review I received for one of my comedy shows. It was dumb to think I could right a perceived wrong in 140 characters or less. It was dumb to even draw attention to a review that 99.9% of my followers (average in an estimate, not a mathematical fact) would have never even known about. It was dumb to mention the writer's name. It was especially dumb to ask my followers to give their opinion to the writer; even though I asked everyone to be polite, the guy really didn't deserve to be hassled for a review that really wasn't all that bad. For that, I apologize to the guy. All in all, just a series of dumb things I did that day that seemed perfectly logical when I woke up at 4 am and couldn't get that review out of my head. Let me at least try to explain.

Remember "A Christmas Story", where Ralphie wrote the essay about the Red Ryder BB gun? The one he imagined getting the A++++ on? Remember how devastated he was when he got the C (or C+, or C-, whatever the heck it was)? Well, essentially that was me, thinking I was going to get that one tremendous review from an influential comedy website, that was going to allow me much greater exposure in the UK media – and with it, a legitimate chance to expand beyond the curiosity factor in the UK comedy world.

The reviewer had attended two shows; one in Glasgow, and one in Newcastle. I made sure he got to see two distinctly different shows. According to more than one account, he had a very enjoyable time as a spectator in Glasgow, even noting that it was a "great show" to promoter Chris Brooker. So following the Manchester show, which I firmly believed was the stronger set of the two, I anticipated a review that would reflect that "great show" sentiment. And when I didn't get it, I got angry.

I know it seems foolish to care so much about a single review. But I firmly believed that this was the review that was going to "make" me. I'd seen it happen before. In 1988, there wasn't even a whisper of a full-time job for me in pro-wrestling. I'd been sending letters, tapes and photos to promoters seemingly forever – all to no avail. Until one reference of my name in "The Wrestling Observer" as one of the best unknown Independent workers in the business – after which I received three full-time job offers in two days. One of them, in Memphis, led to Dallas, which led to WCW, etc., etc.

Believe it or not, my first novel, "Tietam Brown" whose poor sales I joke around about in the US, was actually a modest success – both commercially and critically – in the UK. While the sighting of a Foley novel at a US event or signing is a rarity indeed, I signed dozens (and dozens) of them while on my UK tour. Why the difference in perception? I really believe it was due to one influential reviewer for the BBC, who took the book seriously and gave it a positive review, which seemingly allowed every other media outlet to take the book seriously as well. Not all the reviews were positive, but, love it or loathe it, the book was taken seriously. I seriously thought the reviewer in Newcastle was going to be THAT guy for me in comedy; the guy who would allow others in the UK - whether they loved it or loathed it – to treat what I was doing with at least a modicum of respect. Obviously, that didn't happen.

Yes, I should have been able to let it go. After all, the reviewer wouldn't have been the first person to refer to something as "great" when it actually wasn't. I believe every wrestler (including this one) at some point in their career has said the phrase "great match" to a colleague without really meaning it. My wife might even be guilty of referring to something I did in the Foley bedroom as being "great", when in truth, it was probably only really, really good. Nonetheless, when one has their heart set on something - whether it be a Red Ryder BB gun, or an A++++, or a great comedy review - and then doesn't get it..well, it tends to leave a mark. I used to have creative outlets for frustration. Remember the "Cane Dewey" promo? Yeah, that was a pretty good way to vent frustration. Now I've got Twitter. Sometimes, having instant access to expressing your frustrations – and an instant audience, with permanent ramifications, is not the healthiest..or wisest way to vent those frustrations.

I'm pretty sure I learned a lesson here, and I hope wrestling fans and followers will cut me a little slack. I've got to run now – I'm late for my "Tweeter's Anonymous" meeting. Perhaps disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner will have a sympathetic ear for me.