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Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal
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. Foley's every limit is tested, as he battles back the formidable tag-team of Father Time and Mother Nature - overcoming a host of injuries and serious self-doubts to get back in the ring with one of his all-time favorite foes. With his trademark blend of wit and wisdom, wildness and warmth, Foley dishes previously untold stories from his remarkable life, including his transition from WWE to TNA, his ill-fated stint as a television commentator, his tumultuous relationship with Vince McMahon, his thoughts on performance enhancing substances in sports, the troubling list of wrestlers dying way too young, and his soul saving work in Sierra Leone.
Raw, dynamic, and unabashedly honest, COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN charts Foley's wrestling rebirth, and rise to heights that his fans thought he would never see again.
Publisher's 100% of the advance for this book has been donated to Child Fund International and RAINN.
Raw, dynamic, and unabashedly honest, COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN charts Foley's wrestling rebirth, and rise to heights that his fans thought he would never see again.
Publisher's 100% of the advance for this book has been donated to Child Fund International and RAINN.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2010
70 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Mick Foley
43 books382 followersMick Foley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several memoirs, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Good Morning America, Family Feud, Fox News, and has made several appearances on The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" – where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 6, 2013
"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
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
February 20, 2023
Mick Foley makes it clear in his fourth wrestling memoir that he's not sure if another autobiography was really necessary, but he'll still try to make something of it. And that's the general vibe of Countdown to Lockdown, covering the events leading up to Foley's TNA World Championship win against Sting at Lockdown 2009 while occasionally and sloppily intersecting between family stories, his encounters with celebrities, and why he quit WWE the year prior. To say Foley was uninspired here isn't entirely true, but he doesn't pack the same oomph and drive he typically does in his memoirs, and there's nothing particularly must see in this one. Foley still has his typical charm and wit in his writing style and there's nothing bad here, but the content being stretched out to fit the 300 page mark and the scattered outline means this is entirely skippable unless you're really into "just where it starts getting bad" era TNA.
May 19, 2014
Does the world need a 4th Mick Foley memoir? No.
As the time between memoirs gets shorter and shorter, and the store of interesting anecdotes becomes more barren, the law of diminishing returns kicks in and Foley simply has fewer interesting things to say. Foley's tale of departure from the WWE in 2008-9 and signing with rival promotion TNA and the buildup to a big match at the "Lockdown" pay-per-view with Sting
The quasi-stream of consciousness writing style and the same references and jokes from his previous three books become tiresome quickly. And it seems as if Foley KNOWS he doesn't have much to say as each chapter actually has a "Wrestlemeter" which informs the reader how much wrestling-related content the chapter contains and whether they'd be advised to skip it or not. I found it cute initially, but as the book wore on, I actually relied on it and it proved useful.
As the time between memoirs gets shorter and shorter, and the store of interesting anecdotes becomes more barren, the law of diminishing returns kicks in and Foley simply has fewer interesting things to say. Foley's tale of departure from the WWE in 2008-9 and signing with rival promotion TNA and the buildup to a big match at the "Lockdown" pay-per-view with Sting
The quasi-stream of consciousness writing style and the same references and jokes from his previous three books become tiresome quickly. And it seems as if Foley KNOWS he doesn't have much to say as each chapter actually has a "Wrestlemeter" which informs the reader how much wrestling-related content the chapter contains and whether they'd be advised to skip it or not. I found it cute initially, but as the book wore on, I actually relied on it and it proved useful.
July 18, 2013
Certainly not his best work, but his previous efforts were so good, it's a hard standard to live up to. Being a lifelong WWF/WWE fan and not being a TNA fan at all, I was still able to enjoy this book on Mick's knack for telling great stories with just the right amount of detail, although I still feel like there was a Kurt Angle cliff hanger that didn't get resolved (I probably missed something). I actually was never aware of this book until I found it in a bin of bargain books. Knowing how great his previous books were, I knew had found the greatest score in bargain book bin history. You have to wonder if the affiliation with TNA hurt his ability to market this book, although without TNA this book would have had no subject matter.
August 13, 2015
Not Foley's best, but very enjoyable.
Follows the lead-up to the titular Lockdown match in TNA. Has lots of good backstage scoops, and some surprisingly hostile things to say about Vince McMahon and Foley's mid-2000s run in WWE.
Follows the lead-up to the titular Lockdown match in TNA. Has lots of good backstage scoops, and some surprisingly hostile things to say about Vince McMahon and Foley's mid-2000s run in WWE.
October 10, 2022
Of all of the non-wrestling careers a pro wrestler could have, author is usually not one of the choices. Most retired wrestlers stay in the business in some capacity, some may go into acting or singing, but very few become authors. Mick Foley (Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love) is the wrestler who has carved out a niche in the written word. He has written to date 5 biographies, as well as 5 children's books and two standalone novels. Countdown to Lockdown is the fourth of his 5 biographies.
Like his three previous biographies, this one was written in longhand on notebook paper. He does admit that this is starting to become an arduous process, and may have to resort to a computer. The book details Mick's feud and subsequent TNA World Title match with Sting at the Lockdown pay per view in 2009. While the PPV itself is mostly forgettable, the book details Foley as he chronicles his life and conditioning leading up to the world title match. By 2009, Foley is well into the back 9 of his career, and his concerns are well founded. One does not spend a career with Japanese death matches, hardcore ECW matches and the like without taking a toll on the body.
Let it not go unsaid that Foley is a great storyteller, because he is. His anecdotes are full of humor, pop culture references, and digs at himself. However, there are times when he goes off on a tangent, and then there's a tangent to the tangent. It can be confusing, and it is what leads me to give this book a lower rating.
There are other chapters of his book not devoted exclusively to wrestling. An excellent touch is the meter at the beginning of said chapters that allow you to gauge for yourself whether you are interested in a chapter. There were 1 or 2 chapters that I skipped because the tie-in to wrestling was low.
Strangely, the intersection of Foley's life and career crosses paths with singer Tori Amos. This intersection of professional wrestler and a classically-trained mezzo-soprano was interesting to me. Her music, specifically the song "Winter" from 1992's "Little Earthquakes" had an affect on Foley's career. Given the chance to meet her, he does a "I know you don't know who I am, but..." only to find out that Amos very clearly knows who he is, having a close relative that's a wrestling fan.
Overall, it's not a terrible book, but it's not "Have A Nice Day" either. Given the timeframe of this tome, it is completely understandable that a book from this portion of his career would be relatively light on wrestling.
BOTTOM LINE: Definitely a must read for Foley fans; others can read it as their time permits.
Like his three previous biographies, this one was written in longhand on notebook paper. He does admit that this is starting to become an arduous process, and may have to resort to a computer. The book details Mick's feud and subsequent TNA World Title match with Sting at the Lockdown pay per view in 2009. While the PPV itself is mostly forgettable, the book details Foley as he chronicles his life and conditioning leading up to the world title match. By 2009, Foley is well into the back 9 of his career, and his concerns are well founded. One does not spend a career with Japanese death matches, hardcore ECW matches and the like without taking a toll on the body.
Let it not go unsaid that Foley is a great storyteller, because he is. His anecdotes are full of humor, pop culture references, and digs at himself. However, there are times when he goes off on a tangent, and then there's a tangent to the tangent. It can be confusing, and it is what leads me to give this book a lower rating.
There are other chapters of his book not devoted exclusively to wrestling. An excellent touch is the meter at the beginning of said chapters that allow you to gauge for yourself whether you are interested in a chapter. There were 1 or 2 chapters that I skipped because the tie-in to wrestling was low.
Strangely, the intersection of Foley's life and career crosses paths with singer Tori Amos. This intersection of professional wrestler and a classically-trained mezzo-soprano was interesting to me. Her music, specifically the song "Winter" from 1992's "Little Earthquakes" had an affect on Foley's career. Given the chance to meet her, he does a "I know you don't know who I am, but..." only to find out that Amos very clearly knows who he is, having a close relative that's a wrestling fan.
Overall, it's not a terrible book, but it's not "Have A Nice Day" either. Given the timeframe of this tome, it is completely understandable that a book from this portion of his career would be relatively light on wrestling.
BOTTOM LINE: Definitely a must read for Foley fans; others can read it as their time permits.
March 6, 2021
Subtitle: A Hardcore Journey
Mick Foley is a former professional wrestler and best-selling author. Wrestling under the names Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love in addition to his own name, Foley held four world championships as a singles wrestler and numerous others as part of a tag-team. His first memoir, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, hit the best-seller list in late 1999 and set the stage for a wave of wrestling memoirs. I began following Mick Foley on Twitter about a month before the 2020 elections and was impressed by his thoughtful statements. Having read Have a Nice Day and Tietam Brown, Foley’s first novel, I searched our library’s online card catalog for any other books of his they might have.
Countdown to Lockdown is Foley’s fourth memoir, and follows Foley’s career from WWE to the TNA wrestling organization, specifically focusing on his preparation to wrestle the main event of TNA’s 2009 Lockdown pay-per-view. At this point in his career, Foley was suffering the consequences of a lengthy career of high-impact and hardcore wrestling, so he was particularly concerned how his age, physical conditioning, and general health might affect his ability to perform the kind of match that he felt he owed his employers at TNA and their fans.
Told in Foley’s rambling style with a generous helping of self-deprecating humor, Countdown to Lockdown is filled with interesting stories based inside the ring and out. I gave Countdown to Lockdown five stars on Goodreads. It can be easy to dismiss pro wrestlers or athletes in general as tough, unsympathetic characters. Mick Foley reveals himself here and in his other books to be a well-read, sensitive person. It recommend them to anyone with even a passing interest in pro wrestling and the lifestyle it requires.
Mick Foley is a former professional wrestler and best-selling author. Wrestling under the names Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love in addition to his own name, Foley held four world championships as a singles wrestler and numerous others as part of a tag-team. His first memoir, Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, hit the best-seller list in late 1999 and set the stage for a wave of wrestling memoirs. I began following Mick Foley on Twitter about a month before the 2020 elections and was impressed by his thoughtful statements. Having read Have a Nice Day and Tietam Brown, Foley’s first novel, I searched our library’s online card catalog for any other books of his they might have.
Countdown to Lockdown is Foley’s fourth memoir, and follows Foley’s career from WWE to the TNA wrestling organization, specifically focusing on his preparation to wrestle the main event of TNA’s 2009 Lockdown pay-per-view. At this point in his career, Foley was suffering the consequences of a lengthy career of high-impact and hardcore wrestling, so he was particularly concerned how his age, physical conditioning, and general health might affect his ability to perform the kind of match that he felt he owed his employers at TNA and their fans.
Told in Foley’s rambling style with a generous helping of self-deprecating humor, Countdown to Lockdown is filled with interesting stories based inside the ring and out. I gave Countdown to Lockdown five stars on Goodreads. It can be easy to dismiss pro wrestlers or athletes in general as tough, unsympathetic characters. Mick Foley reveals himself here and in his other books to be a well-read, sensitive person. It recommend them to anyone with even a passing interest in pro wrestling and the lifestyle it requires.
April 22, 2018
This is the first Mick Foley book I've read, and I quite enjoyed it. I expected smart, because he's a pretty bright guy. I expected funny, because he's a pretty funny guy. And it is both of those things. What caught me by surprise a little bit is how *touching* it is. While it's titled "Countdown to Lockdown", a wrestling match, the wrestling/wrestler perspectives take a backseat to the bits about Tori Amos and Sierra Leone.
The Mick Foley The Wrestler material is fascinating for a fan of the business (in particular, his bits about Vince McMahon), but what sells the book is Mick Foley, The Guy Who Wants To Do Something To Make The World A Little Bit Better. You come away from this understanding that Mick Foley has given a *lot* of thought to who Mick Foley really is as a person and his conscious efforts to avoid the pitfalls of becoming the character, that so many in the business fell into.
This is the first Mick Foley book I've read. It won't be the last one.
The Mick Foley The Wrestler material is fascinating for a fan of the business (in particular, his bits about Vince McMahon), but what sells the book is Mick Foley, The Guy Who Wants To Do Something To Make The World A Little Bit Better. You come away from this understanding that Mick Foley has given a *lot* of thought to who Mick Foley really is as a person and his conscious efforts to avoid the pitfalls of becoming the character, that so many in the business fell into.
This is the first Mick Foley book I've read. It won't be the last one.
May 10, 2020
Mick Foley is a hardcore wrestling legend, and an entertaining memoir writer. A fourth memoir, though? Who needs this? I read it anyway, because I will always be a fan.
Foley squeezes a few interesting anecdotes in here, but mostly it’s stuffed with bumf and asides that should have been edited out. This surprised me reading all the way through, since Foley makes so many quips about his editor giving him a hard time. “What editor?” was my unvoiced response.
This was not the best wrestling memoir I’ve ever read. Not even top 10. If anything, it showed me that Foley has run out of road stories to tell. However, I remain a fan to this day and, if Foley wrote a fifth memoir, I’d definitely still read it.
Foley squeezes a few interesting anecdotes in here, but mostly it’s stuffed with bumf and asides that should have been edited out. This surprised me reading all the way through, since Foley makes so many quips about his editor giving him a hard time. “What editor?” was my unvoiced response.
This was not the best wrestling memoir I’ve ever read. Not even top 10. If anything, it showed me that Foley has run out of road stories to tell. However, I remain a fan to this day and, if Foley wrote a fifth memoir, I’d definitely still read it.
August 23, 2020
I picked up that book I'd love it. I love wrestling, I'm found of Mick Foley, I have so much respect for all he did for this business. And yet I hard some struggles to love this book and find it amazing but overall I'm so glad to have read it, sure there's way too much lame attempts at comedy and cheap pops, and a lot of the rugged, likeable charm Foley exhales in live interviews or in front of a camera fail when left alone on a cold paper. And yet Everytime I was certain this book would be a nice read but really nothing great, Foley manages to appear human, wise and charming. In the end it's a nice read, to have a nice day. Bang, bang!!
August 26, 2024
Out of Mick Foley’s four wrestling books, this one was my least favorite. There just isn’t enough material for him to cover in this book, and it’s because he’s holding back on the important details. Foley has never been one to shy away from difficult topics, but here, he completely glosses over his WWE departure. The TNA stuff just isn’t all that interesting. The Tori Amos stuff also goes on way too long. His heart is in the right place here, but his reluctance to discuss his WWE departure mixed with a lackluster TNA run leaves this book feeling a little empty.
August 8, 2018
This book is criminally underrated. Maybe because it didn't have the WWE machine to back it? The layout can throw you off a bit at first. But, as you go through it the way this book is written grows on you. I picked it up for a dollar at a local Dollar Tree (hardcover nonetheless) I highly recommend this book to any Mick Foley fans out there. Especially at such a cheap price.
Read
June 24, 2021Another great read by the hardcore literary legend
Front start to finish this was a great ride to take with one of the all time greatest people to have graced this Earth. So much more than just a wrestler and author is the living legend Mick Foley. A big thumbs up and I did have several nice days while sitting down with my friend Mick.
Front start to finish this was a great ride to take with one of the all time greatest people to have graced this Earth. So much more than just a wrestler and author is the living legend Mick Foley. A big thumbs up and I did have several nice days while sitting down with my friend Mick.
July 20, 2022
Always enjoy reading any book from Mick.
He tells stories behind the stories. Sometimes it can be somewhat confusing following his writing as he tends to meander through topics, always coming back to his original point. But, that can be enjoyable on its own. And hey, any time somebody speaks badly of Vince McMahon, I'm a happy camper.
He tells stories behind the stories. Sometimes it can be somewhat confusing following his writing as he tends to meander through topics, always coming back to his original point. But, that can be enjoyable on its own. And hey, any time somebody speaks badly of Vince McMahon, I'm a happy camper.
February 16, 2025
It was not my favorite Mick Foley book, but it was in a time I wasn't a wrestling fan and in a company I never watched. It did make me interested in watching Sting vs. Cactus Jack at TNA Lockdown, though. Huge fan of him donating the money he made from the book. 100% of the guarantee. Mick seems like an amazing guy.
April 10, 2024
Mick Foley's 4th autobiography is meh IMO. I have watched TNA (total Nonstop Action) Wrestling in the early 2010s. The storylines back then was God awful and I've been a pro wrestling fan for nearly 25 years.
July 13, 2017
A nice conclusion to the real-life epic.
September 16, 2017
Just 1 too many books from Mr. Foley. Still entertaining, but not his best.
January 23, 2019
i liked it
February 13, 2019
This book was amazing and adventurous.
June 6, 2021
Not his best
August 27, 2021
Review to come
March 23, 2023
Not the best of the Foley books. But it manages to do what all those previously have done to me which is entice me in about 3/4 of the way through and always leaves me wanting more come the end.
December 7, 2023
Bought this to get Mick to sign it when he worked for TNA.
January 25, 2024
Not a book entirely about wrestling
A book by wrestler Mick Foley that talks about his match with Sting and encompasses his passion about helping to people in need.
A book by wrestler Mick Foley that talks about his match with Sting and encompasses his passion about helping to people in need.
October 30, 2018
Since my husband has recently gotten me into pro wrestling I've been overcome with a bevy of over the top personalities who fight and preen in a ring. While Undertaker is my favorite (as his goth persona is very 'on brand' for me and my interests), another man that I was taken with was Mick "Mankind" Foley. I had heard of him thanks to various podcasts and pop culture references, but I didn't know just HOW out there he was until we watched the Hell in a Cell match in which Undertaker threw Foley off the top of a fifteen foot cage. Twice. Then Foley became the number two in my heart. So I decided it was time to read something by him.
COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN is one of Foley's 'memoirs', though this one focuses on his huge match with Sting near the end of his career. He also talks about personal anecdotes, inside stories about wrestling, and what it was like at the end of his time at WWE. With a wry sense of humor and an insightful perspective, Foley spins tales of life and wrestling.
I once heard someone say that it's a miracle that Mick Foley's wits are still with him (and if you watch that infamous Hell in a Cell match you would understand why), and not only does he have his wits, he has a true gift for the written word. He's funny and witty, and the book had a lot of information about him and the WWE that I didn't know. PLUS, there's an adorable chapter all about his love for Tori Amos. Foley continuously defies expectations that I have of pro wrestlers, and I love that he's found a second life outside of the ring.
COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN is one of Foley's 'memoirs', though this one focuses on his huge match with Sting near the end of his career. He also talks about personal anecdotes, inside stories about wrestling, and what it was like at the end of his time at WWE. With a wry sense of humor and an insightful perspective, Foley spins tales of life and wrestling.
I once heard someone say that it's a miracle that Mick Foley's wits are still with him (and if you watch that infamous Hell in a Cell match you would understand why), and not only does he have his wits, he has a true gift for the written word. He's funny and witty, and the book had a lot of information about him and the WWE that I didn't know. PLUS, there's an adorable chapter all about his love for Tori Amos. Foley continuously defies expectations that I have of pro wrestlers, and I love that he's found a second life outside of the ring.
March 23, 2012
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.
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.
January 27, 2011
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.
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.
September 28, 2014
I am apparently one of the few people who enjoyed Foley's previous book, The Hardcore Diaries, so I was happy to read in the introduction that this book follows the same format - that is to say the birth, life, and hopefully successful climax of a single wrestling angle. In "Hardcore Diaries", it was a fairly horrible journey, with our author at the end wishing he'd just stayed at home, but happily at the end of "Countdown to Lockdown" everything goes about as well as it can when you have a 300 pound, 45-year old retired wrestler lacing up the boots one last time. Um, spoiler alert.
As always, Foley is a gifted author with a deft touch for understatement and setting up horrible, obvious jokes that make you laugh anyway after they land. On the downside, he also continues his bad habit of rambling about how much he loves a random celebrity (having now moved from Katie Couric to Tori Amos, who he won't stop talking about). For this book he introduces the "Wrestlemeter", a device that is supposed to let you know how much he's going to be talking about Tori Amos or his charitable work in Sierra Leone as opposed to the main thrust of the book, which is dissecting in fascinating detail what goes into a modern wrestling angle. To be honest, I don't think the Wrestlemeter works. It's not specifically that I only want to read about wrestling, it's more that I just don't want to hear him going on about how much he loves Tori Amos for pages. In fact one of my favorite parts of the entire book has nothing to do with wrestling, it's Foley admitting to and then describing in amusing detail his watching and then re-watching in slow motion a scene from Mad Men trying to see if the actress is using a body double when he's supposed to be working out.
In that respect, the Wrestlemeter is actually unnecessary; All you need to do is start flipping pages when you see "Tori Amos" or "Sierra Leone" (sorry, orphans) and you'll be fine. I don't think I really skipped that many pages - maybe 10 or 15 out of a 314-page book - and the rest is just as good as anything he's ever written. Recommended for wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike, or, I guess, Tori Amos fans?
As always, Foley is a gifted author with a deft touch for understatement and setting up horrible, obvious jokes that make you laugh anyway after they land. On the downside, he also continues his bad habit of rambling about how much he loves a random celebrity (having now moved from Katie Couric to Tori Amos, who he won't stop talking about). For this book he introduces the "Wrestlemeter", a device that is supposed to let you know how much he's going to be talking about Tori Amos or his charitable work in Sierra Leone as opposed to the main thrust of the book, which is dissecting in fascinating detail what goes into a modern wrestling angle. To be honest, I don't think the Wrestlemeter works. It's not specifically that I only want to read about wrestling, it's more that I just don't want to hear him going on about how much he loves Tori Amos for pages. In fact one of my favorite parts of the entire book has nothing to do with wrestling, it's Foley admitting to and then describing in amusing detail his watching and then re-watching in slow motion a scene from Mad Men trying to see if the actress is using a body double when he's supposed to be working out.
In that respect, the Wrestlemeter is actually unnecessary; All you need to do is start flipping pages when you see "Tori Amos" or "Sierra Leone" (sorry, orphans) and you'll be fine. I don't think I really skipped that many pages - maybe 10 or 15 out of a 314-page book - and the rest is just as good as anything he's ever written. Recommended for wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike, or, I guess, Tori Amos fans?
July 23, 2015
“Countdown to Lockdown” by Mick Foley, published by Grand Central Publishing.
Category – Sports/Wrestling Publication Date – October, 2010
Mick Foley was a professional wrestler, a unique professional wrestler, in that he not only climbed to the top of his profession but has become a New York Times Best Selling Author. His books about his life as a wrestler are both insightful and enlightening.
Foley makes no bones about professional wrestling as entertainment. He readily admits that the sport (if one can call it a sport) has predetermined outcomes and that the matches are scripted to some degree. He also is not one of the beefed up wrestlers you see today, in fact, he could be considered dumpy and overweight.
Foley does admit that even though the matches are scripted the broken bones and blood are real, no blood capsules or ketchup. He loved his chosen profession and gave his all for the fans; he probably shed more blood and created more excitement than any other wrestler. If one questions his dedicated one just has to go to You Tube and put in Mick Foley vs The Undertaker Hell in a Cell.
Foley is also unusual in that he is a family man, a husband to his wife and father to his children, not easy to do in this profession. He is also a humanitarian, always there to help a good cause.
“Countdown to Lockdown” is the story of the 34 days leading up to his cell match with “Sting”. A match that sees him coming out of retirement and joining a new organization. The book rehashes some of the stories fro “Mankind, Have A Nice Day” and “Foley is Good”. This book does not have the excitement nor does it hold the interest of the reader as the other books did, but it is still a good read and is remarkable in that it was written by him, without a ghost writer.
Category – Sports/Wrestling Publication Date – October, 2010
Mick Foley was a professional wrestler, a unique professional wrestler, in that he not only climbed to the top of his profession but has become a New York Times Best Selling Author. His books about his life as a wrestler are both insightful and enlightening.
Foley makes no bones about professional wrestling as entertainment. He readily admits that the sport (if one can call it a sport) has predetermined outcomes and that the matches are scripted to some degree. He also is not one of the beefed up wrestlers you see today, in fact, he could be considered dumpy and overweight.
Foley does admit that even though the matches are scripted the broken bones and blood are real, no blood capsules or ketchup. He loved his chosen profession and gave his all for the fans; he probably shed more blood and created more excitement than any other wrestler. If one questions his dedicated one just has to go to You Tube and put in Mick Foley vs The Undertaker Hell in a Cell.
Foley is also unusual in that he is a family man, a husband to his wife and father to his children, not easy to do in this profession. He is also a humanitarian, always there to help a good cause.
“Countdown to Lockdown” is the story of the 34 days leading up to his cell match with “Sting”. A match that sees him coming out of retirement and joining a new organization. The book rehashes some of the stories fro “Mankind, Have A Nice Day” and “Foley is Good”. This book does not have the excitement nor does it hold the interest of the reader as the other books did, but it is still a good read and is remarkable in that it was written by him, without a ghost writer.
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