Wrestler’s book shows good side
Mick Foley, a former wrestler for the WWE and current wrestler for TNA, has written two other wrestling “memoirs,” — “Have a Nice Day” and “Foley is Good” — all usually leading up to a big match in his career.
He continues that trend in his new book, “Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal.” Foley, a New York Times bestselling author, has also written several children’s books and two novels.
Foley, a long-haired wrestler whose in-ring attire leans toward flannel shirts and sweatpants, is known for his slightly crazy matches that have taken their toll on his body.
Flinging yourself off of the top of a cage and landing on a concrete floor via smashing through an announcer table and taking multiple chair shots to the head eventually does a bit of body damage.
In his latest book, Foley addresses this along with his desire to stay off the painkillers many wrestlers come to rely on. Because of this and well, time, as he grows older, Foley is looking to scale back on the crazy matches, but still find a way to stay in the career he loves. That is the central theme of the book.
Foley talks of his former employer, Vince McMahon, wanting to “repackage” him, eventually leading to a turn as an announcer, which ends up going badly for Foley, as McMahon’s voice is literally in his ear, screaming obscenities at him. Foley, already working a bit on the side with TNA, eventually decides to go there full-time, and finds the atmosphere under a different boss to be a lot lighter. He then talks about the big match against Sting for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Belt.
Despite what one might think from his appearance and matches, in which baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire, thumbtacks and fire have all been used in painful ways, Foley comes across in his books as a kind, gentle man. He’s concerned about people being treated right and getting their due, and that includes the up and coming wrestlers around him.
He’s a family man with four kids and beautiful wife. He’s someone who loves Christmas and everything involved with the holiday.
He is someone who isn’t scared to jump off of high places onto announcer tables, but who is a bit afraid and star struck when approaching Tori Amos, his favorite singer.
He is a man who sponsors seven children around the world and built schools for children in Sierra Leone. He donated his advance for this book ($100,000) to ChildFund International and to RAINN, an organization for survivors of rape, of which he also works a counselor.
Professional wrestlers may not have the best reputation in the entertainment world, but how many “real” entertainers actually “do” something to help?
Foley also discusses the performance-enhancing drug controversy surrounding the wrestling profession, of which he did not take part in, and the amount of wrestlers dying young due to drugs and suicide.
He even briefly touches on what happened with Chris Benoit and his family.
Foley writes a compelling story of his career, what he has chosen to do with his fame and gives long-time fans and new ones a good story to immerse themselves in. So I can truly say Foley wrote a “pretty good book,” because he’s pretty good himself.
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