Returning to the IWA, Cactus Jack began a feud with Leatherface, whom he had betrayed during a tag team match. Foley also continued to wrestle in independent circuits, winning championships on the Ozark Mountain and Steel City circuits.

One of Foley's proudest accomplishments occurred on August 20 1995 when IWA organized a "King of the Death Match" tournament. Each level of the tournament featured a new and deadly gimmick: Cactus Jack's first round was a barbed-wire baseball bat, thumbtack death match, defeating Terry Gordy; the second round was a barbed-wire board, bed of nails match where Cactus Jack defeated Shoji Nakamaki. The final, against Terry Funk, was a barbed-wire rope, barbed-wire and C4 board, time-bomb death match, which Cactus Jack won with help from Tiger Jeet Singh. After the match, both men were ravaged by the wire, and burned by the C4 explosions. Foley later stated on his Greatest Hits and Misses: A Life in Wrestling DVD that he only received $300 for the entire night. After the tournament, Foley teamed with Tracy Smothers for a quick run with the IWA tag team titles.

Foley then returned to ECW to team with Tommy Dreamer. At this time he began a "anti-hardcore" gimmick, which aggravated his partner. This lasted until August 5, 1995. During a match between himself and Tommy Dreamer against the Pitbulls, Cactus Jack DDT'ed his partner and joined Raven's Nest, as he wished to serve Raven's "higher purpose." He would remain one of Raven's top henchmen for the remainder of his time in ECW. On August 28, 1995, he defeated the previously undefeated 911. For Foley's heel gimmick, he began praising WWF and WCW on ECW television. This infuriated WWF hater Shane Douglas, as well as the fans, and the two met in a match that ended when Cactus Jack was put into a figure four leglock and hit repeatedly with a chair by Mikey Whipwreck. Foley's last ECW match was against Whipwreck in April 1996. Foley later said that this was his favorite moment of his career. Although he had been playing a heel, he received enormous support during the match from the crowd, as they chanted his name. By the spring of 1996, Foley had left both Japan and ECW behind, and Cactus Jack went into semi-retirement.

World Wrestling Federation

Debut and feud with The Undertaker

Mankind then earned #1 contendership to the WWF World Championship versus Shawn Michaels at .22Mind Games.22. Shawn Michaels was able to win by disqualification due to interference by Vader and The Undertaker. (Foley later said many times, including on his Greatest Hits and Misses: A Life in Wrestling DVD, that this was his best match in his career)

The Mankind-Undertaker feud continued with a Buried Alive match at .22Buried Alive.22. Undertaker won the match, but Paul Bearer, Terry Gordy, Mankind and other heels attacked The Undertaker and buried him alive. Undertaker was supposedly "dead", but dug himself out. Undertaker wanted Bearer to himself now and challenged Mankind to a match at Survivor Series 1996, with the stipulation that, if he won, he would receive five minutes alone with Bearer. Undertaker won the match but was attacked by Terry Gordy once again, saving Bearer. The Undertaker-Mankind feud ended after one more match between Undertaker and Mankind at .22Revenge of the .27Taker.22 for the WWF Championship (which Undertaker had defeated Sid Vicious for earlier at WrestleMania 13). Undertaker won the match and Bearer took a leave of absence, ending the Undertaker-Mankind feud. At this point, Mick Foley would begin to take his career in a whole new direction.

Dude Love

At the time "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels had won the WWF Tag Team Championships from Owen Hart and the British Bulldog, but Michaels would have to bow out of competition due to injuries (see Michaels and WWF Attitude). Consequently, they were stripped of the titles, even though Austin was still scheduled to face Owen Hart and the British Bulldog the next week. Mankind campaigned relentlessly for the job as Austin's partner: he saved Austin from beatings, and wore "pick me Steve" signs while walking around ringside during Austin's matches. However, Austin said he wanted "nothing to do with a freak" and resigned to facing Owen Hart and the British Bulldog alone the next week. Halfway into the match, however, Dude Love suddenly appeared on the TitanTron, saying he was coming to help. Aiding Austin in the ring, Dude Love and Austin would become the new WWF Tag Team Champions. After the match Austin and Dude Love shook hands, a precedent because this would be the first time Austin would show anyone any respect.

Prior to Dude Love's debut, Mankind had teamed with Vader to challenge Owen Hart and the British Bulldog for the WWF Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 13. However, they lost when Mankind would not let go of the Mandible Claw on the British Bulldog. The match helped Mankind get over with the fans and he became the fan favorite to win that year's King of the Ring tournament. Mankind advanced to the final round of King of the Ring 1997 but lost to Hunter Hearst Helmsley (later Triple H). The two would begin a feud that would lead to a match at .22Canadian Stampede.22. Impersonating a camera man, Manking attacked Helmsley from behind, but the match would end in a double count-out. The Mankind-Helmsley feud would be put on hold for a while in favor of the tag team storyline with Stone Cold Steve Austin, but the two would again meet at SummerSlam 1997 in a classic Steel Cage Match. Mankind won the match and, in addition, climbed up to the top of the cage and delivered a flying elbow as his idol the Superfly had. Afterwards he lay on the floor, until the Dude Love music began playing, to which he danced out of the arena. Mick Foley entered the match as Mankind but left as Dude Love.

Return of Cactus Jack

Around this time, Mick Foley contemplated leaving the WWF following the fallout of the Montreal Screwjob, but he eventually changed his mind. Terry Funk had recently joined the WWF and had a new "Chainsaw Charlie" gimmick. He and Cactus Jack fought the New Age Outlaws in a controversial dumpster match at WrestleMania XIV, in which they won the Tag Team Championships after placing the Outlaws in dumpsters other than the ones that had been set aside for them ringside. Because of this, Vince McMahon stripped them of the belts the next night. The New Age Outlaws would defeat Foley and Funk in rematch that night after D-Generation X, the faction the Outlaws had joined that night, arrived and helped them win.

Dude Love vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

At Over the Edge 1998 Dude Love challenged Austin for the world title. The Undertaker was in Austin's corner while Vince McMahon played the special guest referee. The match's rules would change as it progressed: from a standard match, to a "no disqualification" match, and lastly to a no disqualification and "anywhere-falls" match. Dude Love would still lose in the end and was "fired" by Vince McMahon the next night.

Hell in a Cell

Frustrated by the losses, Mick reverted to his Mankind character, began wearing an untucked shirt with neck tie and sneakers, and joined forces with Paul Bearer once again. At the time, Undertaker was seeking a shot at the WWF Championship and was informed by Vince McMahon that he would have to defeat his brother Kane first. Mankind made his return during the contest and cost the Undertaker the match and his chance for a shot at the championship. Soon after, a match was set between Mankind and a vengeful Undertaker for King of the Ring 1998. The match would be a second ever Hell in a Cell match.

The Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring 1998 became one of his most famous matches of all time. Over the course of the match, Foley received numerous injuries, which required 2 months to heal, and took two extremely dangerous and highly influential bumps. The first one took place only minutes into the match before the bell ever rang. Both wrestlers were brawling on the top of the cell when the Undertaker threw Mankind 16 feet off the cell and onto the Spanish announcers table. This fall was planned. The second bump, however, was accidental. With both men back on the top of the cell, Undertaker chokeslammed Mankind, but a section of the cage gave way under the weight of both wrestlers, and Mankind fell through and into the ring. Additionally, a chair fell and slammed Foley's head on the way down. Later in the match, Undertaker twice slammed Foley onto a pile of a thumbtacks. Although Foley lost, both wrestlers received a standing ovation for the match, and the event is often said to have jump-started Foley's main event career. Many future matches attempted to replicate some of the spots from this match. In his autobiography Have a Nice Day! A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, Foley remarks that he couldn't remember half of what happened in the match, and that, while writing the book, he had to go back and watch the match again. The match is believed to have significantly shortened Foley's wrestling career.

Mr. Socko and the championship

Mankind would soon become Vince McMahon’s protégé, while his son Shane had betrayed him for Austin. McMahon created the Hardcore Championship for Mankind (which would create a whole new division of “hardcore” wrestlers). Mankind had even changed his look: he began sporting a tuxedo, wearing fake teeth, and even shaving. With all the Corporate backing, he was the favorite to win the WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1998. Mankind defeated Duane Gill and then Al Snow in his first two matches that night. In his third match, he faced Austin. However, special referee Shane McMahon turned on Austin and counted Mankind to victory instead. Mankind’s final match, the main event of Survivor Series, was with The Rock. It was believed that the McMahons and his Corporation were not fans of The Rock because of his growing popularity. However, Mankind was betrayed in the end. The Rock placed Mankind in the Sharpshooter and McMahon forced the bell to be rung, even though Mankind did not give up (this was a reference to the Montreal Screwjob). The Corporation had been using Mankind as a pawn all along.

After weeks of trying to get his hands on Vince McMahon's new faction, The Corporation (Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Big Bossman, The Rock, Ken Shamrock, and new commissioner Shawn Michaels), Mankind was given a title shot with The Rock at In Your House 1998. Mankind dominated the match, and knocked The Rock out with the Mandible Claw, but Vince McMahon ruled Mankind was not the WWF Champion because The Rock never gave up.

After several weeks of going after The Corporation, Foley had his big night. On December 28, 1998, in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mankind asked for a shot at the world championship against The Rock, but was given Triple H instead for a spot in the Royal Rumble. Triple H would win after Shane interfered, but because Triple H too, hated the McMahons, he Pedigreed Shane. Mankind then put a submission move on Shane and refused to release until he was given his title shot, which Vince McMahon begrudgingly agreed to.

D-Generation X joined Mankind in his corner against the Corporation backed Rock. Mankind had demanded the match be a "no disqualification" match, and as a result, both DX and the Corporation interfered. However, it was a surprise appearance by Austin that determined the outcome. After he attacked The Rock with a steel chair and helped Mankind onto him, the referee counted the pinfall, giving Mankind his first WWF Championship. A jubilant Mankind was carried away from the ring on the shoulders D-Generation X.

The win was in response to WCW Nitro, which at the time had given their WCW Championship to their star Goldberg on Nitro live, instead of on a PPV (see McMahon strikes back). Vince McMahon was also taking advantage of the WCW’s tactics of spoiling RAW events, which were pretaped. The tactic proved to be a success. On the night Foley's title win was to be broadcast, WCW announcer Tony Schiavone announced on WCW's competing WCW Nitro that Foley would win the WWF Championship, attempting to spoil the results of the RAW's main event. He then added the sarcastic remark, "That'll put a lot of butts in the seats." This backfired enormously for WCW, as Nielsen Ratings show that over half a million viewers switched from Nitro to RAW almost immediately, despite the Hogan vs. Nash main event which led to the reformation of the nWo on Nitro. Foley later stated that he took great personal pride from this. "Mick Foley put my ass in this seat" signs would be seen in arenas for years afterward.

World title changing hands

The next night Mankind revealed that The Rock had used a recording of him saying "I quit", and that he had never given up. A rematch was set on Halftime Heat 1999, which aired during halftime at Super Bowl XXXIII, where Mankind and The Rock fought in WWF's first ever Empty Arena Match. Mankind would win the title, less than 48 hours after he lost it at Royal Rumble 1999.

The two were then booked to compete in a Last Man Standing match at St. Valentines Day Massacre. The match was as brutal as their previous two encounters, but neither man left victorious. The next night, Shawn Michaels announced that the main event for WrestleMania XV would be Mankind defending his title against Steve Austin, but Vince booked Mankind to defend the WWF title one more time that night against The Rock in a ladder match. With the help of WWF newcomer “The Big Show” Paul Wight, The Rock won back the WWF title.

The Big Show was named the special guest referee at WrestleMania XV and Mankind campaigned to be named the second referee. Vince McMahon compromised and booked him in a match with The Big Show at WrestleMania XV, with the winner becoming the referee. Mankind won when The Big Show was disqualified for using a steel chair, but he was too hurt to referee the main event. As the Rock-Austin main event of the night shifted in The Rock's favor, Mankind returned to count Austin to victory.

Later in the year, Foley teamed up with the Rock to form the Rock 'n' Sock Connection.

By early 1999, Foley's fourteen years of wrestling were taking their toll on his body. He states in his second autobiography that he knew his days as an active wrestler were numbered the moment he tore a knee ligament and dislocated his kneecap in a match with The Rock in February 1999. He needed double knee surgery, which left him out of action for 2 months. He returned to win the WWF Championship for the third time at SummerSlam 1999, in a triple threat match against Steve Austin and Triple H, officiated by Jesse 'The Body' Ventura. It is believed that Mankind was given the championship that night because Austin refused to lose it to Triple H, which Mankind would do the next night on RAW. ,

Feud with Triple H and retirement

A major feud developed between Mankind and The McMahon-Helmsley regime, led by Triple H, in late 1999. It led to Mankind reverting to his Cactus Jack persona during a famous segment on SmackDown!, and then facing Triple H for the WWF Championship at ‘’Royal Rumble 2000’’ in a 'Street Fight'. The violent match saw the return of barbed wire and thumbtacks to the WWF, both usually trademark accessories of Foley. The end of the match came when Triple H Pedigreed Cactus onto a pile of tacks. This feud would climax at No Way Out 2000 in a Hell in a Cell match. The WWF Championship, as well as Foley's career, were on the line. The match saw many of Foley's bumps from his 1998 Hell in a Cell encounter with The Undertaker replicated. In the end, however, Foley would lose, ending his wrestling career (at the time).

Mick left for a few weeks, but returned at the request of Linda McMahon to wrestle as Mick Foley for the WWF Title against Triple H, The Rock, and the Big Show at WrestleMania 2000. Mick did not win, and this was indeed his last match for several years.

Post-retirement

Foley would return as a special guest referee at WrestleMania X-Seven for a Street Fight pitting Shane McMahon against Vince, with Foley becoming involved and giving Vince the Mandible Claw, before raising Shane's hand in victory. Foley would disappear again after the match, making a brief return in May 2001 in an angle with then reigning commissioner William Regal.

Foley returned as commissioner in October 2001, near the end of the infamous "Invasion" angle, replacing turncoat Regal, who had joined the Alliance. Foley would book then world champion Steve Austin against Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam at No Mercy in a Triple Threat Match, and would go on after that to book title unification matches prior to the final PPV of the Invasion storyline, Survivor Series. During this brief tenure, Foley was given the opportunity to "shoot" on the WWF's direction at the time and how dissatisfied he was with it. After Survivor Series, he ended his commissionership at Vince's request and left the company.

Foley returned in 2003 during a RAW broadcast in Madison Square Garden, being honored for his achievements in the ring and presented with the WWE Hardcore Championship. The evening ended with Foley taking a beating by Randy Orton and being kicked down a flight of stairs. This served as a prelude to their brutal feud in 2004.

He later returned in December 2003, replacing Steve Austin as co-general manager of RAW. He eventually grew tired of the day-to-day travel and left his full-time duties to write and spend time with his family. The storylines had Foley "chickening out" of a match with Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton.

Return to the ring

Foley has the reputation of "putting over" younger wrestlers, losing to them to solidify their place as main eventers, Triple H and Randy Orton being some of the foremost examples.

At short notice he wrestled a match for Japanese promotion Z1 Hustle-3 on May 8 2004. He lost to triple crown champion Toshiaki Kawada via pinfall.

He also appeared as a color commentator at WWE's ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV, which aired on June 12, 2005, and would later begin negotiations with WWE regarding a storyline for his return. In an interview with Between The Ropes on August 31 2005, Mick Foley confirmed that, prior to signing with WWE, he had been negotiating a deal to debut with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), that would have had him participating in a figurehead role and wrestling on an infrequent basis.

Foley returned in 2005 in a match where fans were able to vote on which persona he would appear as—Mankind, Dude Love, or Cactus Jack—against Carlito at Taboo Tuesday 2005. Foley cut promos for each character and an online vote was held (Mick later said he did the worst promo for Dude Love because of his dislike for the character). The fans voted for "Mankind", and Foley went on to win the match with the Mandible Claw (Foley added an afro to Mr. Socko in an attempt to mock Carlito, who has an afro).

On the December 5, 2005 edition of RAW, Foley was the prosecutor in the Trial of Eric Bischoff. He won the case, and Bischoff was thrown in the back of a garbage truck by Vince McMahon.

At the RAW "Tribute to the Troops" on December 19, 2005 Foley, dressed as Santa Claus, defeated John Bradshaw Layfield with the Mandible Claw.

On the February 16, 2006 RAW, Foley returned to referee the WWE Championship Match between Edge and John Cena. Cena eventually ended up getting the victory, but after the match Lita gave Foley a low blow, allowing Edge to spear Foley.

The following week on the February 20, 2006 RAW, Edge challenged Foley to a match at WrestleMania 22, and gave him one week to respond. Foley declined the offer, but challenged Edge to a hardcore match instead. Foley then took his barbwire 2X4 and chased Edge and Lita from the ring.

At Saturday Night's Main Event on March 18, 2006, Foley was a guest on Edge's interview segment entitled The Cutting Edge. The two men ended up fighting each other, with Edge throwing Foley onto a pile of thumbtacks. However, Mick simply got up and smiled and began stalking Edge and Lita. He got his revenge by eventually hitting Edge with the one man "conchairto".

Two nights later on RAW, Foley came to the ring and said that "something changed". The taste of his own blood apparently awoke the "Hardcore Legend" from its slumber. Foley then exclaimed that Cactus Jack had once again returned, and Cactus Jack would be in the ring against Edge at WrestleMania's hardcore match. Mick, however, lost at WrestleMania 22 after Edge speared Foley "through the middle rope" onto flaming table.

The next week, before Foley and Edge were set to square off on Raw, Foley determined that the winner of their match would be labeled "the greatest hardcore wrestler of all time." Since such a distinction could be argued by not just Edge and Foley, Foley decided to extend the match to a triple threat featuring ECW alumnus Tommy Dreamer. It turned out to be a setup by Edge and Foley, however, as they viciously assaulted Dreamer.

The next week, Mick Foley brought out his mentor, Terry Funk. Funk wanted to know the reason for Foley attacking Dreamer. Foley explained that it was because he and Edge made hardcore history at WrestleMania and he thought Tommy Dreamer was nothing but second-rate hardcore wrestler. After a physical confrontation, Edge came into the ring to attempt to make the odds worse against Funk. Funk was able to retaliate against both Foley and Edge until Lita came in and low-blowed Funk, leaving him vulnerable to a spear and Mandible Claw.

Edge and Foley then declared themselves co-holders of the Hardcore Championship to further instigate the feud. In subsequent weeks, Foley was attacked by both Funk and Kurt Angle, representatives of ECW.

At ECW's One Night Stand, Foley, Edge and Lita defeated the team of Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and Beulah after Edge speared Beulah for the win.

Foley recently resumed a real life rivalry with Ric Flair. In "Have a Nice Day!", Foley wrote that Flair was "every bit as bad on the booking side of things as he was great on the wrestling side of it." In response, Flair wrote in his autobiography that Foley was "a glorified stuntman" and that he was able to climb the ladder in the WWF only because he was friends with the bookers. The two had a backstage confrontation at a RAW event in 2003, but Foley wrote on his blog that they have largely reconciled.

On the June 12,2006 edition of RAW, Flair called Foley a "glorified stuntman" and challenged him to a match. The result was a 2 out of 3 Falls Match at Vengeance, where Flair beat Foley in two straight falls (the first by pinfall, the second by disqualification).

The next night on RAW, Flair declared that he would be back for revenge and wanted a rematch against Foley. Mick, however, refused to fight him again.

Legacy

Foley has made numerous appearances in the Ring of Honor promotion, having been involved in feuds with Ricky Steamboat, Samoa Joe and The Embassy, and appeared at Shane Douglas's Hardcore Homecoming as a guest referee.

Outside wrestling

Writing career

Foley also writes "Foley is Blog" on WWE's website, which focuses on Foley's stories and travels in pro wrestling.

Film, television and radio career

Foley was a frequent guest on Air America Radio's Morning Sedition. He did several stints as the shows guest host when the shows regular hosts were on vacation. He also hosted WWE's radio show, which was held in WWF New York.

Personal life