Mick Foley. Cactus Jack. Dude Love. Mankind. Four characters, one man, and a lifetime of memories from more than 25 years in the wrestling business. Last Sunday saw Foley win his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship, arguably the most prestigious belt in North America outside of WWE; but can a 280lb, 43-year-old man really hold together a company renowned for its reliance upon high-speed, high-flying matches? Here, we discuss TNA's move to put their top title on one of their biggest acquisitions of all time.
Two Legends...But A Poor Match
Foley's match against Sting at TNA's Lockdown event, the scene of his title victory, was supposed to be one of the biggest matches in TNA history, taking place inside the infamous 'Six Sides of Steel' structure. Instead, the match was a distinct let-down.
Despite excellent promo work in the build-up to the match, neither Foley nor Sting were able to draw sufficient crowd support to create a face-heel dynamic - with both men booked as 'tweeners' in the weeks leading up to the match, the match itself lost the feel of an epic encounter amid some confused decision-making.
Ironically, given that the match was Foley's first title match in over nine years, it was Sting who was responsible for slowing the match down during its key moments; despite their history in WCW a long time ago, the two showed little chemistry, and the match plodded along to a stuttering conclusion, rather than providing the historic moment that a title change should bring.
Can Foley Still 'Go'?
No-one is questioning Mick Foley's character portrayal, his mic work, or his place in the wrestling business. However, the slow pace of Sunday night's match must surely cast doubts over Foley's ability to keep up with anyone in the ring, let alone a man younger and more athletic than the aging Sting.
While his ability to wrestle intense and bloody hardcore matches has never been in doubt, Foley's performance in straight-up wrestling matches has always been patchy at best. He is not without a record of solid in-ring performance; his best matches, though, are undoubtedly those where he is allowed to pick up a weapon or two.
This inevitable need to steer their champion away from one-on-one, no-stipulations, in-ring competition will surely hinder TNA in future weeks and months. For a company that prides itself on the athleticism of wrestlers such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and the newly-returned Christopher Daniels, it will be tough to keep the belt on Foley for long if he cannot get in better shape, and prove that he can keep up with younger, more athletic performers.
Do The Fans Still Care?
Finally, a question that may be somewhat painful for longtime Foley fans, but one that remains relevant nonetheless - does the wrestling public still care about Mick Foley? As a man who has declared his retirement from wrestling on numerous separate occasions, Foley has made it clear that he cannot simply step away from the wrestling business.
Despite this, his habit of appearing only sporadically during his final years in WWE - notably in a stellar hardcore match against Edge at WrestleMania 22, and an horrific 'I Quit' match against Ric Flair at SummerSlam 2006 - meant that it proved difficult for him to maintain a connection with his audiences. He got increasingly less crowd reaction throughout his latter days in the company, to the point of being booed by sections of the crowd at the aforementioned SummerSlam, despite Flair being the intended heel in the match.
In a few short years, he went from being a retired all-time great who left behind many a memory, to being a man who was trotted out once or twice a year for the obligatory ten-minute hardcore match that puts over a young talent. From losing to Randy Orton in 2004, to his brief and meaningless Royal Rumble appearance in 2008, Foley's constant desire to stay in the spotlight harmed his legacy during his later years in WWE.
The Future For Foley
While Foley's time in TNA so far has seen some memorable moments, and while his title reign may yet prove equally memorable, the move to put the title around his waist smacks of confused logic. If TNA wished to bring the longest title reign of Sting's career to an end, a young wrestler could have benefited from the 'rub' far more than Foley ever needed to.
As it stands, however, another former WWE talent has ascended to the top in TNA, and yet more young talent is pushed yet further down the card. TNA is currently experiencing the biggest prolonged rise in ratings in its history - despite this, it cannot be denied that their long-term vision is in need of serious revision.
