Mankind-DudeLove-CactusJack
Mick Foley is a man who will never be forgotten in the wrestling world. In his masochistic heyday it seemed like
destroying himself was on the top of Things To Do Today. Mick have calmed down since then, but he still can put up
excellent matches, where he shows that he is willing to do anything, his microphone skills are also extraordinary.
The beginning
Mick Foley wanted to become a pro wrestler even as a teenager, one of his idols was Jimmy Snuka. Foley even
created a character that he wanted to be, namely Dude Love, who was a ladies man. He also made videotapes of
himself where he performed some suicidal stunts like jumping from the top of a roof onto one of his friends. This tape
later found its way to the tape trader market, where it became an hot item.
Dominic Deucci also got a copy of the tape, and he offered Mick to train him. Foley made his debut on June 24,
1983
in the independent circuit under the name Cactus Jack Manson he defeated Kurt Kaufman. Mick wrestled in the
independent circuit for some years without gaining much success, but one of Mick's wishes came through, when he
started working for the WWF in 1986, where he wrestled shortly under the guise of Jack Foley, he only worked as a
jobber, but he learned a lot from this experience.
After competing for Titan Mick started working for the CWA, where he joined Robert Fuller's Stud Stable in
1988.
Together with Gary Young, Cactus defeated Bill Dundee and Todd Morton in a tournament final to win the CWA Tag
Team Title, October 23rd, 1988. Fuller was mad because he didn't win the title, so the rest of his stable turned on
Jack and Young, who lost their title to Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden in November. Later that month they lost a
loser leaves town match on November 20th.
Cactus then joined the World Class Wrestling Association, where he was quite successful. In one of his first
matches,
December 30, 1988, Cactus defeated Eric Embry to capture the WCWA Light Heavyweight Title, but lost it back to
Embry, January 4, 1989.
Cactus then joined the stable of Gen. Skandor Akbar, where he hooked up with Super Zodiac, and they started to
team on a regularly basis. They dethroned the WCWA Tag Team Champions, Jeff Jarrett and Kerry Von Erich, May
19, 1989. June 9, 1989, Jeff Jarrett and Mil Mascaras where able to defeat Jack and Zodiac.
Cactus then found a new tag team partner in the shape of Scott Braddock, and they defeated Jeff Jarrett and Matt
Borne to win the WCWA Tag Team Title, August 4, 1989. Even though they were only able to hold on to the title for
a week, before being dethroned by the former champions Jeff Jarrett and Matt Borne, the title changed name to the
USWA Tag Team Title. After the defeat Jack moved on to the NWA.
Jack's stint in the NWA isn't one of the easiest to remember, like his jobber stint in the WWF, Jack didn't have
much
success. Again the promoters couldn't see the qualities that Jack had, so he was jobbed to death. Jack did have an
feud with Norman, which also included the Road Warriors, but that is the best you can say about that.
Cactus then went back to the independents, where he was respected. He first started working for the UWF, where
he
appeared on the UWF's only pay-per-view Beach Brawl, where the team of Sunny Beach and Steve Ray defeated
Jack and Bob Orton. Cactus then joined the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, where things started to heat up.
In Tri-State Jack started a violent feud with the late Eddie Gilbert, this feud got Jack a "cult" following, who
followed
Jack because of his repertoire of high risk moves. The feud with Eddie Gilbert have been by many called the feud of
1991 and involved a lot of gimmick matches. One of the feuds highlights was when Jack and Gilbert fought each other
three times on the same card, Summer Sizzler II, August 3, 1991, in the first match Jack defeated Gilbert in a Falls
Count Anywhere Match, Jack lost the following Stretcher Match, and the final Steel Cage Match ended in a double
disqualification.
After Tri-State couldn't handle the money, Jack moved on to Global Wrestling Federation, where he was inducted
into the heel group of the Boss, which included Rip Rogers, Muckan Singh, and Scotty Anthony. Jack worked hard in
the GWF but was never rewarded with a title regain.
Jack's hard work got WCW interested, and they signed Cactus.
WCW
In WCW Jack debuted as a gift to Sting at Clash of the Champions XVI, September 5, 1991. Sting had just
defeated
Johnny B. Badd, when Cactus showed his "ugly" face, but the Stinger was ready for Cactus, because he previously
had a similar incident with Abdullah the Butcher. Jack teamed with Abdullah the Butcher, Vader, and the Diamond
Studd to take on Sting, El Gigante, and the Steiner Brothers In the Chamber of Horrors Match, at Halloween Havoc
1991, but came out on the loosing end.
Jack had a feud with Van Hammer, before he took on his partner Abdullah the Butcher. After these feuds Sting got
a
shot at the WCW World Champion, Sting, and the two put on an excellent match at Beach Blast 1992, where Cactus
came out with the short end of the stick. But Jack was still one of the top contenders and got another chance, when
Ron Simmons won the WCW World Title, but Jack wasn't able to walk away with the title.
A short feud with Johnny B. Badd followed, which started at Starrcade 1992 in the Lethal Lottery, where Jack and
Badd became partners, but Jack used most of his time attacking Badd. Then came a turning point in Jack's career, for
the first time in many years, Jack was turned face. The reason for the turn was because Paul Orndorff attacked Jack
during an interview.
Jack defeated Orndorff at SuperBrawl III, in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, which ended the feud. Jack was then
named the number one contender for Vader's WCW World Title, they had their first clash at April 6, 1993, Jack
defeated Vader by disqualification, but Jack suffered a broken nose and needed 27 stitches to close several facial
wounds. This was the set-up for a rematch 15 days later.
April 21, 1993, at a WCW Saturday Night taping, Jack and Vader went toe to toe, during the match Vader
wanted
to power bomb Jack outside the ring, Harley Race, Vader's manager, removed the protective padding of the floor
before Vader pounded Jack onto the floor. Cactus Jack was seriously injured and nearly paralysed. Cactus then
disappeared for a while, and a series of interviews began, which involved the search for Cactus. They found him living
with homeless people, and he had no recollection of wrestling or his family. But Cactus returned to wrestling, when he
saved the British Bulldog from an assault by Vader
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