Mick Foley Gives His Thoughts On The Empty Arena Situation In Wrestling; Details The Only Show He Ever Promoted
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Mick Foley happened to be the latest guest on The Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast to talk about his history with Triple H as well as current events going on in the wrestling world. The episode, which is only currently available to Pro Wrestling Torch VIP members before it drops Internet-wide tonight, focuses on the big topic of the empty arena matches going on during the global pandemic. Keller first got Foley’s reaction to how the wrestlers are handling performing without a crowd.
“I haven’t seen one guy, man or woman who I think is dogging it because of it with no audience,” said Mick. “I think it’s really a compliment, a tribute to the men and women who work really hard without that audience and I believe when this craziness passes and I hope it does to the point where we can start having house shows and televised RAWs from packed arenas, it’s going to be like the biggest bonus in the world, but given it’s the hand the business has been dealt, I think they’re playing it really well.”
Foley is asked what he’d do about having live wrestling go on during the COVID-19 concern and Mick feels happy he’s not in the position to be the one to decide such.
“I don’t know Wade, I’m glad I’m not making the decisions,” he said. “I go to the post office once a week, the grocery store once a week, I visit my mom and that’s about it. So it’s a tough time for everybody, but I don’t have an answer to those business questions.”
However, despite being unsure of how he’d handle it, he does find it to be a positive outlet for fans.
“Yeah, you know what, I think I guess I do rationalize it or justify it and maybe with the thinking that it’s the one thing that’s there for people even if the ratings are declining. It’s still nice to know that it’s there,” he said but Foley is aware of the risk involved. “There’s no question it’s putting more wrestlers in more danger than they’d be if they weren’t out there at all, but when I was at the post office today, I was thinking about this interview and some things that might come up, and I remember, this was actually during the Randy Orton program, I was sick as a dog. I ate something that vehemently disagreed with me at Easter and I had to be out on the plane the next morning. Like there’s no way I should’ve been on that plane, like looking now, if somebody’s that sick. I was probably being selfish by being on the plane, being around people. I was always good about coughing or sneezing into my elbow, always a chronic handwasher. People used to call me a germaphobe and I’m like, ‘No I’m a realist, you know? I’m a realist.’ So I think it’s really in the same way the business has changed in that the men and women are supposed to report injuries instead of hiding them, thinking that’s the courageous to do. I think people need to be really honest about how they’re feeling and err on the side of caution during this time.”
With that caution in mind, Mick doesn’t get uncomfortable because everything is regulated down to a smaller quantity of people involved.
“Yeah, what I’ve watched has not made me uncomfortable because we’re in a unique situation where we can do a show with 12 people, almost like the old spot shows.” Mick goes on an entertaining aside describing the only show he happened to ever promote in his wrestling career before relating it back to the question Keller proposed.
“I only promoted one show in my life and it wasn’t so much promotion because it was a free show at a muscular dystrophy camp and when I showed up there like I knew from being at the camp in the past that a lot of these kids were big wrestling fans. Somehow word had got out that like Undertaker (laughs) and top guys were showing up. I’m like, “No, but we do have Dickie Rodz from Intercourse, Pennsylvania!” I remember saying, ‘Alright Dickie, these are kids. You can be Dickie Rodz or you can be from Intercourse, PA but you can’t be both.” He’s like, ‘Oh, okay’ and we literally had two single matches and a six-man. It was three-match card and one of the babyfaces went down and I was doing the announcing, and I was like, ‘What terrible misfortune! It’s just too bad that there’s no other wrestler, like perhaps a former world champion,’ and the kids started like, yelling, ‘What? You know of such a man?’ I came in and they sold my punches and we all went home happy. That’s a six-man crew and you can’t do that, but you can have four good matches and a tag and just have 12 people spaced out from each other. I think they’re doing it pretty wisely. Again, it’s not as safe as not doing it at all but I think you have people that are really vital and healthy and eating well and not in a position where they’re going to get anyone who is not young and healthy and vital infected.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
Again, this 90-minute interview is scheduled to release tonight and you can subscribe to it by going here.