Things were very different in the wrestling industry when Mick Foley began his career back in 1986. One such big difference at the time was that wrestlers were not offered guaranteed contracts or the offered amount was really low. This meant that if the company you signed with decided not to use you for some reason, then you couldn't make a living in wrestling until the deal expired.
This was the case for Foley too. The WWE Hall Of Famer told the story of his first contract while getting treated by Dr. Beau Hightower. He revealed that his first contract with the company in 1996 guaranteed him a total of 5 matches per year:
"I was guaranteed $25 a night." joked Mick Foley, "The contract that I signed for WWE. I was guaranteed five matches a year at $150 for five years. So if they [had] chosen not to push me then I could have been in a position where I can't go anywhere else. I'm locked in for five years, but this is the place to go, WWE."
Mick Foley also discussed how former boxer Marc Mero was the first man to have gotten a guaranteed deal with a significant amount. Foley revealed that Mero got his contract only days after he signed his own:
"Luckily, Marc Mero got that contract. He got it about three days after I signed for nothing. $750 a year. I said 'Yeah I was guaranteed 750' and they went 'per year?' 'Yeah', 'That's a lot. $750,000.' I said 'No, no, $750.' That's what I was guaranteed."
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