Mick Foley had plenty of violent battles in WWE but one match stands out as a particularly unpleasant experience for the WWE Hall of Famer. Speaking with the No Contest Wrestling podcast, Foley reflected on his match with The Rock at Royal Rumble 1999 and the several chair shots to the skull he received on that January night.
“I’m glad that chair shots to the head are gone… You’ll never see a match like the one I had with The Rock with the 11 shots, that was definitely overkill.”
The pair’s WWE Championship I-Quit match was won by The Rock, albeit in controversial fashion as he used a recording of Mick saying the dreaded two words. On the podcast, Foley recalled watching the match with a group of fans, sharing that things turned sour for him once the chairshots came into play.
“It was actually a fun match up until the chairs. There was a lot of good dialogue on the microphone, Rock of course with the humor. It was really going well and then that ending was just a little much.”
Foley would get his revenge, and the WWE Championship, not long after, besting The Rock during the popular, though not as iconic Halftime Heat. The pair would continue to battle in 1999 before eventually becoming allies as the popular ‘Rock ‘n Sock’ connection.
With more known today about the longterm effects of blows to the head, many promotions, including WWE, have fazed out chair shots to the head. While some fans may miss this hardcore act, the move is one completely backed by the Hardcore Legend.