Mick Foley’s Vision for the 3MB: A WWE What-If
In the annals of WWE records, few characters have been as dynamic and multifaceted as Mick Foley. Known for his “Three Faces of Foley”—Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love—Foley brought a unique flavor to the wrestling ring. During the 1998 Royal Rumble, Foley pulled off an unparalleled feat via collaborating 3 instances below each of his personas. This exceptional event left an indelible mark on WWE enthusiasts and showcased Foley’s versatility and determination.
Fast ahead to a candid revelation by way of former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, and it will become clean that Foley’s creativity prolonged beyond his personal career. Mahal, now known by way of his real call Raj Dhesi, shared an exciting anecdote on the podcast Busted Open. Foley had predicted a comparable multi-persona role for the 3MB organization, inclusive of Mahal, Drew McIntyre, and Heath Slater. According to Dhesi, Foley became keen on the trio and pitched an concept for them to emulate his “Three Faces of Foley” act during the Royal Rumble.
“Mick (Foley) was a big fan (of 3MB) and I actually remember him telling me around Royal Rumble time that he was pitching for 3MB to go in as the Three Faces of Foley,” Dhesi recalled. “This was around the time when we were dressing up. We were The Fabulous Three-Birds one night in Atlanta. We were some gimmick in England…The Union Jacks and Mick had actually told me that he pitched for 3MB to go in as Three Faces of Foley. That would’ve been cool.”
Despite the capability for a memorable and exciting phase, Foley’s idea never got here to fruition. The 3MB group, even though popular among certain fan circles, turned into now not taken severely via WWE’s top management. The careers of Mahal and McIntyre saw massive downturns as both have been eventually launched from the corporation. However, each wrestlers later made successful returns, taking pictures the WWE Championship and proving their resilience and expertise.
Mick Foley’s WrestleMania 20 Disappointment
In another chapter of Foley’s storied career, he candidly expressed his disappointment with his performance at WrestleMania 20. The event, held in the iconic Madison Square Garden, featured Foley teaming up with The Rock to take on Evolution’s Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Despite the star-studded lineup, Foley felt he fell short during the match, which concluded with Orton pinning him after an RKO.
On his now-concluded podcast, Foley opened up about the immense pressure he felt and how it affected his performance. “There was a ton of pressure on me, and then when I walked out to the Garden, I felt overwhelmed. I’m walking there with The Rock, who at that point was one of the biggest stars in the world. Now he’s the biggest star, but 20 years ago he was certainly one of the biggest stars. Then you have the Nature Boy who’s always feeling it. He’s on and I just felt suddenly overwhelmed.”
Foley detailed his struggle to maintain stamina despite rigorous preparation. “It’s Madison Square Garden. I haven’t wrestled in five months. I had worked for six months to drop 70 pounds, but I was blown up in ungodly fast fashion when I faced off against Randy. I remember thinking, like, as we’re slugging away, I’m like, how could I possibly be, you know, gassed out as hard as I work, you know, night in and night out going to the Gold’s Gym at 1 AM in the freezing cold.”
Reflecting on his fitness efforts, Foley remarked, “I’ve thought, Okay, I’m ready, you know, and from the standpoint of being on the bike or the elliptical, I felt like I was ready and then you get in there and it’s a whole different ball game.”
Despite the WrestleMania 20 disappointment, Foley redeemed himself two years later at WrestleMania 22. His match against Edge is celebrated as one of the greatest in both wrestlers’ careers, solidifying Foley’s legacy as a WWE Hall of Famer.
