I am Mick Foley: I'm a WWE Hall Of Famer, I'm making a movie about Santa Claus, and I tell stories.

Your feud with the Rock in 98-99 is what made me a fan of wrestling. Your first book sealed your reputation for me as the greatest of all time. Your match with HHH at the 2000 Rumble even had my non-wrestling fans out of their chairs. So for all of that and more, thank you.

My question- you never had a problem putting guys over, and after your retirement from full time wrestling, you'd come back and lose to help young guys get over. Do you feel that losing so much hurts your legacy a bit, and perhaps diluted the impact of when someone did beat you, given they just beat someone who lost most of his recent matches?

That's a good question, I will give you a two part answer.

No, I don't think it diluted my legacy, but I will grant you that at a certain point, defeating me was no longer seen as such a big deal. But fortunately, it was a big deal when Randy Orton defeated me, and when Edge defeated me in 2006.

Hi Mick,

As a kid you were my idol. It didn't matter what other wrestlers came into the game, you were the man! I was such a huge fan I even made my AIM Screen name (totally 1998 I know) MickFoleyFan1! Your story of prevailing against the odds and how down to earth you are always meant a lot to me as a kid and as I grew up I tried to personify that mentality.

Tonight my wife is going to be induced and I am going to be a father for the first time. What is the #1 piece of advice you have for a new father?

Mick is a pretty good name!

Seriously, try to enjoy every moment. They really do grow up so quickly.

Could you actually smell what The Rock was cooking?

I could not. I believe he was using that expression as a euphemism, the same way that the AC/DC song "Beating Around The Bush" is a very subtle and sensitive euphemism about an awkward young man who was unable to get to the point of the matter. One of their most touching ballads (I just happened to pick up that AC/DC album when that question came in, and I'm not actually familiar with that song).

Thanks everyone for great questions covering the full spectrum of my career! We really appreciate anyone who will consider being part of our Kickstarter campaign. This movie really does mean a lot to me, and your help is very much appreciated.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/666411678/i-am-santa-claus-with-mick-foley

Thank you!

Mick,

I met you recently during your stand up tour in the UK. You played the Empire club in Belfast last and you were hopping on a flight home, I wished you a safe journey and you seemed genuinely thankful, you were really funny by the way. Anyway, there was a quick Q+A that night and I had my hand up to ask you this but wasn't chosen.

Knowing what we know now about head injuries and the debilitating and often tragic effect they can have on all sportsmen (including, but not limited to, Chris Benoit) would you still have taken the risks, the bumps and the unprotected headshots you took in your career all in the interest of entertaining us, the fans?

That's a great question. At the very least, I would have put my hand up to block some of those shots. I also don't believe I would have ever taken a head shot at a house show. And I would have tried to recognize the concussion symptoms and asked for a few days off when I felt them. I think WWE has made huge strides in preventing unnecessary trauma to the head.

Socko. How dirty was that thing in real life?

After the second week of Mr Socko, I found that if I was going to co-exist with the other WWE Superstars... and Al Snow, that I'd better have a clean sock for every match.

How did the other wrestlers feel about you sticking your fingers in their mouth, did any of them just refuse to do it? Did you ever accidentally trigger anyone's gag reflex?

It was a nerve hold under the tongue, so I never actually got the uvula. Only one wrestler requested that I not use the move. He was actually one of my best friends, and thought the move had sexual overtones, which was never the intention.

Mick, in your DVD you say that you bottled up a lot of emotion in your career and then used it in promos and matches which made your characters more emotionally believable. Do you think with things like Twitter that wrestlers won't be as willing to bottle up their grievances, and do you think that's a good or bad thing?

That's a great comment, I've even mentioned a few times throughout the year that having Twitter as an instant mechanism for emotional release probably would have hurt my promos. I'm not saying it's healthier to bottle up your emotions for years for the sake of a wrestling promo... just that it makes for better wrestling promos.

How did it feel when you found out that when they found out you won the title, all the WCW viewers switched over to see you win?

That whole experience was a series of peaks and valleys; the peak of winning the title followed by the valley of WCW's reveal and dismissal of my value followed by the peak of the ratings jump for WWE followed by the peak of the fake remorse I used when leaving a message on Tony Schiavone's answering machine, followed by the peak of being seen within the wrestling business as a much bigger deal than before.

So, in retrospect, it was really more peaks with just one little valley.

Pretty good. Pretty, pretty good.

Would you rather open Mick Foley's Wrestling School, or Mick Foley's Theme Park?

Well I'd be assured to lose money doing both!

A theme park on a very small scale might be a consideration. I had actually thought about buying Santa's Land in Putney, VT, several years ago, but didn't think I'd be able to take care of the animals in the correct manner.

Mick, my name is Patrick and it's my 26th birthday. When I saw this was scheduled for today, I thought for sure it was destiny. I could go on and on about how much I love you, but you would get bored hearing the same old stuff.

I just want to say that when you hit TNA and your first match against Sting happened, I almost cried. My two favorite wrestlers of all time against each other! Thank you so much for everything!

Well thank you very much, I still remember that match against Sting. I still remember screaming for help when my foot became hideously entangled in the cage. And I remember Earl Hebner saying "that looks amazing man," giving me way too much credit for being able to create such a traumatic event. I eventually managed to let Sting know that I really truly was unable from freeing myself from my predicament.

Have ALWAYS wondered this: if the chokeslam through the roof of the Cell wasn't planned, and the Cell legitimately gave way, what WAS the plan?! How were you guys getting off the roof of the Cell the 2nd time? Thanks Mick!

I really thought the cell would slowly tear, so that the Undertaker would be stuffing me down a hole and the image would be of me dangling upside down, being stuffed through a hole, not plummeting into unconsciousness... and the history books.

Do you think professional wrestlers make good role models for children?

You know, I'm not sure I've ever met a person who is not deeply flawed in some way. For example, while working on our Santa documentary, I have run into a number of people who though deeply flawed, possess amazing characteristics of kindness and dedication. Wrestlers are often the same way. So we owe it to the people who make us who we are, to treat them with respect and kindness, if that's enough to make one a role model, I guess we can be.

Hey Mick! Thanks a lot for doing this. If you could book a card and the roster had any wrestler you wanted, what would the main event be?

Double main event for next year's Wrestlemania: John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the unified World Heavyweight/WWE Championship. And The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family in some type of inhumane stipulation match.

In all of your years working across the world, what place would you imagine would be the best place to live?

What do you think of Daniel Bryan?

As much as I've enjoyed my travels around the world, I can't imagine living anywhere but here, RIGHT HERE in the USA, USA, USA!

Daniel Bryan is the most fascinating wrestler/character combo I've seen in a long time.

In all my years of traveling the globe, I can honestly say that there is no place I'd rather live than the USA! USA! USA!

Also, Daniel Bryan is the most fascinating character/wrestler combo going today.

Mr Foley, let me say thank you for everything you have done. You are an inspiration and truly one of my favorites of all time.

I have two questions, one silly and one more serious.

1. Would you rather wrestle ten Hornswoggle sized Andre the Giants or one Andre the Giant sized Hornswoggle?

2. What are your thoughts on the WWE's new development center, including NXT?

Also, how are you doing today?

1. As long as he says "anybody want a peanut," I'll go with ten Hornswoggle sized Andres. If you don't get the Princess Bride reference, you and I can't be friends.

2. I hear great things about the new full-sale university, and I really need to get more involved in developmental. I'll tell you what, I'm looking forward to the Bray Wyatt debut.

Hey there, Cactus! First, I wanted to tell you that you are my favourite wrestler of all time, and I wanted to thank you for everything you put your body and your family through over the years for the entertainment of wrestling fans everywhere. You have my respect forever. Also, I’m from Newfoundland, and I wanted to apologize for the pervy dude you wrote about in your first book at the St. John’s airport who was taking a video of Chyna’s breasts. There are some great wrestling fans in Newfoundland, hopefully you’ll get the chance to come back here some time. My question for you: What comedian do you think would make a good wrestler, and what wrestler would make a good comedian?

Again, thank you so much for everything you’ve unknowingly given me and many other wrestling fans. You’re the greatest. Bang bang!

Well, thank you for apologizing on behalf of that pervy guy. I actually saw some guy trying to create a fervor on Twitter over the fact that I disrespected Newfoundland, by pointing out I was on a plane to Newfoundland when I saw the pervy guy.

I think, being that Judah Friedlander is already the world champion, he probably would do quite well in a match with Dolph Ziggler. And speaking of Dolph Ziggler, a friend of his Amy Schumer, showed some interest in doing wrestling a while back.

Several wrestlers would make either great comedians or storytellers. Some of them are already doing it - Roddy Piper, Nigel McGinnis, Colt Cabana. I actually had Santino Marella, and I had Dolph very close to doing his first set at one of my shows.

How many hot dogs can you eat in one sitting? Bun and all.

I asked this to Colt Cabana also and he said 8 with mustard and pickles. Lets see if you can beat that.

Well that question is really dependent on the type of hot dog. If it's a thin dog, probably a dozen. If it's a delicious Zweigel's - which is only one of two foods I order online - probably only four. They are meant to be savored, not devoured.

Sorry I bothered you in the Houston Airport for an autograph many years ago but I did appreciate it!

One question for you, was there ever a point in your wrestling career where you thought, “I am in the wrong profession”?

No, there was never a point that I thought I was in the wrong profession. But there were many points 2008-2011 where I thought "I really shouldn't be doing this anymore."

Do you feel like any more can be done to protect a wrestler or is it just, by nature, a sport that causes injuries? Recently both Ziggler and Fandango have been out due to concussions caused in the ring.

Well... it is a rough business. Some of these head injuries are just not avoidable. The best we can do is give the guys they time off they need to properly recuperate.

I met you 13 years ago at a signing. I was the one that decided to wear a Kevin Nash shirt for some reason. Do you remember me?

DUDE THAT WAS YOU!!?!?! Remember it? How could I forget.

Hello, friend! Who, in the world, would you deem most worthy to have me shoved down their throat?

I believe my last two sock usages were both on Ricardo Rodriguez, who has since become my hero for his Tour De Force performance in the wake of the Christmas Eve Santa Claus injury. If I have one Raw wish, it is that the Santa Claus who bore a striking resemblance to me, will once again return to spread happiness and cheer.

How would you feel if one of your kids wanted to pursue a career in pro wrestling?

The worst thing you can do as a parent is tell your child they can't do something - that's the easiest way to insure that they will. I would just be very realistic with them about the difficulties involved in the profession.

I know you once tried and weren't happy with the script, but would you ever let anyone else try to make a movie based on your life? Thanks for doing this AMA, you're not only one of my favorite wrestlers, but one of my favorite writers as well.

Well I'm glad you enjoy my writing. Thank you!

I was just talking yesterday about a script I wrote in 2000 that never got off the ground. I did have a movie project that was close to coming to fruition but seems to be in limbo right now. Also, there's a very good Swedish director with a screenplay of Titeam Brown - so you never know when that might hit the big screen. BUT I am very relieved that the movie I'm helping produce, I Am Santa Claus, REALLY is happening.

What was going through your mind after the Montreal Screwjob. I was at the RAW in Ottawa the day after and heard that you and a few others boycotted it in protest. Any comments about that?

I don't believe there were any others, or else the boycott may have lasted longer than a day. I definitely thought I was done with the company until I realized I had reached my contract and couldn't work anywhere in the world for the next five years. As much liked and respected Brett, and was upset by what had happened, that whole end of my career thing was a price I wasn't willing to pay... brother.

Hey Mick! Who was your favorite person to wrestle against? Was there anyone that you didn't get to wrestle against that you wish you had?

Thanks! And thanks for doing this AMA.

The second question is easy to answer, I really wish for the sake of history, I could have wrestled Hulk Hogan. I was really lucky to have so many great opponents during the attitude era. So it makes it easier to pick someone outside of that WWE time. So with that being said, I'll go with Terry Funk as my all-time favorite.

What was it like working with Kawada in Japan? You have fairly different styles, how did it work out?

I worked with Kawada twice, once in 1991, once in 2004.

The 1991 match was just a spot show and went pretty well. The 2004 match for Monster went well... if you don't include the part about me kneeling in front of a toilet and throwing up because of the concussion. It really was, at that point that I should have realized that almost every new match I had was going to have a concussion to go along with it.

Thank you Mick.

My questions are that have you enjoyed the WWE games? How awesome was WWE 13 Attitude Era for you? Did it bring back some good and bad memories?

I wish I knew, I'm unfortunately not a gamer. I hear it's a great game. I thought my deltoids looked awesome on the Attitude Era game. Very lifelike!

What is your most career defining moment in your own eyes?

One of the few truly wise things I've ever written is that we get to define for ourselves what being a success is. So in the past year alone, being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, having the chance to truly become Santa Claus, and a few of the my recent one man shows have felt as good as anything I ever did during my prime as a wrestler.

Hi Mick,

I still remember the feature that Dateline did on you and how obvious it was they told you the piece would be on one subject, only to present you in a totally negative light when the piece actually aired. I read that you were unhappy about it, but wanted to see if you would elaborate some on the experience of essentially being the victim of such horseshit journalism. In short, did it make you less willing to give interviews or speak with the media in general? Also, did you notice any negative effects from the piece. Fans that followed your career only needed to watch 30 seconds to realize it was twisted fiction (at the very best).

If you don't answer, I hope you know that legions of fans admire you for much more than your legendary talents inside of the ring. Your reputation as being intelligent, well-spoken, classy and, most importantly, a devoted father & husband are more than well deserved.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

I think you might be confusing that with the 20/20 piece, which did take one of my comments completely out of context. It really made me hesitant to participate in a forum where soundbites were used. I specifically recall a chance to do a show with CNN that I declined. I said "I'll do a sit down interview with you, but I'm not going to leave my fate to the editors."

I don't think there were any negative effects from that piece.

I'm working on compiling a list of wrestlers and the moves they innovated. You're credited with innovating the Cactus Clothesline. Can you confirm this? If so, how did you come up with that move?

On that note, your Mandible Claw hold came from the infamous Sam Sheppard, and Wikipedia has this:

Later, Sheppard was briefly a professional wrestler, going by the ring name The Killer, and teaming with partner George Strickland in matches across the United States. In Mick Foley's book, Foley recounts Jim Cornette's telling him about Sheppard inventing the mandible claw, a submission hold Foley later made famous.

Could you elaborate on learning about the move? Also, I heard that Vince was skeptical of the move, saying something to the effect of "couldn't the other guy just bite down?" Did that actually happen?

Actually I did not create the Cactus Clothesline, I popularized it. I believe Nikita Koloff do it in the 80's, and I believe Flair and Steamboat did the cross body over the top during one of their classic bouts.

You've got the story almost right. It was Jim Cornette who told me about the move, mentioning it might be an easier finish on my body than the flying elbow on the concrete. It was actually Bill Watts, not Vince McMahon who was skeptical, which is why I did it in WWE and not WCW.

Was one of your career highlights spoon feeding 'Primetime' Sam Roberts on Opie & Anthony?

I wouldn't call spoon feeding Sam Roberts on O&A a career highlight, but I will say it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Hey, Mr. Foley! HUGE FAN. Dude Love debuted on the day I was born and I've always loved him! Two questions:

1) I gotta know, at the iconic hell in a cell match with undertaker, was your actual tooth up your nose?!?! That's what it looked like!

2) was there any truth to what you said about your struggle to be dude love in your interview with JR? (The one where you choke him)

P.s. Is it cool if I make a "dude love is my homeboy" shirt??

1) That was indeed my tooth in my nose.

2) Every single word I said in that interview with JR was true, I just delivered the statement in the character of Mankind. The beauty of that interview is that absolutely none of it was scripted.

PS: look we live in a free country with entitles you to make a Dude Love Is My Homeboy shirt if you so choose. I am NOT RESPONSIBLE for any beatings you may suffer as a result of your wardrobe.

hey mick, huge fan. I'm just wondering - do you have any plans to tour the UK again soon? Missed out last time and heard it's a great show.

Well thank you! And I do take great pride in the quality of my one man shows. I believe it'll be another year and a half before I do any kind of major UK tour. But I may slip in one or two shows along the way. I also may have some dates this November in Ireland... which I am WELL aware (all you Irish fans) is not part of the UK.

EDIT: Forgot to say "HI", that was rude of me.... Hi Mick, huge fan.

1) Who do you think, out of the current crop of WWE Superstars, will be the locker-room leader in the next 10 to 15 years?

2) Do you still have the Mankind mask?

3) What was your best moment of your time with WCW, ECW and WWE, as an in ring competitor?

And just to note, out of the Attitude era, you were my favourite.

1) John Cena is the locker room leader now, so I have to think of someone who will replace John Cena, not so much in that #1 guy in the company, but in the leading role in the locker room. I really don't know. That's a good question, I wish I had an answer.

2) I gave one of the masks to WWE, so they could be sure to have one, and I believe I have one other laying around. did you know that the same man that made the mankind mask, also made Farook's blue helmet, although I'm not sure Stanley Sherman puts that one on his resume.

3) I probably peaked as an in ring competitor at the Mind Games match with Shawn Michaels in 1996. Even though the backlash match with Orton was my favorite, the match with Shawn was technically better performance.

If you was asked to make a new Four Horsemen, who would they be?

What do you think of the piss poor women's division in wwe?

What is the one move you always hated to take?

Listen brother, I don't think that any group of people that have the word "new" proceeding them has a chance. If the new Blackjacks and the New Rockers couldn't make it, no one can.

Mick, you're going to be in Asheville, NC on Thursday where I live -- can we take a picture?

Of course you can take a photo with me RIGHT THERE, IN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA, on Thursday. Meet and greets are included with admission at almost every one of my US shows.

Cactus! Huge fan here.

Do you have any advice for someone whos only direction in life is to make others feel good about themselves?

Favorite food?

Have any projects you're working on that you'd like to tell us about?

This is in now way a plug for my new documentary I Am Santa Claus... but I'm really excited to be part of this movie, absolutely loved getting the chance to become Santa Claus. And can't imagine not doing it, in some way, this coming December.

My favorite food is Santa's deep fried pulled pork ravioli, I'm not kidding, the real Santa Claus makes them and I'm convinced they'll be in your grocer's freezer within the next few years.

As far as spreading happiness, find an organization that speaks to you and volunteer.

What was your most gratifying moment outside of wrestling?

I've been really lucky that I've had some great moments outside wrestling. I think you'd have to consider the success of the wrestling books to be "within wrestling," but I really enjoy doing my shows around the US and in different parts of the world. And again, this is in no way a plug for my upcoming documentary, I Am Santa Claus, but I LOVED being Santa.

Are you still friends with Kevin James?

I haven't seen Kevin in several years, but a few of my buddies went to see his show a week or so ago, and he wanted them to tell me that he hates my guts now. Just kidding! He passed his best wishes on and I'll look forward to seeing him sometime soon.

Hi Mick!

You've done so many different things since stepping away from wrestling, from children's books, to charity, to comedy, to one of a million other things. Is there anything you're still dying to get involved in that you haven't had the opportunity to explore yet?

That's one of the things I love about doing my shows; I get an idea, and no matter how ridiculous it seems, I eventually give it a try.

So whether Jennifer Bloodsworth playing the role of a naked DDP doing the "cookie story." Or having the real Santa Claus heckle me during a set, I give it a try. I'm a big believer in giving everything your best shot, even knowing that with great success comes catastrophic failures.

The volunteer work I did RAINN was important as anything I've ever done in my life.

Do you think it's a good thing for Legends to keep wrestling well into their later years? People like Flair, for example? Or do you think there should come a day when management should step in and keep them in a support capacity only? I'm thinking of people like Jake Roberts, who seems to be suffering a lot for his art.

I think that should be answered entirely on a case-by-case basis. For example: Sgt. Slaughter and Jim Duggan are still capable of entertaining people without taking any undue risks whereas other people like a certain hardcore legend, are not.

Greetings Esteemed Reddit AMA Guest!

I am /u/Minifig81, as of 06/09/13, I have decided to ask (with the consent of the /r/IAMA Mods) every person who is an announced AMA a few simple questions:

• What are you currently reading?

• Is it non-fiction or fiction?

• What books do you recommend to everyone that they should read or what books have changed your life?

These books will be compiled in to a spreadsheet with your name and the date you did your AMA, so that if you revisit us on a future date, I can remind you of what you were reading the last time you visited our fair site.

Thank you for time!

Reddit AMA Readers who wish to see the Reddit Books AMA Project will have to wait, as I'm still compiling information, I don't know how long it will be, but I have promised the AMA Mods that I'm going to share the data eventually.

---

As per Mod request, I am to ask you one personal question on top of my Reddit AMA Books Project, so Mr. Foley, what would you say is the most fun, and least fun you've ever had wrestling, and why?

I read a little bit from a book called Santa Claus Stories right before I go to bed. THe last story was written by a Dutch journalist while he was a guest of president Roosevelt's at the White House. I'm also working on Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Santa is non-fiction, American Gods is fiction.

Most fun wrestling was either breaking in, wrestling in front of some tiny crowds in 1985 and 1986. Or being on top of the world in WWE in 1999. I didn't care for my time in the Memphis territory - even though I did learn a great deal.

Hey Mick! I was wondering if you think that wrestlers today can match up to the legends of wrestling such as yourself, HHH, Hulk Hogan, The Rock etc?

Sure, I think there's always a certain percentage of people who claim today's performers in any business are not as good as the ones that preceded them, although I'm pretty sure that Lebron James would school George Mikan. Last night for example, the match with Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins would hold up with any Raw classic of the last 20 years.