Mick Foley should be heralded for having one of the greatest careers in professional wrestling. From his early days working for the Jarretts to World Class all the way to the legendary status that he now holds in WWE, Foley has dedicated his life to the wrestling business. As an elder statesmen, he is admired for his contributions to the industry by the likes of Nick Gage to fans all over the world. He bled buckets in nearly every corner of the globe and has told nearly as many bad jokes just to knowingly get cheap pops.

Related: Mick Foley's Mr. Socko & 9 Other Props That Defined Wrestlers

He made it cool to be an absolute dork, but only because fans knew full well that past the silliness, a darkness could rise up at any time to inflict and endure a bit of the ultra-violence that is generally reserved for horror movies. Whenever he went to that place, great promos usually came with it.

9 I’m Hardcore!

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During the last months of his final run in ECW, thanks to a sign that inspired a promo later on this list, Foley turned his back on the hardcore wrestling lifestyle and even tried to show another stalwart, Tommy Dreamer that there was a better way to do business. Cactus Jack unleashed several promos detailing just how hardcore he was, but comically. He can’t wear sunglasses because he’s only got one ear and has to floss his teeth with a mic cord because “I’m hardcore, I’m hardcore.” Then he’d ask the fans to put up their finger guns for the ol’ bang, bang.

8 Edge Created A Monster

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With one of the greatest underdog careers of all time, it was just like the hardcore legend to not have a big “WrestleMania moment.” Edge sought to change all of that and the match was made between the two for WrestleMania 22.

Related: 10 Best Quotes Of Mick Foley's Career

But in calling Foley out, he also awakened a dangerous monster, by calling him a muppet. Foley vowed to show Edge just how dangerous he was and challenged him to a hardcore match at the show of shows.

7 ECW Didn’t Love Me Back

Mick Foley Tommy Dreamer And Lita

On the road to the second ECW One Night Stand, WWE and ECW went head to head. Mick Foley delivered a nasty anti-ECW promo. He described ECW as a girl that he loved. How he and Edge would have to be tougher and more sadistic than ever to beat Tommy Dreamer, who was every bit as violent and sadistic as he was. Foley mentioned blowing Terry Funk up in Japan and setting him on fire in Philadelphia and the crazy old man still put his arms around him and called him a friend. But the fans somehow still consider Foley a sell-out because he put on a sock.

6 Mick Interviews Cactus

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Just because Mick was a little older and a little out of shape in TNA, doesn’t mean he couldn’t drag Cactus Jack back into his psyche to ready himself for war with Sting. Or did Cactus Jack chainsaw his way back into Foley’s mind? Mick Foley interviewed Cactus Jack and Jack proclaimed just how sick he was of Mick Foley taking the credit for all of Cactus’ literal blood, sweat, and hardcore work over the years. It spooked The Stinger enough to come out and question Mick’s sanity.

5 Doing It For Love

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By his own admission, one of Foley’s best matches was when he took a young Randy Orton to the woodshed in a hardcore match at Backlash 2004. But before that, he regaled us all and specifically The Legend Killer with a tale about first loves. How Foley remembered all of his firsts, especially the violent firsts.

Related: Mick Foley Vs. Randy Orton: 10 Things Most Fans Don't Realize About Their Rivalry

He did it all for love and a paycheck to earn for the ones he loved. Foley mentioned how he loved and respected the men that he fought with and they didn’t spit on him like Orton did. He was going to teach Orton a lesson or two using one of his first loves - a barbed wire baseball bat.

4 Throwing Christians To The Lions

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If you’ve ever doubted the validity of Mick Foley’s dark side, look no further than this promo. Foley invokes his real life as he speaks about going home, his wife wondering what the burning smell is and it’s him! Or the fact that he’s in the road 300 days and can’t protect Noelle because of it. But then things got real dark when he spoke about how we love to constantly watch videos of JFK’s assassination and that we can’t throw Christians to the lions anymore. But we can still watch Mankind vs. The Undertaker tear each other apart.

3 The Three Faces Of Foley

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For several years in the WWE, fans got to know Foley as both Mankind and Dude Love. But his most dangerous character bubbled back to the surface when Foley was set to take on Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a pinfalls count anywhere match at Raw from MSG. In what became one of the classic moments in WWE, Dude Love turned the match down and interviewed Mankind, who also turned the war down. But they both knew someone that would be more than happy to commit unspeakable acts of violence on Helmsley - Cactus Jack; Mrs. Foley’s baby boy had finally come home.

2 Cane Dewey

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When a fan wanted to make a sign referencing his son, Dewey, Foley allowed it. But Mick’s wife was appalled that someone would make a sign insinuating that the little child be caned. It sparked something inside of Mick Foley too.

Related: 10 Things About Mick Foley's Career That Make No Sense

Cactus Jack delivered the infamous “Cane Dewey” promo, letting the ECW faithful know that they ripped out his heart and how they dare they be so cruel. It began the anti-hardcore Cactus that lasted until he became Mankind.

1 The Jim Ross Interview

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In a lot of ways, Mick Foley and Jim Ross might have invented the worked shoot promo. Or at least perfected the art form of it. Jim Ross had a unique sit-down interview with Mankind to try and get into the psyche of the deranged madman. Foley had the genius idea to not create some crazy backstory but actually tell his life story with a Mankind spin on things. It ended badly for Ross, who ate the Mandible Claw for his troubles. But it also made the fans see the despised Mankind in a brand new light, and he started to become a massive babyface in the process.