It might seem as if wrestling fans do nothing but bicker with one another, but nothing unites them quite like someone on the outside looking in sneering at what they love and labeling it “fake”. Not only do devastating, sometimes life-threatening injuries happen in the ring, but even those who enjoy a long career and retire on their own terms are usually left paying the price for the path they chose long after they're done wrestling.

Mick Foley's Extensive Injuries

While the list of retired wrestlers who are struggling with issues caused by their careers is a long one, there are few paying a heavier toll than Mick Foley. The Hall of Famer fell through cages, took bumps that are hard to go back and rewatch decades later, and basically sacrificed himself for the entertainment of those watching for years. As much as fans know about Foley's post-career problems, apparently, they are even worse than even he knew.

RELATED: Mick Foley Reveals Original Finish For His Infamous I Quit Match With The Rock

The Hardcore Legend spoke about his problems during a recent episode of Foley Is Pod, relaying what doctors told him when he considered another in-ring return. “You got muscular, neurological, skeletal, and even if we are able to help from a neurological standpoint, there’s nothing we can do with those other things,” doctors told Foley after studying his MRIs and x-rays (H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription).

Randy Orton v Mick Foley Backlash 2004 Cropped

A Steeper Price

“I’m paying a steeper price than I thought imaginable… of course my hips are going to be sore, my knees are going to be hurting, I’m going to be arthritic, but now I’m curved around like this, you know?” Foley also explained that the wear and tear of a career in the ring has also resulted in him losing three inches in height. It was these visits to the doctor, and the reveal of just how much damage he had done that finally convinced him he really could never wrestle again.

Considering some of the stuff Foley did during his in-ring career, it's a minor miracle he is still here at all, let alone still here with the wherewithal to continue other ventures and recant tales from his time in the business. He continues to try and manage and reverse the damage he did to his body, and hopefully he can continue to do that.

TheSportster Podcast has returned! Check out the latest episodes of the show where Jim Parsons and Norman Quarrinton cover the latest news and events happening in the worlds of WWE, AEW and more!