Whether you know him as Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love, or simply by his real name Mick Foley, the hardcore legend has dabbled in as many endeavors as he has alter egos. And we’re not even talking about stints as General Manager of Raw or starring on the WWE Network reality show Holy Foley! or anything like that -- he’s been doing things outside of wrestling for years.
In 2012, Mick Foley made his official retirement from in-ring competition. In the time since, he's been keeping himself busy with a lot of things; some which may be expected given his pro-wrestling celebrity status, and others that may be surprising for the same reason. Here are 10 unexpected activities Mrs. Foley’s baby boy has been up to since hanging up the boots for the last time.
10 He Wrote a Children’s Book
Mick Foley is a pretty smart dude. He went to college and and has the distinction of being one of the few wrestlers who didn’t have to rely on a ghost writer when composing his autobiography. Over the years, he’s published five (!) memoirs, two fiction novels, and four children’s books.
The most recent children’s book is the 2012 holiday tale A Most Mizerable Christmas, which is a WWE-tie in book featuring a child version of The Miz as a school bully who tries to fool Santa Claus and his elf, who is totally not John Cena. It's great for kids but charmingly hilarious for adults. What we're saying is you should get a copy... now.
9 Appeared on The Daily Show
In 2013, John Oliver spent the summer filling in for Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. During this stint, the host noticed that WWE had turned the national immigration debate into a storyline featuring Tea Party caricature Zeb Colter managing the hulking “Real American” Jack Swagger and ranting about illegal immigrants and stuff (for heel heat!).
When Colter brought Oliver’s fill-in gig into the conversation, Oliver decided to respond in a way appropriate to the scenario... by ripping off his sleeves, slinging a championship belt over his shoulder, and cutting a promo with some back-up from Cactus Jack himself, Mick Foley. Needless to say, it was hilarious.
8 He Volunteered for RAINN
Mick Foley’s status as a charity figure and activist happened in a charmingly roundabout way: he was a huge fan of musician Tori Amos and, upon finally meeting her in 2008, found out she co-founded the organization Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
Upon realizing he could use his celebrity status to help combat some of the largest problems facing women today, Foley has worked to raise loads of money for the organization by selling gear and other personal items. He also spent countless hours actually volunteering for the organization, and even testified in Congress in support of the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act.
7 He Acted In A Shia LeBeouf Movie
The Peanut Butter Falcon is an indie flick about Zak, a young man with Down’s Syndrome who escapes from his care facility and hits the road with a down-on-his-luck fisherman played by Shia LeBeouf. Upon breaking out, Zak searches for his idol, the pro wrestler known as The Salt Water Redneck, in the hopes of training under him.
At this point, you might be thinking that Mick Foley plays The Salt Water Redneck, but that role actually went to Thomas Hayden Church. Instead, Foley plays the referee who officiates Zak’s climactic match with The Salt Water Redneck.
6 He Became IFC’s Santa Claus
It’s no big secret that Mick Foley is a huge fan of Christmas. He’s written books about it, goes all out for the holidays, and even went as far as portraying Santa Claus on WWE television, which should totally count as one of his myriad alternate wrestling personas. We won't be surprised if he likes Christmas even more than pro wrestling.
In 2019, Foley became the cable channel IFC’s “Slightly Off” Santa Claus, hosting a segment called “Holiday Bingo” during the commercials of Christmas movies airing during the holidays. It will not surprise you to find out that his version of Rudolph was a sock puppet.
5 He Performed A One-Man Show
If you think about it, Mick Foley is the perfect wrestler to stage a one-man show. He’s funny, he’s articulate, and he’s spent over 20 years organizing his thoughts about his life story thanks to the aforementioned five memoirs he has under his belt.
His show, Mick Foley: 20 Years of Hell uses his infamous 1998 Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker -- you know the one -- as the centerpiece. He also incorporates other tales from his storied career to paint a vivid picture for audiences, many of whom have seen the classic footage of the match countless times and may very well end up seeing the event in a new light.
4 He Put His House Up For Sale
People sell houses all the time, but Mick Foley’s house (as you might expect) is worth talking about. Foley had lived in Long Island, NY since the early 2000s, and lived in this very stately home for a decade. It’s most notable feature is the basement, which Foley turned into a devoted location where he can celebrate Christmas year-round.
But (somewhat ironically) “the New York Winters” have finally forced the Foley clan to relocate, putting their house on the market for over $1.2 million. As you might have seen on Holy Foley!, it’s a pretty nice place.
3 He Wrote a Comic Book
Shortly before their successful run of licensed comics with the BOOM! Studios, WWE partnered with the publisher Papercutz to produce an official WWE comic book written by Mick Foley himself.
Titled WWE Superstars, the series casts the WWE roster of the time -- John Cena, CM Punk, the Wyatt Family, Christian, AJ Lee, and others -- as characters in a crime noir epic that takes place in “Titan City.” It’s sort of like watching a whole heap of wrestlers star in a superhero movie that has nothing to do with wrestling, except all the characters do their signature moves.
2 He Crowdsourced His Dentistry
Mick Foley has spent over 20 years missing teeth thanks to a chokeslam through a cage and into a chair by The Undertaker in their aforementioned Hell in a Cell match. He’s been missing several of his bottom teeth for so long that it’s become a part of his look. But recently, Foley took to Twitter to ask his fans: should he finally get his teeth fixed?
In his video message, he likened his missing teeth as a badge of honor, but now that he’s in his 50s and no longer an active wrestler, he’s not so keen on how it looks.
1 He Said Yes To The Dress
More than writing WWE crime comics and appearing as Santa Claus on cable television, the strangest thing Mick Foley has done since retiring is his appearance on the wedding themed reality show Say Yes to the Dress, where brides-to-be embark on searches for the perfect wedding dress.
The episode in question features wrestling announcer and comic book convention panel moderator Kid Cadet (a.k.a. Heather Reicher), as her journey for a dress brings her to New York City. There, she gets help from friend and wedding officiant Mick Foley. Absurd? Kind of. But hey, at least she got the blessing of Mankind!