Coming out of the famed Hell in a Cell match versus the Undertaker, Mick Foley was without a direction and was unsure of what was next for him in the WWE. Although weak physically, Foley was at the top of his mental game. The astronomical push coming Foley’s way was a surprise to everyone involved including WWE’s competition, WCW. Starting in October 1998, we saw the rise of one of wrestling’s biggest stars. Not just Foley, but a sweaty gym sock by the name of Mr. Socko.
Mick Foley Invents Mr. Socko As A Way To Cheer Up Vince McMahon
In the last quarter of 1998 we were at the height of the Steve Austin/Mr. McMahon rivalry. In the weeks leading up to the October 5th edition of Monday Night Raw, Austin had assaulted Vince, leaving him in the hospital with a broken ankle. On the 5th, however, we were given a series of vignettes from the hospital. Some of the best moments from the Attitude Era came from these videos. We were introduced to Yurple the clown, a wild eyed bright-colored birthday clown making balloon animals in the hospital room, and the infamous bedpan shot to Mr. McMahon’s head by Austin.
This specific episode also debuted another character that would change the Attitude Era, Mr. Socko. During his segment, Mick Foley, in character as Mankind, would visit McMahon with all kinds of splendid treats. Aside from the aforementioned clown, Foley brought a half-eaten box of chocolates as well as a personal puppet show, with a hand drawn sock puppet by Foley. McMahon would eventually have enough of this, and he would kick Foley’s circus out of his hospital room. This moment would live on in the next few weeks of Raw. This was a far cry from the dark and sinister character we saw against the Undertaker earlier in the year.
The debut of Mr. Socko on Raw came a week later in a match for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. During this match against Mark Henry, Foley won with his signature move, the mandible claw. This was received with a huge ovation as he pulled the prop sock from him sweats during the match. It was the first of many finishes where we saw Mankind claim victory with the help of his iconic friend.
The WWE Title And The Rock & Sock Connection
The rise in stock for Mick Foley reached an all-time high in January 1999. After the successes and fan devotion for what he had done for the business, the underdog Mick Foley won his first WWE title on January 4th. Defeating Corporate Rock with the help of D-Generation X and Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mrs. Foley’s baby boy was on top of the wrestling world. Tony Schiavone famously announced on Nitro that night, “Don’t even think about changing the channel to our competition… Cactus Jack is going to win their world title. That’ll put some butts in the seats.” Schiavone would eat those words as Mankind and Mr. Socko would be one of the top babyfaces for WWE and the wrestling world for the better part of the next year.
The Mankind/Socko tandem would continue into 1999. During this first half of the year we saw some classic Foley matches, all with Mr. Socko at the forefront. The series of matches included the famous “I Quit” match at the Royal Rumble, the Empty Arena match for the halftime of the Super Bowl, and a violent Last Man Standing match at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre PPV, all against The Rock.
Later in 1999, after a hard-fought feud with The Rock, these once sworn enemies found themselves as tag partners. In an August episode of Raw, we saw The Rock confront then WWE tag team champions, the Undertaker and the Big Show, and challenge them to a handicap match, which appeared to be a suicide mission. With the help of Mankind, and some last-minute booking changes on the show, we had a tag team title match, and with the help of Mr. Socko and a double People’s Elbow, we saw the Rock and Sock connection crowned WWE Tag Team Champions.
The Legend Of Mr. Socko Continues
There are two “models” of Mr. Socko, the original and hand drawn socks done by Mick. These are easily recognized because Foley would always use sharper edges and never put a goatee on his socks. These Foley “originals” were used in house shows and for appearances. The prop master for WWE Richie Posner made all the TV Sockos. They were more circular in style, had a surprised look (if you can describe a sharpie drawn sock puppet as such) and always featured a goatee.
Whether it's TNA/Impact, Ring of Honor, or AEW, even if it isn’t Mick Foley using the sock, Mr. Socko is still a presence and a force in the wrestling business. As a piece of nostalgia or a callback to the legend himself, Mr. Socko is still a wrestling icon.
