As one of the most polarising names in WWE history, Mick Foley’s contract saw him paid top money – but how much was the “holy grail”?
At the height of the Attitude Era, there’s a good chance that Mick Foley’s name will stick out the most from the iconic roster. During a time when he regularly competed under the Mankind persona – and occasionally as Cactus Jack and Dude Love – ‘The Hardcore Legend’ was one of the top faces of the company through one of the most tumultuous periods.
Owing to this, Mick Foley earned a good chunk of money from WWE. As a three-time WWE Champion and proven draw, Foley was deserving of a solid sum of cash, but he’s now detailed how much, exactly, he earned.
Speaking on the latest Foley Is Pod podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed the huge salary he took home from the company, divulging what he believed to be the “holy grail”:
“Yeah, $400,000 felt like the holy grail to me, where if I could get a couple years at 400 that we could save a lot of money. Looking back at 400 grand was a lot of money. But you need to have 10 years at 400 before you can say that you’re good, you know, like it’s even then, you know, you’re with taxes and travelling all that. I mean, this is, I know a lot of the country is struggling and a lot of people listening would love to be in a position where they’re making $400,000 25 years ago.”
Compared to today’s deals for top WWE Superstars, $400,000 may seem more like the type of contract for a mid-card talent to receive, rather than a multi-time pay-per-view headliner. Nevertheless, Mick Foley is eternally grateful for the amount he received at the time.
Signing with the then-WWF in early 1996 at the request of Jim Ross, Mick Foley cemented himself as a company man. Through acclaimed rivalries with The Undertaker, Triple H, and The Rock, ‘Mrs Foley’s Baby Boy’ was ultimately crowned WWE Champion in a move that completely changed the trajectory of the Monday Night Wars.
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