25 years ago, the February 2nd, 1998 episode of Monday Night Raw featured an iconic stunt in the red brand’s history – one that Vince McMahon himself was willing to perform ahead of the show to ease the minds of the performers involved.
On that night, Chainsaw Charlie (the alter-ego of hardcore icon Terry Funk) faced his own tag team partner Cactus Jack (one of the faces of Mick Foley) in a hardcore match. Cactus Jack wheeled out an enormous dumpster full of weapons to be used in the bout, and the two performed multiple stunts including ladders as well.
The pair were embroiled in a feud with the New Age Outlaws at the time, and after Cactus Jack backdropped Chainsaw Charlie into the dumpster and delivered an elbow that sent Styrofoam peanuts flying everywhere, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn appeared on the ramp. They closed the dumpster lid and secured it with zip ties before shoving the dumpster off the ramp onto the floor below with Foley and Funk still inside.
Mick Foley Says Vince McMahon Wanted To Perform The Dumpster Stunt Himself
During a 2022 episode of his podcast, Road Dogg claimed that WWE CEO Vince McMahon got inside the dumpster himself ahead of the Raw broadcast to prove that the stunt was safe for Mick Foley and Terry Funk to take.
However, speaking on the latest episode of Foley is Pod, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley said that McMahon was talked out of performing the stunt despite wanting to take the bump.
“Vince McMahon had to be talked out of taking a dumpster bump earlier in the day. He wanted to do it himself [laughs]. I was like, ‘Vince, you own and run this company. We don’t know what’s going to happen. What happens if you’re badly hurt?”
Imitating McMahon’s signature speech, Foley confirmed that the Chairman of the Board was insistent that he not ask performers to do anything he wouldn’t do himself.
“‘I would never want any of you to do something that I wouldn’t be willing to do.’ Then I pulled him over to the side. I was like, Vince, it’s my gimmick, right? You’re gonna kill my gimmick if you’re taking the same bumps I’m taking.”
Foley then recalled the time McMahon dove off a platform ahead of WrestleMania 36 to prove that the bump was safe for NFL star Rob Gronkowski to do on the show. The football star was hesitant to perform the stunt, but seeing the septuagenarian take the leap first helped put his mind at ease. Foley is glad McMahon didn’t take the dumpster bump after all.
“So he did not take the bump, but in the same way that he took some bump that Gronk was a little concerned about taking [at WrestleMania 36] and he just boom went and did it. Now, if you’re Gronk, you’re like, ‘I saw a guy in his 60s…’ he may have been in his early 70s at that time. So, Gronk went ahead and did it. This was Vince wanting to do it. I’m glad he didn’t.”
h/t Fightful