Mick Foley has revealed that a WWE legend’s gear was more practical than you might imagine.
In the territory days of wrestling when kayfabe was in full effect, it wasn’t uncommon for heel wrestlers to get crowds angry enough to want to cause them real, physical harm.
One of the greatest wrestlers for getting under the skin of the audience was ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. He was so good at playing the bad guy that he was the victim of more than one stabbing, which led to him adopting his outfit accordingly.
On the latest edition of Foley is Pod, the Harcore Legend recalled his experience on the Piper episode of WWE’s Greatest Treasures.
During the show, he spoke to Piper’s daughter, Teal, and she revealed to him that the real reason the Hot Rod wore his signature leather jacket was for protection from further attacks.
“I had not met Roddy’s daughter, Teal, up to that point. We’ve kept in touch since then, connected at one of the signings I’ve done.
“It was really an honour to be able to talk about Roddy with Teal and see some of these things that she had. She said, like, she can’t give them or even sell them because they’re the only thing she has of her dad’s.
“She shed light on the reason Roddy wore the leather jacket to the ring, and that is because he’d been stabbed three times.
“That was almost the hallmark of a good heel, that they had a stabbing story.”
Mick Foley also told another WWE Hall of Famer’s stabbing story
Foley went on to talk about another legend’s story, saying that Terry Funk once pointed out a building in Corpus Christi where he had been stabbed in 1977. When Foley asked if he pressed charges, Funk was surprised by the question.
“He looked at me and goes, ‘What did you say?’, ‘Did you press charges?’
“He got in close to my face [and said] ‘How could I do that? Why would I press charges against someone who’s paying me the ultimate compliment?'”
The three-time World Champion then jokingly reminded fans that times had changed.
“Fans out there, it’s no longer the ultimate compliment to stab a wrestler, please don’t!”
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