A WWE icon has admitted that if they did not have their historic match with The Undertaker then their career would have looked very different.
June 28, 1998 is a date that will live on in wrestling for decades to come as it was the night of the King of the Ring pay-per-view and the Hell in a Cell match between Mick Foley and The Deadman.
With Foley’s fall from the top of the Cell onto the announce table, Jim Ross’ legendary “Good god almighty” call on commentary and the second bump through the steel structure, the match has been covered many times since with podcasts, Foley’s one man show and an upcoming episode of Dark Side of the Ring all dedicated to what took place that night.
Arguably one of the most famous matches in pro wrestling history and still one of the greatest Cell matches nearly 30 years later, Foley is very aware of its lasting impact. Speaking with DJ Siddiqi for Forbes, The Hardcore Legend admitted that his legacy would be nowhere near the same had the match not happened that way:
“It wouldn’t be the same,” says Foley of his legacy without the Hell in a Cell match. “It really put an exclamation point on my career. I’m really fortunate to go around and do these Comic-Cons and I can do a one-man show on my own and have really enjoyable good years. I don’t know if I could do that. I think that match elevated me to a spot that otherwise I would not have had.”
Foley also admitted he did not believe he would have won the WWE Championship the following year were it not for that match.
The Hall of Famer also touched upon his approach to the match, stating that had he not put his body on the line then the Cell match would have likely faded away:
“If I didn’t approach every match like it was the most important match of my life, another example of us not having this conversation,” says Foley. “There are all kinds of elements that went into making the match so special. If I didn’t have the background that I did in the history of putting my body on the line, I don’t think the match would live on in people’s minds the way it has. It’s the only match that fans celebrate the anniversary of.”
The Undertaker Talks Modern Wrestling
Having lived through multiple eras, the Hall of Famer has seen the business evolve into what it is today with many stars focusing on high spots and are arguably more athletic than ever before. However, when discussing the modern style, The Undertaker stated that many young wrestlers lack a key skill.