10 Awesome Wrestling Matches That Saved Careers
9. Cactus Jack Vs. Randy Orton (Backlash 2004)
Mick Foley was retired for four years before the 2004 Royal Rumble. While his first retirement only lasted for a few weeks because of his role in the WrestleMania 2000 main event, he stuck to his guns afterwards and didn't step into the ring until coaxed by the Legend Killer Randy Orton.
After their violent brawl in the tremendous 2004 Rumble match, they had interactions in a solid WrestleMania tag match between Evolution and the Rock N' Sock Connection, where Orton pinned Foley to seal the victory for his stable. This led to a furious Foley bringing back his Cactus Jack persona to unleash pure violence on the Intercontinental Champion Orton at Backlash 2004.
While it's most famous for being the match that made Orton a star, it cannot be understated how much the brutally violent bout brought life back to Foley's career as a singles competitor. He looked as good as ever, torturing Orton with thumb tacks and barbed wire before taking horrific violence of his own to put Orton over. It was the match of the night, is still heralded as a classic to this day and is a major reason why Foley's transcendent 2006 run happened.