4. The Three Faces Of Foley
Around 1998 the WWF was starting to bring back superstar profile tapes, after a dearth of such releases in the mid-90s. Other than the Kliq guys few others were afforded their own VHS. It is a shame, because an Ahmed Johnson: Pearl River Powerhouse or Duke Droese: Taking Out The Trash tape would have surely sold in the... dozens. If they can make a hillbillies tape, then anyone can be justified as warranting their own self-indulgent 56 minutes of celluloid fame. Steve Austin can be semi-credited for forcing the WWF's hand on this issue and reminding the company that they are a marketing machine that should be capitalising on popularity, no matter how fleeting. Austin subsequently ended up with about a dozen tapes dedicated to him. When Mick Foley's popularity skyrocketed with no fewer than three different gimmicks he was chosen for a profile video too. He is a fine choice, because as anyone who has read any of his books will be well aware, he is a very affable man with a great story to tell. This tape tells that story at pace, covering the origins of Mankind narrated by an original Foley interview (with the Hardy Boyz sat beside him because Mick wanted to give them some of his rub), before moving on to subjects such as Dude Love, Terry Funk, Cactus Jack and, of course, King of the Ring 98s Hell in a Cell. Considering this came out in 1999 the content is very non-kayfabed, setting the trend for nearly all future WWE DVD releases and bio pieces of the next generation.
James Dixon
Contributor
The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart.
James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.
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