Mick Foley -- and his various personas -- has been a part of numerous wrestling accidents. Although, accident may not be the proper word for Foleys incidents, as they often came at the hands of the man himself. He was famously thrown from the top of the Hell in a Cell, and almost immediately climbed back up to then be thrown through it. Technically speaking, however, the Undertaker tossing Mankind from the Cell was a planned spot and therefore, not an accident. On the other hand, a true accident during a match in Germany left Foley without his ear. Mick was with World Championship Wrestling at the time, competing as the vile and violent, Cactus Jack. As Cactus, Foley had been embroiled in an intense feud with WCWs resident behemoth, Big Van Vader. The two men had a series of classic, albeit brutal, matches, and they often seemed to get real joy out of torturing each other. During a WCW event in Munich, Germany, the two men again did battle. At point in the match, Foley prepared to enact one his infamous spots. He ran toward Vader, who stood near the ropes. The big man ducked out of the way and Foley became entwined between the top and middle rope as they twisted around his neck. Mick had performed this spot countless times before, but this night was different. It turns out that WCW competitor 2 Cold Scorpio had complained earlier in the night that the ropes were too loose. As a result, the inexperienced German ring crew tightened them far too much. As Mick attempted to free himself, he slipped his head out -- with the aid of the referee. This tore Foleys ear, but it was still partially attached. When he re-entered the ring, Mick began exchanging blows with Vader. Unintentionally, the big man completely ripped Foleys ear off during the exchange.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
