10 Wrestlers Better Off For Having Worked With Mick Foley
8. Val Venis
Through the first full year of his WWE career, Val Venis was a popular midcard act who personified the sex appeal of the Attitude Era.
As entertaining as he was, and as well as he had filled his role to that point, there was always something about Venis the wrestler that suggested he could succeed at a level higher than he spent the majority of his career competing at.
In 1999, he got the opportunity to prove himself during a feud with Mankind, arguably the most successful incarnation of Mick Foley's three faces. The adult film star gimmick was set aside in favor of an edgier, more focus and determined competitor.
Venis, in one of his finest and most underrated performances, defeated Foley with a testicular claw. Ironically enough, it was that maneuver that got Venis as close to a main event push as he would ever get, a the selflessness of Foley who helped him reach that level.
Venis would return to the midcard before sinking even further down the card as the new Millennium approached, his greatest opportunity in Vince McMahon's traveling circus the result of an ageing veteran determined to do for him what was necessary to ensure the future of the industry.
Even if it was not adequately followed up on by WWE Creative, at least the talented Venis had his flirtation with the top of the card.