Mick Foley reveals WWE Hall of Famer needed special ring gear after he was stabbed three times for playing a convincing heel
Former hardcore legend Mick Foley talks about how a WWE legend had to make changes in his attire to protect himself from attacks from the fans during the shows.
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Mick Foley is well-known for telling anecdotes about his wrestling days and his fellow wrestlers that are not normal for regular fans. During the territorial period of wrestling, fans were known to be exceedingly aggressive. Kayfabe was still regarded as the primary priority in wrestling at the time. As a result, WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper has had several troubles.
Roddy Piper was known to be one of the best heel superstars in professional wrestling. A villain is as important as a hero to make the hero look good. This was taken up by Piper so well that the fans absolutely hated him when he would walk to the ring and wrestle in front of an audience. The Hall of Famer nailed his “bad guy” persona against heroes like Hulk Hogan, Harley Race, and many others.
While talking on Foley Is Pod, Mick Foley recalled meeting Piper’s daughter Teal during an episode of WWE’s Greatest Treasure. She told Foley that Roddy Piper was often stabbed during the shows and therefore got injured because of the attacks. However, as kayfabe was strong during those days, Piper could not hit the fans or react in the fight.
To come up with a solution, the former Intercontinental Champion started wearing his leather jacket to the arenas to avoid stabbing. Teal also recalled that her father, Roddy Piper, was stabbed three times on separate occasions by angry fans. The leather jacket provided protection against such attacks.
Wrestlers believed that such attacks were rewards for being successful with their heel personas. Therefore, the wrestlers did not object to the attacks, as it just proved that they were doing their job well.
Related: When Mick Foley took a page out of The Rock’s book to shut his mouth in a humorous way
Mick Foley talks about Terry Funk experiencing similar attacks
Like Roddy Piper, other heels in the industry at the time faced such attacks. In the same podcast, Mick Foley recalled that Terry Funk was also stabbed multiple times while playing a heel persona. Funk had a different approach to that attack than Foley’s.
Mick Foley remembered meeting the hardcore legend after one of the attacks. When Foley asked Funk about pressing charges against the person who stabbed him, Funk got extremely angry. According to Terry, this was the “ultimate compliment” he could ever get as a heel.
Therefore, the stabbing meant complimenting and appreciating the wrestlers during the territory era. Legends like Terry Funk and Roddy Piper were successful in playing evil personas decades ago, which was a precursor to today’s villains in the wrestling industry. Several wrestlers today consider Piper and Funk to be among the greatest wrestlers in the industry.
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Jaydeep Kulkarni
(488 Articles Published)