Can Foley Still Draw?

[Low_Ki]

Now I know that Mark Madden is very biased in regards to the TNA product, and after reading his latest column, he is critical of Mick Foley. Specifically, for all the reasons that were hashed up in regards to Foley's weight and shape, and the age old insult that he is nothing more that a 'glorified stuntman'.

Now obviously Foley defied WCW many years ago and is a multi-time WWE World Champion.

Outside of the ring his books are nothing short of hillarious and in the WWE, he was always seen as the WWE's regular good guy. Towards the end of his tenure with the WWE, people did start grating on me a little, and his pop seemed to fade a little.

But I personally think that he gave an okay example of himself on iMPACT against Flair. It wasn't great granted, but for a 61 year old Flair and an out of shape Foley, I don't think the match sucked at all.

My question is based on something that Madden said in his column, and that question is is Foley 'useless' like Madden wrote, or do you think he can still draw? What is it that Foley can still give to wrestling. Are his promo skills still as good in the iMPACT Zone as they were in the WWE as Mankind? What can he do to improve if your opinion of him has dropped?

 

[a0161613]

Madden wishes he was half as relevant ever as Foley is now.

Foley found his niche with EV2.0 and is the one part of it that TNA should keep. He is a great mouthpiece and his name value cannot be undervalued.

I'm glad he got his match with Flair on Impact. It didnt deserve to be on PPV but on Impact it would have put intrigued bums on seats.

He is not a draw. He never was but he is still a big asset for TNA to call upon. I doubt that will be his last match but it may end up being his last big match.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

I think that Madden Is completely off base when he says that Mick Foley is useless. Mick is definitely still valuable to TNA. Mick is still one of the best Mic workers in TNA or WWE and his name value is very useful to TNA. Mick put on a pretty good match yesterday for someone of his age. Mick Foley consistently draws good TV ratings for TNA and he was apart of the Highest Quarter Hour Rating at 1.44. Mick Foley is still Very Useful to TNA.

 

[mvalley]

Mic Foley reminds me a lot of Dusty Rhodes. The biggest gift both men had is they could talk.

Do I think Foley can / will change the wrestling world? Do I think he can "put some butts in seats?"? Yes.

 

[CyDeez]

LOL @ Madden...

He actually makes a lot of sense for the most part. But he is just really harsh with everything. Obviously he is super hard on TNA, but he has also smashed on WWE too.

So, there is truth in what he said, but it is just a little overboard and purposely mean.

To answer the question...

Foley is not a draw. If he was, TNA would be doing a lot better. He is a legend though, and paired with the right person, he can definitely create interest in a match or angle.

But I think his days of affecting a buy rate, are finished.

 

[Kenny Powers]

If Ric Flair can change his mind about Foley, then anyone can. Madden is just copying what Flair said years ago about Foley being a "garbage wrestler" Foley may be past his prime, but he can still put on a good match. Thursday's match was probably the last time we will see Foley or even Flair in the ring for a long time. At least it could be Foley's last time. Why not give credit to these athletes for once? It was one match on Impact which was the best match of the night. I would rather watch these two go then two young green guys that can't get a reaction to save their life.

I agree with Madden about the Impact zone fans but not on Shore. That gimmick is awful and would get go away heat no matter where you showed it. Wrestling fans don't give two shits about Jersey Shore and the people that watch Jersey shore probably don't give two shits about wrestling. It was the lowest rated segment on Impact. Maybe if TNA actually hired Madden instead of kicking his useless ass to the curb, then maybe he would be singing a different tune. Jealousy is an ugly thing.

 

[bringitback]

In todays wrestling climate, in my honest opinion, there are only two draws. One is John Cena....the other is Dwayne Johnson. Cena is a proven money machine and Johnson, if he were to return at any stage, would, without a doubt, put asses in seats. But that's a whole other topic for a whole other thread.

Mick Foley was never a draw. Even at his height of popularity as WWF champion, he wasn't the one "putting butts in seats" but he did add to the show, and he did have a way of pushing the psychotic character he portrayed then. But Mick Foley is not Cactus Jack and Mick Foley is not Mankind. The promos he cut when playing those characters were nothing short of revolutionary, particularly during his time with ECW. The promos as Mick Foley, while well put and better than most, aren't anything special. But these days, somebody who is anyway comfortable with the mic is considered to be good.

I can see where Madden is coming from, and as I usually do, I agree with him on this one, but only to a certain extent. What people don't give Foley credit for is that he could wrestle, so calling him a stuntman and only a stuntman is over the top. But truth of the matter is, should Foley be gone tomorrow, the ratings wouldn't really be affected, TNA's marketability wouldn't be affected and the overall show wouldn't be missing much.

 

[CruelButFair]

I used to really enjoy Mark Madden's commentaries, and often times I find them making me at least think. Well that is till the last half year or so. His remarks about TNA can be really good but sometimes it's hard to follow them cause he cries so much about every little thing that it deters from his good points. I find myself less and less paying attention to him nowdays cause everything he writes is like a jealous ex-boyfriend talking trash about his former lover. And the way he talked about Mick really sounded like he was butt-sore with him more than making a pure observation.

Mick aint much of a draw atm tho, and i hate to agree with that cause i really like Foley. He is FAR from useless but most of his matches lately are so slow and sloppy that I end up not paying much attention. I disagree about Flair being a better worker now tho. While his presence and his mic work are pure gold, watching Flair wrestle has been a chore for the last 10 years. How many times can i watch him flip in the corner or get thrown off the turnbuckle till he decides to stick to the JJ Dillon manager roll like he should. Flair is the man but damn, he ain't gotta cut himself anymore to be relevant, just walk that aisle.

Back on point tho yes, I think Foley's time as any kind of real draw seems to be over. I think he really lowered himself to align with the ECW guys. putting himself in step behind Tommy Dreamer in that angle really didn't make sense, and in no way helped his career. I liked the way he came into the company, ending up as a crazy who was in charge and abusing his power through pure lunacy. Ganging up with Dreamer's has-beens though really made me loose interest in his character. He will never be as low as mark madden put him in that commentary, but as a performer I ain't finding much interest in him atm.

 

[Steve Rogers]

Ratings? Not at this point.
Creativity, lending to an enjoyable product, a good mentor, a standard of how promos should be done? Yes

I wish Madden would blow his fat fucking head off.

 

[laughhammer]

I think Madden has hit the nail on the head for the most part. I get tired of seeing the same idiots along the rail week in and week out. I agree with Madden in saying that TNA needs to get out on the road once or twice a month and do a live show. Even if they only sell 1200 tickets. They should find smaller venues to do the shows in that seat no more than 3000 fans. If they have to give away 1500 tickets then do so. I have heard from a couple families that were down at Universal and wanted to see the show, that they couldn't even get a ticket, because the regular fans get the tickets for the most part. It's as if these people think of TNA tapings as their own private idiots club.

I personally believe if TNA wants to go forward they can't make one a Flair vs. Foley match a major part of a rare live television show. I will say this about Flair, he is using! He is using something to make him look leaner and less flabby. He almost looked like he had a 6 pack stomach Thursday night. Flair should at this time of his life more than what J.J. Dillon was at the height of the Horsemen days. Foley could be a manager for EV-2 and not much more. He can hardly get up from the mat without looking older than my grandfather.

I'm of the opinion that if TNA wants to move forward, they need to quit putting people who were at the height of their game 20 years ago into main event roles.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I agree with Madden on a lot of topics, but I can't say I necessarily agree with his views on Foley. To read a lot of Madden's columns, I think it's fair to say that Ric Flair is essentially his idea of what a perfect professional wrestler should be. I can't necessarily say I disagree with that but not everybody can be a Ric Flair. I'm not all that thrilled about seeing Mick Foley compete anymore, an occassional match might be fun, but I've always thought that he was someone very much deserving of respect.

Mick Foley has never been a great athlete, he never had "the look" and he was never all that smooth inside the ring. Mick Foley has always had tremendous heart, a genuine love for wrestling and has always done his best with whatever he's been given. I'm not a big fan of hardcore wrestling, but Mick Foley was able to show through promos and character work that he was much more than just some guy that went through tables or wrestled on barbed wire. Foley was able to connect with your average fan because he came across, a lot sometimes, as just an average guy. In terms of appearance and general view of a lot of things, Mick Foley is an average guy and it's helped him get over.

Mick Foley will never be counted among the great mat generals and technicians of pro wrestling history but I do think all the glorified stuntman stuff is pretty nonsensical.

 

[michael.foulds]

Mark Madden is just a complete idiot on a lot of subjects though. I know Mick Foley is nowhere near the draw he was in say 1999 or even when he competed at Wrestlemania 20 and 22. But, Mick Foley is still great on the mic, he knows how to sell, he can still put people over because he is still seen as a big name to beat, even if he is getting old. Mark Madden just seems to be negative on everything TNA does, I mean if they signed John Cena he'd probably draw a negative out of that.

 

[Narsat]

I don't think Foley can draw in TNA. If he made a return to WWE he might regain some of his old fanbase from the attitude era, but still will not be the draw he once was. Maybe if he was a part of ECW ONS then maybe he could headline a PPV once again, other than that I don't see him drawing. Hopefully one day he makes it to the Hall of Fame bc hes definitely worthy of that.

 

[nWo/wcw4life]

No, good god no. I was watching an old wrestlemania, forget which one at the moment, that featured Foley as a guest referee, even nearly 10 years ago he looked over the hill and done. I love Mick, I just wish he would stop. But, hey this America, as long as Dixe wants to pay him, more power to him.