Mick Foley Bio: The Training Years

by Jack Windham
April 23, 2008

While it's definitely not an easy road now, the wrestlers had to go through hell back in the old days to become a star.

Formal Training

Mick Foley began his wrestling career by enrolling in a wrestling school ran by Dominic DeNucci.

Dominic DeNucci was an Italian wrestler that worked in various wrestling territories during the 1960s and 1970s.

The thing to remember is that the wrestling school was in Freedom, PA, which is about 380 miles away from Mick Foley's school in Cortland, NY.

Not wanting to give up on his education, Mick Foley had to drive back and forth to attend the wrestling school.

It was at the wrestling school where Mick Foley met Shane Douglas (future ECW champion) and the late Brian Hildebrand (future WCW referee).

Rough Introduction

Thanks to Dominic DeNucci's connections within WWE, Mick Foley and several of the other wrestlers at the school were utilized as jobbers on WWE shows.

In one of his most memorable matches, Mick Foley worked a tag team match against the British Bulldog.

During those days, star wrestlers would work a bit rough with the younger wrestlers to scare them a bit.

Dynamite Kid nailed Mick Foley with a clothesline that was so vicious that the future Cactus Jack was unable to eat solid food for a couple of days.

Of course, that didn't deter Mick Foley's desire to become a professional wrestler at all.

Paying Dues

Like I said earlier, it's not easy at all to get into the wrestling business. The guys today have to work extremely hard just to get noticed.

However, compared to how the wrestlers during the 1980s and before came up in the business, things aren't nearly as bad as it used to be.

Guys like Mick Foley would drive hundreds of miles each weekend to make it to wrestling shows.

At times, the pay that they would make from the shows wasn't even enough to cover the cost of their gas.

Mick Foley spent several nights sleeping in his car after a show because he couldn't afford a room.

Without the benefit of being in a developmental program back then, Mick Foley would have to pay his dues working small shows in various high schools and gyms across the eastern states.

If you were lucky back then, Pro Wrestling Illustrated would mention your name. You might even get a picture taken for the magazine.

Hearing about Mick Foley's struggles to make it, one can't help but be happy for him that he got to where he did in the wrestling world.

...TO BE CONTINUED