Mick Foley was in the middle of going after Donald Trump over money when he suddenly made a pretty unsettling admission about his own future. The WWE Hall of Famer says decades of head trauma have left him fearing dementia could eventually play a role in how his life ends.
Foley made the comment during an October 30 video on his YouTube channel, where he criticized Trump and claimed the president had enriched himself by $2.2 billion since returning to office. Foley used that figure to set up a comparison with what it took him 42 years of beating up his body in professional wrestling to earn.
“So, I’m asking all of you who are reasonable. I’m talking to people who care about human lives, who care more about the well-being of survivors than they do about a man who has enriched himself to the tune of $2.2 billion since becoming president of the United States.”
From there, Foley made things personal. He talked about spending decades wrestling through pain and pointed out that even now, years after his full-time career ended, he’s still dealing with damage from some of his most infamous matches.
“If that’s not enough, if you’re okay with that guy making in three days what it took me 42 years of sacrifice, of suffering, of walking around in excruciating pain. If that’s not enough, let me put it to you this way. I lost five or six teeth along the way. Two more have to be pulled.”
Those two teeth apparently go all the way back to one of the most famous matches of Foley’s career. He specifically blamed the damage on his June 28, 1998 Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker before running through just how much punishment his body has absorbed over the years.
“Yet these two have to be pulled because of the trauma inflicted June 28th, 1998, in a match that’s gone down in lore and history as Hell in a Cell. I lost my ear along the way in Munich, Germany. I’ve had six different surgeries on my knees and a complete hip and knee replacement and 350 stitches.”
Then came the part that was a whole lot harder to brush off as another crazy Mick Foley war story. After listing all that damage, Foley said he fears the head injuries he suffered could eventually lead to dementia and affect him for whatever remains of his life.
“And a high likelihood that my life is going to come to an end because of dementia, because of the things that I did, head injuries that will affect me for the rest of my life.”
Foley wasn’t saying he currently has dementia or revealing a diagnosis. He was talking about what he believes could happen down the road after decades of taking brutal bumps and repeated shots to the head. And after dropping that pretty grim admission, Foley went right back to the political point he was making. This time, he singled out Eric Trump while comparing what he claims the Trump children have made to what Foley earned throughout his entire wrestling career.
“I say that because I want you to know the Trump children have enriched themselves by about $250 million, which meant that that guy, let’s see a picture of Eric Trump. Eric Trump has made as much in 30 days as I have in 42 years. If that’s not wrong, I don’t know what else is.”
Foley has told plenty of wild stories about losing teeth, losing his ear and getting thrown off Hell in a Cell over the years. But hearing him talk about those same injuries as something he fears could still come back for him decades later puts those famous moments in a much darker light.
What do you make of Mick Foley’s concerns about the long-term effects of all the head trauma he suffered during his wrestling career? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
