10 Most Brutal Matches Of Mick Foley's Career, Ranked

Mick Foley has a storied reputation for having some of the most violent matches in wrestling history. The popularity of Foley’s matches inspired many future wrestlers to thrive in the hardcore style, like Jon Moxley. Foley loved to put it on the line by adding another element of fans getting invested into his matches.

We will look at the most violent matches from Foley throughout his career. The stints in WWE, WCW, ECW and Japan each allowed him to thrive in different ways. His hardcore matches were the one link that fans of all promotions were able to appreciate. Some matches still stand out more than others for the fear factor. Find out just what made these matches so hard to watch but harder to turn away from. The following matches were the most brutal performances of Foley’s career.

10 Mick Foley vs Triple H (Royal Rumble 2000)

Mick Foley’s rivalry with Triple H in 2000 created some of the most violent moments in WWE history. Both wrestlers delivered performances that still get praise at the top of their iconic careers and they put their bodies on the line to make it happen.

Foley’s body getting covered in thumbtacks at the end of the match was a visual fans were not used to at the time. The risks taken by Foley helped Triple H get to that next level as a legitimate top heel and credible WWE Champion.

9 Mick Foley vs Vader (WCW house show: March 12, 1994)

The infamous match between Mick Foley and Vader took place on a WCW house show in Germany. Both guys worked hard on a show that wasn’t even being televised and decided to get a bit hardcore to add something special for the fans.

The moment of pain for Foley that stood out above the rest of the match was getting tied into the ropes and losing part of his ear during Vader’s attack. Foley revealed Vader was a huge sweetheart that felt horrible about the accident, but Mick liked that it added another layer to his hardcore reputation.

8 Mick Foley vs Shane Douglas (ECW Cyberslam 1996)

The ECW stint allowed Mick Foley to reinvent his career after the WCW disappointment at the end. Foley clearly fit into the company with his hardcore wrestling style, but the emotional promos were what put him over the top to get signed by WWE.

That didn’t stop Foley from taking part in violent matches in front of the bloodthirsty crowds. Foley debuted his handcuffed spot when Shane Douglas placed him in the cuffs during their match at Cyberslam 1996. Douglas hit Foley a few times with a steel chair with Mick unable to block the attacks.

7 Mick Foley vs Randy Orton (Backlash 2004)

Mick Foley came out of retirement in 2004 to have a program with Randy Orton. WWE wanted Orton to become a main event superstar and loved the concept of having a long program with Foley. The two finally had a singles match full of violence at Backlash 2004.

Foley held nothing back despite his history of brutal injuries and an older age. Thumbtacks, chairs, tables and barbed wire were all utilized in the vicious encounter. Orton and Foley delivered an instant classic with Mick once again proving no one touched him at hardcore matches.

6 Mick Foley and Maxx Payne vs The Nasty Boys (WCW Spring Stampede 1994)

An underrated violent match of Mick Foley’s career came during his rivalry with the Nasty Boys. Foley teamed with Maxx Payne to face Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags in a street fight. All four wrestlers were brawlers and convinced WCW to let them utilize weapons.

Foley was obviously the biggest star and best all-around performer in the match. The outstanding match saw them using weapons for one of the first times in a mainstream promotion. Foley took a few brutal bumps and was attacked by everything dangerous to make the match memorable.

5 Mick Foley vs Edge (WrestleMania 22)

WrestleMania 22 saw Mick Foley inspired to have a great match on the biggest stage. Edge’s rivalry with Foley featured promos calling out Mick’s embarrassing history at WrestleMania with losses and humiliating moments.

The two wrestlers had one of the most violent WWE matches of all-time. Foley swinging a chain of barbed wire on Edge’s back set the stage for the brutality. Everyone remembers the wild ending of Edge spearing Foley through a flaming table. Foley’s paid the price for accomplishing his goals of having a great WM match and making Edge a bigger star.

4 Mick Foley vs Triple H (No Way Out 2000)

The rivalry between Triple H and Mick Foley culminated at No Way Out 2000. Their prior match at the Royal Rumble was better, but this one had more violence inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. Foley put his career on the line with plans to retire for good after the loss.

The performance showed that Foley was wrestling as if it was the last match of his career. They used the same weapons from the Rumble but added the element of fire when gasoline lit the 2x4 of barbed wire. Foley took a couple of bumps off the cell through a commentary table and through the cell into the ring.

3 Mick Foley vs Terry Funk (IWA Japan King Of the Death Matches)

Mick Foley and Terry Funk popularized the hardcore wrestling style when bringing it from Japan to the United States. Both wrestlers were good without the glorified violence, but they enjoyed the art of the death match that was loved in Japan.

The King of Death Matches event saw Foley and Funk facing off in a terrifying masterpiece. Foley used weapons like chairs, barbed wire, fire, and a branding iron to prove his commitment. The perk of working with his wrestling hero and mentor Funk likely inspired him to get even wilder.

2 Mick Foley vs The Undertaker (King of the Ring 1998)

The infamous Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998 is the memory most fans first have when thinking about Mick Foley’s career. This was the night where Foley became a major superstar for WWE after fans realized how much they respected him.

Foley was tossed off the top of the cell by Undertaker and went through a commentary table. It was unlike anything else ever done in WWE and fans couldn’t believe it. Foley took another insane bump when getting hit with the chokeslam on top of the cell and falling through into the ring.

1 Mick Foley vs The Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)

Mick Foley revealed his “I Quit” match with The Rock at Royal Rumble 1999 featured a few regrets on his part. This match was featured on the Beyond the Mat documentary and showed his kids crying their eyes out in the crowd at the violence inflicted on him.

Rock handcuffed Foley and hit him with a chair eleven different times right on his head with zero protection. The feud benefited from having such a violent match, but it is extremely hard to watch back today. Foley laid his body on the line and went too far in a performance that will follow him forever.

NEXT: 5 Reasons Why Triple H Is Mick Foley's Best Rival (& 5 Why It's The Rock)