Former WWE Superstar and wrestling legend, Mick Foley is one of the latest grapplers to enter the WWE’s Hall of Fame. Foley, known for his colorful personas as well as his hardcore in-ring skills, was later trained by Terry Funk, but got his start at Ward-Melville in the 1980’s, wrestling on his high school team. He would then join various wrestling promotions, learning the business and helping to build rings, until finally becoming a megastar both abroad and here in the United States.

Foley, currently working for the WWE as the host/general manager of Saturday Morning Slam, WWE’s more kid-friendly approach to professional wrestling, has embarked on a stand-up comedy career. The “Hardcore Legend” also is a prolific writer, with books landing on the New York Times bestsellers list. The Head of the Harbor resident has performed in the ring under the monikers Dude Love, Cactus Jack and Mankind, portraying different aspects of his over-the-top and charismatic self. His tag-team partnership with The Rock as “The Rock and Sock Connection” is a particularly funny and silly chapter in the history of Mick Foley.

Foley’s acceptance speech into the WWE Hall of Fame was apparently not going to be aired, however; the WWE execs seemed to have had a change of heart. Accepting the award at Madison Square Garden, host of the first Wrestlemania, in front of a hometown crowd. The audience, typically comprised of fellow wrestlers and colleagues, along with fans who purchased tickets for Wrestlemania 29 (scheduled to be held at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey.