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Mick Foley brings wrestling stories, laughs to Pittsburgh Improv

Posted: Nov 22nd 2019 By: TribLIVE.com

When: 8 p.m. Nov. 25
Admission: $25-$75
Where: Pittburgh Improv, Homestead
Details: improv.com/pittsburgh/

When Mick Foley is on WWE television, he feels like a dinner guest. He plays a part, but it’s not his menu.

When the WWE Hall of Famer is putting on a show, he feels like the cook, being tasked with making the meal and feeding guests.

That’s to say, when he puts on a one-man show — something he’s been doing for years — it’s on him to put the show together and make it a great one.

“I like that kind of pressure. I like when people leave with a smile on their face and feel like the money they paid was worth it,” Foley says.

The hardcore legend will be cooking up laughs and telling tales from his early years as his “Nice Day Tour” comes to the Pittsburgh Improv on Nov. 25.

The tour, named after Foley’s first autobiography “Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks,” celebrates the 20th anniversary of the New York Times best-seller and has the pro wrestler/author/father of four reliving stories with the audience.

The book documents Foley’s life from growing up in Long Island, N.Y., to beating Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for the WWF Championship in December 1998.

The man that was Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love rolls into a handful of Ohio cities before hitting the Steel City. Foley self-booked the tour that will take him to the United Kingdom later this month into early December.

“If I have someplace I want to go, I book around it,” Foley says.

Foley admits there have been times when he panders, saying it’s great to be in a certain city when it’s not so great. But that doesn’t seem to be the case in the town where his iconic “Hell in a Cell” match with the Undertaker took place.

“Pittsburgh has a special place in my heart. It’s been my best city,” Foley says.

The history Foley has with the city and the area surrounding it spans decades. In the ’80s, Foley was trained by former wrestler Dominic DeNucci in Freedom, Beaver County, at DeNucci’s now defunct wrestling school.

In June 1998 as Mankind, Foley wrestled the Undertaker at the Civic Arena in a match that is still talked about decades later, as Foley was thrown off the top of a cell structure onto a table, and was later slammed through the top of the cell. The match is seen as one of wrestling’s most memorable and holds a special place for fans, especially those from Western Pennsylvania.

“I have met more people over the years than could have physically fit into the Civic Arena (that night),” Foley says of his iconic match.

Nowadays, his relationship with WWE is “fairly relaxed,” with the company reaching out to Foley when they need him. He’s been on “WWE Backstage,” a new WWE-centric talk show on FS1.

“If they wanted me to be a more regular guest on their Backstage show, I’d be open to that,” Foley says.

For the man who has wrestled thousands of matches, written 11 books and appeared in movies, he has quite a legacy, but what does he want to be remembered for?

If it were up to him, his gravestone would read something like this:

“Here lies Mick Foley, he treated people the way they wanted to be treated … and made the world a slightly better place for Mankind.”

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Spotlight in History

1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
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Week of Sun 04-26 to Sat: 05-02

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04-27 1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
04-27 1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
04-27 2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
04-27 2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
04-27 2008 Tyrone def. Jerry Bostic for the 3DW Violent Division Title
04-27 2019 Brandon Groom def. Brian Dixon for the BPW Lion Heart Title
04-27 2019 Doc Black became the BCW Heritage Rivalry Champion
04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Title
04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Title
04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Title
04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Title
04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Title
04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Title
04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Title
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04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Titles
04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
04-30 1971 Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Title
04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Title
04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Title
04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Title
04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Title
04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
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05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
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05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Title
05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
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1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
2008 Tyrone def. Jerry Bostic for the 3DW Violent Division Title
2019 Brandon Groom def. Brian Dixon for the BPW Lion Heart Title
2019 Doc Black became the BCW Heritage Rivalry Champion

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