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Countdown: Mick Foley's weekly online blog column

Posted: Oct 27th 2010 By: mikeiles

Hello everyone. Sorry to miss last weeks's Countdown assignment, but I was so worn out from the Countdown book tour that I just kind of hibernated from anything even threatening to look like it might be mentally stimulating. It was a week of many early morning wake-ups and many small airplanes, but I think everyone - myself included, had a good time along the way. Well, to be honest, Ft Bragg wasn't much fun, as it seemed like the only person on the base who knew I had a book-signing was me. I texted my publicist , saying, "I don't think it's me. If Ft Hood tomorrow is terrible, maybe it's me...but I don't think it's me." Then Ft Bragg turned out to be an incredible signing, so at least I could sleep at night knowing that not every Artie Fufkin moment (vague Spinal Tap moment) is all my fault. But it's good to have one of those Fufkin moments every now and then, just to remind yourself that any great appearance, whether it be a wrestling show, a book-signing, or a charitable fund-raiser, is all my doing either. Great successes are almost always a team effort.

I wanted to mention a most interesting conversation I had with Alex Shelley right before the start of TNA's biggest show of the year, "Bound for Glory". Alex came over and specifically mentioned a chapter in my book that he had enjoyed, called "An Open Letter". He felt like it might really be helpful to some of the younger wrestlers to have some well thought out words on paper regarding the many challenges facing those who choose our line of work. I talked with Alex for a few minutes, before saying, "hey, aren't you guys wrestling soon?" Within ten seconds, the Gunn's music hit and Alex and Sabin tore the house down, I mean TORE the house down with Generation Me in one of the most action packed, creative, athletic matches I have ever seen.

I took it as a huge compliment; that Shelley would think enough of my chapter to go out of his way to talk about it, even before one of the biggest matches of his career. I swear, I'm not saying this to drum up sales of my book, but I really do hope that every aspiring wrestler will get a chance to look at the chapter Alex mentioned. They can borrow it, take it out of the library, read it in the store, photocopy it, do whatever they want - but I really would like the younger wrestlers to take a look at it. Maybe I can convince my publisher to let me put it online for free in a week or so. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I do feel like I can be a valuable voice in a conversation about wrestling's future that really needs to be taking place. Way too many wrestlers have died before their time, or failed to plan for a future often filled with physical pain and financial insecurity. This chapter might be the literary equivillant of putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, but, hey, even that band-aid is going to stop some of the bleeding.

Here is my upcoming schedule:

October 30, Washington DC - The Rally to Restore Sanity. Live on Comedy Central. I'm told I will be a guest speaker or have something equally memorable to take part in.

October 31 - Halloween

November 4, NYC - A big day of media, with CW Morning News at 8 am, O&A at 9:30, Fox Business at noon, and the Joy Behar Show on HLN at 9pm. Get out the TiVo's, as that one goes head to head with "Impact".

November 5, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Another day of media fun with Michael Landsberg taping at 10:30 (don't know the airtime) and a book-signing at Chapters, Mississauga at 7pm.

November 6, Orlando, Florida - "Turning Point"

November 7&8, Orlando, Florida - "Impact"

November 11, London, UK - Book-signing, Waterstones, Piccadilly 5pm

November 12, Manchester, UK - Book-signing, Waterstone's, Trafford Center

(for more information on the UK signings, please visit http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/events)

November 13&14, Dublin Ireland, Wrestling Convention

(for more information on the convention, please go to www.wrestlezoneIreland.com)

November 15&16, Orlando, Florida - "Impact"

November 18, Washington, DC - RAINN fundraiser/celebration

(for more information on attending this event go to https://donate.rainn.org/dc/ )