Flair shoots on Foley!

[Marc the Smark]

Source - TheSun.co.uk

What is your opinion on NWA TNA ?

I've never seen a good match on NWA:TNA. People talk about the high-flying stuff but that's not wrestling

It doesn't translate into money and when someone gets jumped on from a guy on a ladder, how does he come back? That's why people say wrestling is fake, because they say nobody could do that and they're right. I respect the fact those guys can do it, but so what.

It is like Mick Foley – falling off a building does not make you a wrestler. Where would he be if he hadn't fallen on a bed of thumb tacs?

I get along with Mick, he's drawn a lot of money and been very successful - but he's not a great wrestler by any means. He's a stunt man. He couldn't have even got started when I started in the business.

Could Mick wrestle for an hour? Does anyone think he could go for 60 minutes tomorrow against Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero? You're kidding, he's out of shape. I'm just telling it how I see it.

They'll replay that bump Mick took off the cage and through the table forever, but where do you go with that? He can only wrestle one style of match.

Look at Steve Austin, probably the biggest star the WWF/E has ever had, did he do any hardcore wrestling? Did Hogan, The Rock, Hunter or Shawn Michaels? No.

You've got to build your company around guys who can wrestle. Hogan was not a great wrestler but he brought everything else to the ring.

Hi Ric, when is your autobiography coming out and will it be as good as Mick Foley's?

It's out on June 28 and everyone who has sent in questions should read my book, you'll all love it.

I've not read a wrestling book yet, but I can't imagine Mick Foley's life story after being in the business for 10 years is anywhere near as good as mine.[/b]

I think Flair and Foely are both very respectable, and c'mon, they're frickin' legends. But some of these comments from Flair seem a little over the top. Hell no, Foley's not exactly a "mat technician," and he'd be the first one to admit it, but look at Flair. He's got a limited moveset too and has been doing the same things for years. I'd be interested to see what everyone thinks about this.

I mean, sure Foley's a "stunt man," but there was no reason for Flair to remind us of that (unless it was all kayfabe). I think it's kind of a low blow.

[Savio]

You should take on out of the title for shock value, IMO.

[Jonster]

<font color="#99CCFF">lol</font>

[Nark Order]

Well, he is right....

Just not somethin most people wanna hear...

[PureHatred]

http://www.tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10367

Not that I care that this was already posted, just figured you being new might want to see the responses.

[Vega]

I find Mick Foley to be at least 10 times more entertaining than Flair.

[Mikey]

Just because he did some Hardcore matches dosent mean he is any less of a wrestler. Dusty Rhodes was out of shape as well and he was sucsessful

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Ric Flair can say what the hell he wants.

[loopydate]

He is right. Ric Flair is timeless. You could plop him down in any era (and I'm including the three-fall three-hour matches of the turn of the 20th century), and he'd thrive.

Foley, on the other hand, is very much a product of the last twenty years. Foley is okay in the ring, but his personality and his willingness to put his life on the line doing absurd stunts is what's made him an icon. Plop him down in the '50s, and he'd be a jobber. Put him in 1907, he has a heart attack trying to keep up with Frank Gotch.

[Kane Knight]

High flying isn't wrestling. Doing chops that leave you winded is wrestling.

And keeping in shape is important. It's important to have tits bigger than half the Divas (Pre-augmentation).

[Fox]

Look at Mick Foley vs. Shawn Michaels from Mind Games 97(?)

That wasn't a hardcore match, and he considers it to be the best match of his career. Flair is probably just jealous that "fat Mick Foley" is going to go down as a legend on par with himself.

[loopydate]

Look at Mick Foley vs. Shawn Michaels from Mind Games 97(?)

That wasn't a hardcore match, and he considers it to be the best match of his career. Flair is probably just jealous that "fat Mick Foley" is going to go down as a legend on par with himself.

But it did involve table bumps and a steel chair (if I'm not mistaken).

[mitch_h]

Well it is Ric Flair...

But we get a lot of "old school" type wrestlers come in and guest train or whatever and they all say high flying isn't wrestling... and it makes me want to pull my hair out.

[Kane Knight]

Does Flair think his current work helps his "legend" status?

[loopydate]

I would hope not.

[Rock Bottom]

Wow, Ric Flair is retarded. Foley is in like the best shape of his career right now while Flair is in the total anti-prime of his.

[Kane Knight]

maybe he should step out of the ring before he pisses on other people for "not wrestling."

[PureHatred]

What bothers me the most is the hypocrisy considering Ric Flair was one of the heaviest bladers of his day. His matches with Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes at Starcade ended up looking like somebody slaughtered a pig in the ring. And his feud with Terry Funk was about as hardcore as the WCW could get back then.

If his point is that Mick is strictly a hardcore wrestler, maybe. But to say that hardcore isn't a part of professional wrestling is delusional.

Once again, old people suck.

[Rock Bottom]

Yeah it is kind of funny, considering he mentioned The Rock in there. He probably didn't see the I Quit Match at RR'99. Because that match helped put The Rock on the map as a cruel bastard.

Edit: Also, The Undertaker. I mean seriously, look at Orton too after Backlash. Foley's hardcore matches put people on the map. Ric Flair is being stupid.

[ItsTimeForAChange]

Mick Foley = God

Ric Flair = Oldie Von Moldy (but I still love the old prick. Just not as much as Foley)

[KingofOldSchool]

Flair > Foley

Flair is the man and he can say what he wants.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Flair is right. Mick is an incredibly talented version of Sabu and New Jack, but he's not a great wrestler.

[Dragoneyes]

flair is just pissed because he always gets thrown off the top and never gets to do hi flying moves.

[PureHatred]

Flair is right. Mick is an incredibly talented version of Sabu and New Jack, but he's not a great wrestler.

I don't think anyone is saying that Foley is agood wrestler in the technical sense. But Flair is making it seem like "hardcore" just has no business in pro-wrestling. And that just not true. As many people have pointed ou, hardcore matches have helpeed make the career of many people, including some of the ones Flair named as examples of those that didn't need to do hardcore matches.

Foley's not a great technical wrestler, but to deny or belittle his contributions comes off as sour grapes.

[Kane Knight]

On the other hand, Foley may not be a great technical wrestler, but how many people rank Hogan as a great technical wrestler?

[Kane Knight]

Or Stone Cold?

[Kane Knight]

Undertaker, on the other hand, was rivalled only by Bret Hart and Flair himself...:shifty:

[HeartBreakMan2k]

I will give Austin his due. He had the ability to have a great wrestling match. Look at his ringmaster days. He had the tools, and used them on occassion, even though it didn't fit his character.

[Corkscrewed]

You know what, Ric comes off as a total cocky guy, but he's done so much in the business that he deserves it. He can be a cocky prick if he wants because he's earned it.

Ric and Mick are apples and oranges. Both people made their marks in wrestling history in different ways, and both should be respected.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Cork said it better than I could have hope to do myself. :y:

[Mr. Nerfect]

OK, I'm probably way off here, but is there any possiblity the WWE just asked him to say that so we go "Oh my God! Ric's an asshole!". In other words, maybe it's a work? The moment Flair and Foley start a program together I will be quite a bit suspicious.

And Flair didn't say Foley doesn't deserve where he is, he just said Foley isn't a great wrestler (which really is true). Flair delivers the sport, Foley the entertainment. Flair just seems more partial to the sport part, which is what drove him to become a wrestler. Both guys work themelves stupid and are great assets to the company. Neither should be jealous of the other, as both are from two parallels.

[El Santo]

I can't remember, so don't quote me on this, but wasn't Foley a bit critical of Flair in his book? I was wondering if something in "Have a Nice Day" may have pissed Flair off.

[PureHatred]

OK, I'm probably way off here, but is there any possiblity the WWE just asked him to say that so we go "Oh my God! Ric's an asshole!". In other words, maybe it's a work? The moment Flair and Foley start a program together I will be quite a bit suspicious.
Go read the entire interview.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2003560001-2004180004,00.html

It's a complete shoot done by an English newspaper. Why would the WWE have Ric Flair try to stir things up for a possible feud in an article that will only be read by English fans or on wrestling sites? Add in the fact that Foley won't be around for a while and that Mick said in his books that he knows that Ric Flair has disliked him from their WCW days* and this is a stupid, stupid, totally implausible idea.

*( Foley was shuttling back and forth from ECW and WCW and in one of his ECW promos spat on the WCW tag belt ) an

[Goldbird]

Flair is just angry that he gets backbodied dropped every match, hence using foley as his little pet to scold and kick about.

[Mr. Nerfect]

But maybe that was the point. It is a pretty stupid idea, but I think it wouldn't be too bad if they actually had wrestlers like a heel Chris Jericho actually say something to get people on these boards disliking him. I think it would add another spark to wrestling.

[Scarface]

That was the only point in the interview I didn't like when I read it. After watching Backlash I disagree with Flair 100%. Mick Foley had an amazing match that involved awesome action. He may not be a superbly gifted technical wrestler but he knows there is more to wrestling than that and because of that Mick knows how to tell a story in the ring. And that was one of his best stories yet.

[Goldbird]

That was the only point in the interview I didn't like when I read it. After watching Backlash I disagree with Flair 100%. Mick Foley had an amazing match that involved awesome action. He may not be a superbly gifted technical wrestler but he knows there is more to wrestling than that and because of that Mick knows how to tell a story in the ring. And that was one of his best stories yet.

[Tornado]

<font color=#33ffff>Yeah, I lost a lot of respect for Flair after reading the whole interview. He has his tounge lodged so far up Triple H's ass its sickening.</font>

[Hired Hitman]

what? Foley is, face facts.

[Sephiroth]

Lately i enjoy Foley more then Flair, maybe Flair is losing his status and thought it would be good to take down Foley or something. :-\

[blake639raw]

Yeah, they probably have hard feelings dating back to when Flair was a booker in WCW. He never thought Cactus was main event level material, and truthfully probally still doesn't.

[Moongoose Mcqueen]

Ya, I think Ric is an idiot for saying these things, but whatever, it just comes off as stupid and sour and doesn't really dull or greaten either of their accomplishments.
This is minor compared to an interview I read with Jake the Snake, where he commented on Jericho, and said some of the dumbest things I've ever heard.