Flair's problem with Foley

[mike616]

Yeah, I know that Mick Foley wrote some unkind things about Flair but, in my view maybe Flair is bitter because dispite of his and HHH's efforts it was Foley who got Randy Orton over not Evolution.

[Joe Kerr]

Yeah, I know that Mick Foley wrote some unkind things about Flair but, in my view maybe Flair is bitter because dispite of his and HHH's efforts it was Foley who got Randy Orton over not Evolution.


Flair wrote the crap about Foley calling him a glorified stuntman

[mike616]

I know Flair seems like a bitter old man now.

[The Show Off]

The fact of the matter is Flair called Foley a glorified stuntman, because it's true. I love Foley, he's just about my favorite sports entertainer of all time. I used the term sports entertainer because Foley isn't really a wrestler, he's a guy that would punch and kick and run and act and give his body up, and in the prosess put on some good matches, but he was never reall a wrestler...

People like Flair, Race, Steamboat and Hart are wrestlers, Foley is just a guy with a willingness to get hurt. The reason Flair, and a lot of old time wrestlers, are bitter towards Foley, is because he gained more popularity for the sport then did Flair or Hart. The don't like the idea that people think of Foley as a wrestler. Flair thinks of himself as a wrestler first, and entertainer second, Foley wasn't that way, he knew he was an entertainer first.

[mitch_h]

I don't know, to me calling Foley a glorified stuntman is bullshit almost as bullshit as the term sports entertainer. He may not be a good wrestler in the traditional sense. But wrestling has changed a great deal and while he can't wrestle the same way a guy like Benoit could wrestle he has always done more in the ring then just punch, kick and bang up his body.

[ColdwaVer]

Flair called it as he saw it, and he's got a point. Foley didn't become who he is with great ringwork or mic skills, he did it by taking insane bumps. My point on this is why everyone thinks that what Flair said was insulting. Foley himself said on a number of occasions that he realized that to be anybody in wrestling, he had to take the route he did. So WTF is the problem???

[Kane Knight]

Flair'ss bitter because Foley's shitty wrestling has taken attention away from Flair's shitty wrestling.

[The Tool]

It is not like Flair was that much greater of a wrestler than Foley. I can see this coming from a great wrestler like Hart, Benoit, or Angle, but Flair never got over because of his wrestling ability, he got over because of his charisma, much as Hogan.

[Mayo]

Flair'ss bitter because Foley's shitty wrestling has taken attention away from Flair's shitty wrestling.
You, my friend, are the man.

Foley gave everything he had in the ring every single night he wrestled.
Flair gave everything he had in the ring every single night he wrestled.

Foley has cut some of the best promos that I have ever seen.
Flair has cut some of the best promos that I have ever seen.

Foley missed out of much of his family life due to his dedication to wrestling. Flair missed out of much of his family life due to his dedication to wrestling.

Foley has become a legend through falling from cages, from scaffolds, and from taking many other insane bumps.
Flair has become a legend mainly through his promo skills and by being an innovator when wrestling was not mainstream.

They are both very similar, and Flair is just insecure about Foley possibly being remembered more than he will be.

[The One]

Flair is right in the sense that Foley isn't a wrestler...HOWEVER...Vince McMahon created a new form of entertainment. Fact, Professional Wrestling is dead. Fact, Sports Entertainment is alive and kicking. Fact, Ric Flair was an actual wrestler (both in the amature sense of the word and professional). Fact, Foley was a Sports Entertainer...who could do some wrestling moves. Fact, Foley was more over in 1999 being the funny, lovable, and "a glorified stuntman" then Flair was in 1989 being a professional wrestler.

Ric Flair is very old school. It would be similar to this sitution...lets say that Spike TV's "Slamball" somehow becomes more popular then the NBA. Suddenly Joey Joe-Joe Junior Jabado of the number one Slamball team becomes mega over. Charles Barkley writes a book and says that Joey Joe-Joe is nothing more then a glorified trampoline jumper...hash words, but if you break it down, could you blame Charles for not liking this new form of entertainment? For possibly being bitter that Joey Joe-Joe will be remembered more? Not really. It still makes Charles look like a dick, but from his stance it's true.

[Kane Knight]

Is Barley taking money from Slamball in this instance?

[Boondock Saint]

Is Slamball even still on?

[LK]

As far as Ric Flair is concerned I don't think that people have matches that some consider the greatest of all time unless all competitors involved can wrestle a bit. So on that note I wouldn't say that Ric Flair is a terrible wrestler because it just isn't true. As for his comments on Foley, it is true that some will remember Foley purely for hsi crazy bumps. But if you watch some of his matches against Austin and Michaels he put n a good wrestling performance in both matches. To conclude both love the business and each will go down as legends of the business.

[Kane Knight]

Is Slamball even still on?
I honestly don't know. Doesn't matter as far as a hypothetical argument goes.

Slamball's only accomplishment is that it attracted more attention than the XFL.

[James Steele]

The second season sucked. they made it too "professional". I liked the first season in that shack.

[Batsu]

The term "glorified stuntman" applies more to Shane McMahon than it ever did Foley.

The only thing is, Shane never professed to be a wrestler in the first place.

[El Santo]

Actually, I was much more offended (and I think Mick would be) by Flair's claims that Foley was not part of the "wrestling brotherhood" and that Foley was suck-up to the writers backstage. (Yeah, you're one to talk, Ric "Triple H is the greatest wrestler in the business" Flair.) Also, that time he claims that Foley only ripped on him to sell more of his books.

Those were much more hurtful than the "glorified stuntman" accusation.

[ColdwaVer]

Actually, I was much more offended (and I think Mick would be) by Flair's claims that Foley was not part of the "wrestling brotherhood" and that Foley was suck-up to the writers backstage. (Yeah, you're one to talk, Ric "Triple H is the greatest wrestler in the business" Flair.) Also, that time he claims that Foley only ripped on him to sell more of his books.

Those were much more hurtful than the "glorified stuntman" accusation.

:y: Amen to that.

[Batsu]

Actually, I was much more offended (and I think Mick would be) by Flair's claims that Foley was not part of the "wrestling brotherhood" and that Foley was suck-up to the writers backstage. (Yeah, you're one to talk, Ric "Triple H is the greatest wrestler in the business" Flair.) Also, that time he claims that Foley only ripped on him to sell more of his books.

Those were much more hurtful than the "glorified stuntman" accusation.

The eff?

Flair actually said Foley was a suckup?

I think Foley had the least backstage "stroke" of any popular, over wrestler in a long time... (either him or Rock take that honor). Heck, he was ready to walk out on WWE because of the Bret situation.