The Urbanite – Jon Liedtke – July 16, 2014
Mick Foley is out of the ring and now performing stand-up in Windsor at Comedy Quarry
Former wrestler Mick Foley has traded in his spandex for a fanny pack on his cross-continental stand-up comedy tour. While his popular sock puppet, Mr. Socko, won’t be making an appearance during the rou- tine, there is a good chance that he’ll come out after the show.
Foley, who performed as Mankind, is a four-time world champion wrestler who transitioned into comedy from the sport. He’s bringing his routine to Windsor later this month.
“It’s really easy,” said Foley referencing the transition. “Hopefully a year or so from now if WWE decides to actually send somebody to see the show [they’ll] realize that it makes perfect sense to have it on their network.”
“But it’s actually been really easy, difficult in a sense that I work hard on the show and difficult in a sense to get the same people who would willingly wait a few hours for me to sign a book or an autograph [for wrestling] to spend the same amount of time ultimately getting the same autograph for the same price, but seeing a show with it.”
Foley expressed dismay that he hasn’t been approached by WWE to be added to the network, but believes he will be once he gets close to signing a deal with another network.
“There is a little bit of consternation because they’re in such dire need of new programming on their network and they’ve got a show that just fits in perfectly and they just don’t know it yet. So consterna- tion would be a good New York Times best selling word for my feelings on their refusal to come see the show.”
Fans have been enjoying performances, according to Foley, adding that comedy in smaller venues allows for a more intimate connection with the audience.
“It’s almost like an acoustic evening with WWE and as much as I like the grandeur and the huge scale of Wrestlemania … you’re essentially watching a huge screen. with 75,000 other people.
This is a situation where you’re up very close… I wish this type of things had been out there when I was a wrestling fan.”
When asked if fans want something more from his performances, Foley expressed that he lives up to expectations.
“The people who’ve stuck with me through the change I’ve gone through have a pretty good idea of the type of things that I’m interested in and they get my humour… I’ll go from being the world’s cudliest nerd in one second to reciting a pretty inciting circa Mankind 1997 promo in the next.”
Foley misses the camaraderie of the wrestlers on the road and the chanting of 15,000 adoring fans, but said, “getting a heartfelt applause and a standing ovation, earning a standing ovation, in front of 200 is just as fulfilling.”
When asked what he doesn’t miss, Foley said it was being told how to dress.
“When I’m not working with them ……. I’ll dress as I please, and that even includes the wearing of a fanny pack which is to fashion. what the cheese doodle is to snack foods, a sign that you no longer care what most of society thinks of you… I’ve made enough fashion mistakes in my life that I might as well make one that allows me to carry two weeks of stuff around my waist.”
In November, Foley is releasing I Am Santa Claus, a documentary that he both produced and was the subject of about shopping mall Santa Claus imposters.
“I’m like the rookie who finally gets a shot to be that guy, if only for one day, and since that point, becoming Santa is a big deal for me. I look forward to it every year and we believe we have a really good movie on our hands.””
Mick Foley performs July 31 in Windsor at Comedy Quarry. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available online now for $25.
JON LIEDTKE – July 16, 2014
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Jonathon Liedtke is the managing editor of The Urbanite, Windsor’s alternative newspaper. He is also a member of Windsor’s “Punk with Horns” band The Nefidovs, and as such, is committed to enhancing and sustaining the arts community.
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