– WWE’s website has a new interview up with TNA star Mick Foley to promote his new book, Countdown to Lockdown. Here are some highlights:
WWE.com: “A Whole New Career” may be the most interesting – and most brutally honest – chapter in your book, where you recall transitioning from being an in-ring competitor to a WWE commentator.
FOLEY: Vince had asked how I’d feel about announcing at the premiere party for Anamorph, a movie that his daughter-in-law Marissa had produced. To this day, I don’t really know if that was something he thought about and speculated on, or if he just decided to ask me at that very moment. Like I said, Vince tends to go with his gut feeling.
My immediate comment was, “I don’t know, Vince. I’ve heard about you on those headsets.” He laughed it off and said, “Actually, I’m getting better at that.” All I can say is, if what I heard represented “getting better,” then I truly feel for the announcers who had Vince produce them before he got better. [Laughs.]
WWE.com: You really go into detail as to how things degenerated from there, but you don’t do it in a nasty way; you’re just very honest and offer a lot of insight as to what it’s like to be at that announce table. Which leads us to the chapter called “The Magic Headsets” …
FOLEY: Yes, the headsets were magic because the moment you put them on, all the respect you thought you had earned seemed to disappear. [Laughs.] I like that chapter, and I think anyone who reads it will find themselves laughing. My wife enjoyed it because she thought I was getting my feelings out without being bitter.
WWE.com: Just to get this out there – because it is so surreal – you no longer work for WWE. A professional conflict with Vince McMahon is the reason you’re no longer with WWE. And who was it that offered you the opportunity to promote Countdown to Lockdown on WWE.com?
FOLEY: From what I understand, it was Vince McMahon’s decision to mention the book on Raw, and it was his decision to offer me the opportunity to talk to WWE.com. It is literally among the craziest things I’ve ever heard of. [Laughs.] I think it’s unprecedented, and it has a lot of people talking. And I’m flattered to do this. I think it shows what kind of respect Vince has for me and, deep down, he genuinely likes me and appreciates what I did when I was with the company.
