Good Morning Foley!
Transcript By MATT GARDNER -- For SLAM! Wrestling
Mick Foley appeared on Good Morning America today and SLAM! Wrestling's Matt Gardner was kind enough to rifle off a transcript for those who missed it.
The segment, airing during the 7:30 hour, was hosted by Diane Sawyer who
seemed very much into the film by Barry Blaustein saying that now that
she's seen the film she is a very big fan of the sport. Many clips of the
film were shown throughout detailing the behind the scenes footage of
the WWF, specifically Royal Rumble 99 where The Rock bashed Mankind with
15 chair shots in front of Mick Foleys wife and kids.
Diane Sawyer(DS): There is Oscar talk about the documentary were going
to show you some of this morning, It's called "Beyond the Mat".
Critically acclaimed. It's about wrestling. It's about wrestling
deglamourized in some way-and humanized. And whether or not the matches
are fixed, they are just as physically challenging and dangerous as they
appear. Take a look at some of it.
CLIP: Royal Rumble 1999. The Rock throws Mankind into steps and Mankind
hits the Mandible Claw as Foleys family look on from the audience.
DS: Well, the man who survived that fight and that fall is Mick "Mankind"
Foley, one of the great stars of pro wrestling and also an author whose
autobiography has been on the bestseller lists for months. And he's
joining us along with the films director and producer, Barry Blaustein.
Mick, I have to start right here, because what people may not have seen
is that those little face, with those little eyes sitting ringside
watching you go out were you're kids.
(CUE OMINOUS MUSIC)
Mick Foley(MF): Yes, they were.
DS: And first of all, I cannot believe your kids come to these matches
to see you going through it. Why do you do it?
MF: Uh, why do I bring 'em? That was a case where I was the WWF champion
and had a pretty good idea that it was the last time I was champion. And
we had a chance to go to Disneyland and go to Universal Studios and the
only catch was they had to watch there Dad get beat up.
CLIP: Mick walking backstage with his young daughter. Mick is very
bloody, but in good spirits as the Roaddog and Mosh talk in the
background.
MF: And I thought going in that wasn't a bad trade off, but it turned
out it probably wasn't a good parental decision.
DS: Barry, you made sure he saw your footage of them watching.
Barry Blaustein(BB): When Mick told me he was bringing the children, my
first thought is `Was this a good idea?' I knew it would be good film.
But that was one of my ideas behind the film. These wrestlers, they come
off as superhuman. I wanted to see the affect of this stuff on the
children.
DS: Alright, I'm going to roll the clip of the children, because I want
everybody at home to see what happened in the middle of this fight.
CLIP: Of "Beyond the Mat" where Barry shows Mick and his wife the
footage he had shot at the Rumble. Mick was noticebly upset while
watching. Mick said, "I don't feel like such a good Dad any more."
DS: Your daughers head was buried in her Mom's arm.
MF: Yeah, my son started shaking and crying also.
DS: Is this something you always wanted to do? Is this something you came to because you saw it on TV?
MF: Wrestling or traumatizing my children?
LAUGH FROM ALL
DS: Let's go to wrestling, we'll get back to traumatizing your children.
MF: Yeah, that was my dream. The way some kids wanted to play centerfield
for the Yankees, I wanted to be in the ring. In many ways I was able to
live out my dream, but dreams come with a price.
(
CLIP: Mankind walking to to the ring with the WWF title as the fans
cheer him and his family looks on.)
DS: Let's go with what might be a headline from this documentary, you
make it known, Barry, that the outcome of these matches are known. (to
Mick) You even call at one point and say "Come, I'm going to lose the
belt."
MF: Make them pay to see that. You don't have to tell them. Don't ruin
it for them, Diane.
DS: What is this? Is this sort of a...
BB: It's spectacle.
DS: Yes, but to the fans watching, is it an illusion?
MF: Well, they willingly lose themselves in the stories and that's what
they tune into see. I think they're actually comforted by the fact htat
the guys are friends and it's a show. I feel comfortable with my kids
watching me get beat up, but at least it was by a friend. Which is not a
very good excuse, but it's the best one I have.
DS: What is not predetermined is the extent of the choreographed,
um...assualts on each other?
MF:In that situation, Barry was lucky enough to see a match that did get
out of control. Not that the guys involved, me and the Rock, were mad at
each other, but it just got a little carries away from what we thought.
BB: I think one of the biggest misconceptions about wresling...what it
is, is I think the fans do get it. And it's like going to a movie, they
suspend their belief. And they just go along for the ride. However, in
the suspension of their belief, now they just think it's all fake. And
the reality is they get hurt all the time. When Mick gets hit in the
head with a chair it's a real chair. When he falls on cement, it's real
cement. It's real blood.
DS: Broken bones, third-degree burns, 300 stiches just for one injury,
dislocated jaw, concussions, all in a days work?
MF: And that was just after a fight with my wife!
No, I have a very physical style. When I met Barry five years ago, I
think I was supposed to be the kind of washed up independent guy at that
time. We didn't know my career was going to have a resurgence. But when
I met Barry I think thats what attracted him to me in this project is
that I have made my living in this very phsical style.
BB: And also to contrast to a guy whose very physical and violent in the
ring, he's very peaceful. He's actually, despite his bad decision, he's
a wonderful father. He does everything to make sure his kids are
alright.That's what interests me.
DS: Again as we say, it's really quite astonishing documentary. And stay
safe.
MF: I'll try.
