Mick Foley Gets Political, Gets Dark, Gets Hilarious (2003 Speaking Tour)

In 2003, Mick Foley hits a speaking tour stop and goes completely off-script: he opens by warning parents not to let their kids read his “new book,” then dives into stories he swore he wouldn’t keep repeating… before admitting he’s officially tired of talking about it. From there it’s a rollercoaster: Foley explains the infamous ECW “Kane Dewey” promo and how far “kayfabe” used to go (including a fan who took it way too hard), tells a bizarrely wholesome story that comes out of an unexpectedly awkward encounter, and then detours into a mainstream TV bit that involves Winnie the Pooh’s “dysfunctional” Hundred Acre Wood… capped by a line he clearly knows he shouldn’t be saying in front of kids. He also talks writing, being “self-taught,” the real origin of the deck-of-cards workout, and why time in wrestling can be a strange kind of education. This is an archived speaking-tour/Q&A style video. Language and topics reflect the era and the live setting. Highlights in this clip: “If you love your children, don’t let them read my book” The ECW “Kane Dewey” promo backstory (and the aftermath) Winnie the Pooh “psychology” bit (yes, really) Negro Leagues memorabilia story that unexpectedly ties into his writing Deck-of-cards workout explained (Flair’s “two-deck” reputation comes up) Foley name-drops a Bill Clinton biography and jokes that Clinton’s Oxford “education” (travel + reading) sounds a lot like Foley’s 16 years traveling the world as a wrestler while reading books. Audience Q&A: writing, characters, roller coasters, and more