Reported by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com
On Wednesday, September 28, 2005 at 1:08 PM EST

The following was transcribed by Betsy Byrd of wrestlingweekly.com:

Wrestling Weekly co-hosts Doc Young and Les Thatcher opened up the September 25 program by welcoming for the first time, Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer. Dave, who brings his experience as a wrestling fan and journalist to the show, brought up the "Hot Topic" of the week, the Monday night wars. Not in full swing until Saturday, October 1 when TNA debuts "iMPACT!" on SpikeTV, the Monday night fight between TNA and WWE's RAW will be on when Spike also airs TNA on Monday nights.

Wrestling Weekly's special guest this week is the man behind the many personas-- Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love, WWE Commissioner-Mick Foley. Mick joined Doc and Les for a night of talk about writing, wrestling, baseball, and his current book tour that's taken him to the usual bookstores and to baseball landmarks like the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, MO and on October 2, the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Mick, who's made no secret about his love for baseball, talked about his recent novel, Scooter, which features a protagonist who escapes an unhappy home life to baseball. The character, named after Yankee shortstop Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, grew up in the Bronx during the time that both the neighborhood and the Yankee dynasty were crumbling. Mick insists the book is largely historic and "a lot of it is based on being a fan."

The subsequent book tour has also given him the opportunity to see the San Francisco Giants play in San Francisco and the Kansas City Royals play in Kansas City. He recalled for Les' benefit since he lives in Cincinnati, one time being at a baseball game at Shea Stadium with his son Dewey when the Cincinnati Reds were playing the Mets and the Reds' Sean Casey, a wrestling fan, kept trying to get Mick's attention by non-verbally checking with him in the crowd.

Mick and Les continued to talk about the baseball/wrestling connection. Mick commented that it is funny how the same way baseball makes him feel is the same way wrestling makes some of the baseball players feel with many of the players being wrestling fans and very interested in knowing more about what it's like to be a wrestler.

The life of Scooter in Mick's novel spans from the ages 4-18. Mick admits that he often throws in autobiographical moments in all of his books including one where Scooter walks out on the athletic field as a long haired adult clad in boots and flannels. He admits, "It's essentially me walking out on the field." He said in his last novel, Tietam Brown, he gave Tietam a missing ear as a homage to getting his ear partially ripped off in 1994. He said many of the fans who come out to his book signings do their best to ask questions about character motivation and plot development but someone invariable asks, "Can I see the ear?" Mick says he tries to make all his characters interesting by giving them little quirks and joked, "Not that love handles are interesting!"

During the book tour, he says he tries not to read any press and go "under the assumption that everybody loves the books" just to stay positive. He made the mistake of reading some reviews on his last book tour for Tietam Brown and it really bothered him. He says writing is like giving birth. The idea is conceived, nurtured, developed and criticism, he explains, "It's like telling you your kid is ugly."

Talk turned to his much anticipated return to the WWE October 3. Doc asked him if he's kept up with the current WWE output and Mick admitted, "I don't keep up every week but now I have TiVo." He says he sometimes fast forwards through the matches but he tries to keep up angle-wise. He is amazed at the packed card slated for WWE "Homecoming." Mick said, "What are they going to have? Seven hours that night?" He said about his return, "I'm flattered. They really wanted me there."

This is coming from nearly signing with TNA instead. He said, "I was really close" but the WWE offer "had always been better." Although he loves the guys at TNA, he saw signing with them as more work, less money, and burning a bridge with the guy who made him (Vince McMahon). He signed a "loose" contract with WWE that allows him wrestle a few matches a year but not participate full time, allowing room for his other projects.

About TNA, Mick agonized about not signing with TNA because "I may be the difference between guys eating or starving." He didn't know if his involvement could have pushed TNA further, but he suspects it may have. This makes him feel a little guilty about not signing. He said, "I hope the guys do well so I don't have to feel guilt about it." Mick also commented that the competition might be the best thing for Vince, a man who thrives on pressure. He said when he mentioned this to Vince, however, he gave Mick a funny look, indicating that he didn't agree.

Signing the contract with WWE contractually prevents him from continuing working the independents, but Mick said he is relieved in a way. He felt funny doing gimmick matches because he thought the fans might perceive it as "Hasn't this guy done okay without my money?" Now he doesn't have to work frequent indie shows to make a decent amount a money. He indicated that not doing the indies is just as well. If anyone has seen him as special guest referee, he said, "I'm good, but I'm not that good!"

Speaking of the indies, the possibility exists that Tietam Brown will be turned into an independent movie. Vietnamese-American director brothers Timothy Linh Bui and Tony Bui are looking to adapt Mick's book to big screen. Mick suggested his friend Terry Funk for the role of Tietam's father but the Bui Brothers had someone else in mind-Sean Penn. Mick said that who is he to argue between Terry and an Academy Award-winning actor.

Doc then asked Mick if he had read Terry Funk's book. Mick said he had and said, "His insight is incredible." He wasn't sure what Terry's relationship was with his ghostwriter, Scott E. Williams, but he suspected it was close. "Terry really put a lot of thought into it." Mick thinks Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore should be required reading for young wrestlers saying, "He's the best heel in the business."

Asked if Mick had any desire to become an actor, he said when he thinks about the difference between Mick Foley and The Rock, he cites the millions that The Rock makes per movie and the "three grand" he received for his role in the Insane Clown Posse's "Big Money Hustlas" as "Cactus Sac." He said it was cold on the set and "deep down I really don't want to be an actor" although he's currently considering auditioning for an upcoming Ivan Reitman film in a "big, dumb bodyguard role."

Doc asked who Mick thinks has the most potential in the business today, he said, "I hate giving answers because I'm not taking in consideration all the guys out there." Les brought up Samoa Joe and Mick said about Joe, "He's got a great attitude" and "has a good idea of what he wants to accomplish." He said he thought it was a shame that up until recently Joe was considering calling it quits.

A man of many faces, when asked who his personal favorite character was, he said it was Cactus Jack. "Fans accept that he and I are the same guy." His least favorite was Dude Love. He said Dude was great in the "Summer of Love" in 1997 but by November of that year, he had worn out his welcome after the personal culminated in 27 minutes of dancing to kill time while performing in Kuwait.

Asked if he will consider writing more autobiographical wrestling-related books like Have a Nice Day! and Foley is Good, Mick said no but he is considering writing a book like Buzz Bissinger's Three Nights in August which follows Tony LaRussa's mindset during a three-game series between LaRussa's St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in 2003. Mick would like to get in the mind of Vince McMahon during WrestleMania and write about what he goes through before, during, and after a big event.

Mick will be signing his book, Scooter, Sunday, October 2 at 1:00 pm in Cooperstown, NY at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and on the next night, he will be making his WWE return to RAW on Monday, October 3 for a special three-hour event scheduled to begin at 7:55 pm EST on the USA Network. Word has it, Mick will appear early in the program on Piper's Pit.

Hear the entire show at www.wrestlingweekly.com.

And Sunday, October 2, Wrestling Weekly welcomes ECW star Mikey Whipwreck and Shannon Moore to the program. Don't forget to keep checking www.wrestlingweekly.com for the latest wrestling news, columns, and interviews.

"The Professional Wrestlers' Workout & Instructional Guide," authored by Wrestling Weekly's own Les Thatcher with Harley Race and Ricky Steamboat is now in bookstores. The manual, complete with photos of wrestling moves and holds as demonstrated by Nigel McGuinness and Matt Stryker, is 256 pages of "how maneuvers are executed effectively and safely, the physical conditioning needed to perform them, and the thought process involved in piecing together an actual match" plus much, much more!

Wrestling Weekly Radio featuring Doc and Les can be heard every Sunday from 6:00-8:00 pm EST at http://www.wrestlingweekly.com.