Though Mick Foley was typecast as a madman villain for years as Cactus Jack, it turned out that the final stretch of his full-time wrestling career redefined him. In WWE, he made the most of the Mankind gimmick. He created a sensational moment in his unforgettable Hell in a Cell confrontation with The Undertaker, had iconic rivalries that elevated Triple H and The Rock, and, perhaps least likely of all, became a world champion himself. But there’s a case to be made that the best was yet to come as Foley became one of the greatest babyface authority figures of all time as WWE commissioner.

Mick Foley Retired At The Height Of His Popularity And Credibility

Prior to signing with WWE, Mick Foley’s pro wrestling career had peaked in terms of mainstream notoriety as Cactus Jack in WCW, where he had posed an offbeat monster heel for Sting to beat and later an unorthodox babyface rival who threatened to topple Big Van Vader. In WWE, under the Mankind persona, Foley had a truly extraordinary rivalry with The Undertaker. From there, his issues with Mr. McMahon and The Rock paved the way for him to show a better-rounded version of himself.

Foley beat The Rock to win his first world title and remained in the main event mix for his final year-plus as a full-time wrestler. The former journeyman became one of the most popular wrestlers in the world and got the legend treatment when he was added to the main event of WrestleMania 2000. All of that set up fans to welcome him into a babyface authority figure role as WWE Commissioner.

Mick Foley’s Mic Work And Comedic Talent Had The Chance To Shine

The authority figure role can be an awkward one for a former wrestler. Take, for example, Kurt Angle’s time from 2017 to 2018 as Raw General Manager. Fans were happy to see him, and he showed flickers of the personality they loved. However, without the physical tools that had made him so remarkable, he quickly felt less like a star than someone who was occupying an obligatory spot that dozens of others might have filled as ably.

Related: WWE’s Current Authority Figure Situation Might Be Its Worst Ever

By contrast, Mick Foley was still at his peak popularity, and while, as Commissioner, he wasn’t going to be taking many more big bumps, he had the opportunity to highlight his marked promo ability and comedic timing. These were arguably the attributes that helped him get over at such a high level once he’d had the chance to show them in the preceding years, and whether he was begging for cheap pops from local fans, or disparaging heels’ lack of fortitude, The Hardcore Legend garnered big reactions from WWE fans around the world.

Mick Foley Was A Natural Foil For Vince McMahon

The Mr. McMahon character is generally agreed upon to be one of, if not the the single greatest heel authority figure of all time, for the combination of Vince McMahon’s real life credibility as a wrestling businessman and his gifts as an over the top performer. While the character suffered his comeuppance more than once, it was always in the role of the straight man—after someone made a fool out of him or got revenge in a particularly satisfying way.

By contrast, Mick Foley was prepared to be goofy and not take himself all that seriously—a perfect complement to what Mr. McMahon brought to the table for all the time they coexisted on WWE television. Moreover, while it was easy to boo McMahon for his character’s arrogance and, even then, for all the ways he was known or suspected to have mistreated employees, by contrast Foley was easy to love as an underdog who’d put his body through superhuman punishment to entertain the fans across decades.

Mick Foley’s Body Finally Got A Break

There may be nothing Mick Foley is more famous for than absorbing punishment, whether it was big bumps like getting thrown off and then through the roof of Hell in a Cell, taking rapid fire chair shots from The Rock, or getting his ear ripped off in a match with Big Van Vader. As uncomfortable as it may be in retrospect, there’s little doubt that his ability and willingness to tolerate injuries and pain were a huge part of his legend.

So it was that, by 2000, fans were ready to see The Hardcore Legend take a break. While he’d still have his moments of physical engagement as Commissioner, seeing Foley rely on his talking skills over his physicality offered a reprieve and a chance to cheer the man on without fearing for his safety.

Mick Foley wasn’t done in wrestling after Mr. McMahon fired him from the Commissioner role in December 2000. He’d carry on in various roles with WWE, not least of all returning to the ring to put over Randy Orton and later Edge in dramatic fashion. Moreover, he’d have stints in ROH and Impact Wrestling as well. His most recent full-time work with WWE saw him play the role of Raw General Manager. While Foley entertained in this position, he simply couldn’t recapture the magic of the 2000 Commissioner run. Indeed, fresh off the hottest period of a nearly two-decade wrestling career, Foley was an electric authority figure whom the fans loved. Wrestling may never see anything quite like it again.