Mick Foley was one of the biggest stars in WWE during the Attitude Era, and his various hardcore battles made him the biggest crowd-backed star in the business. As Mankind, Foley managed to win the WWE Championship from The Rock which earned WWE the biggest crowd pop in its history. 

Being the star that he turned out to be, few would believe that Vince McMahon didn’t have as much trust in him as a top star. It was Jim Ross, and just him, who put his hat in the ring and refused to take it out when it came to Mick Foley. 

Speaking to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, JR revealed how he put his reputation on the line for a man that would go on to make WWE what it is today.

“He [Vince] said ‘You need to know what it’s like for a talent you believe so strongly in, to break your heart. You need to know what that feels like.’ And I was willing to take that chance and bet my reputation that I had a good eye for talent, that’s what I thought,” he explained. “And I was hopeful that Mick would do great things and obviously he did. you know, best-selling books, he was WWE champion.”

Jim Ross praised Mick Foley’s impact on the locker room

Jim Ross added that Foley was a much better figure not just for the ring but also in the locker room. He had the personality to bring it together which was a crucial trait in the competitive atmosphere of the Attitude Era. 

“He was just a great locker room, role model and I think all those things are important. They got to believe in each other and they got to have a strong camaraderie and I think that’s what we developed there in WWE during the Attitude Era ‘cause our locker room was very competitive,” JR admitted. “They were they were motivated like they were athletes, that they were, and they responded in a positive way to that treatment.”

Mick Foley went on to have the best fights, most notably with The Rock for the WWE Championship in the night that turned the tide of the Monday Night Wars, with over 600,000 viewers switching to WWE to witness Foley become Champion. 

Saying JR was right is an understatement when it comes to Mick Foley. He didn’t just find a talent; he found a legend in the WWE Hall of Famer. 

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