Cactus jack biography

He began earning attention from larger promotions in the late s as Cactus Jack, though his taste for dangerous stunts left him susceptible to injuries. Foley later debuted the characters of Mankind and Dude Love in WWE and continued delivering thrills to fans while emerging as a popular champion. Outside the ring, he became a best-selling author and embarked on a stand-up comedy tour.

An active if not overtly athletic child, he joined the Ward Melville High School football, basketball, lacrosse and wrestling squads, the last of which included future comedian and actor Kevin James as a teammate. Foley also enjoyed watching professional wrestling to the point where he filmed staged matches with his friends. After hitchhiking to Madison Square Garden as a freshman at Cortland State University to watch Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka tangle with Magnificent Muraco, he determined he wanted to pursue a career as a pro wrestler.

Landing a job with a promoter's ring crew, Foley got the opportunity to train under veteran wrestler Dominic DeNucci. He spent his weekends competing in independent matches throughout college and received a taste of the big time with an early showing for World Wrestling Entertainment that pitted him against top tag-team duo the British Bulldogs and left him with a dislocated jaw.

Foley eventually found a groove in the character of Cactus Jack, an unpredictable outlaw from New Mexico, and began drawing attention from the sport's bigger promotions for his enthusiasm for absorbing punishment.

Cactus jack hoodie

Foley joined the Continental Wrestling Association, where he formed a prominent tag-team partnership with Gary Young, and then moved to World Class Championship Wrestling, where he briefly assumed a Charles Manson -esque persona as Cactus Jack Manson. He also worked on the nuances of character development, honing a schtick as an uncooperative tag-team participant who read books during matches before pummeling his partner.

Foley eventually emerged as one of WCW's top draws, though he clashed with his bosses over his increasingly brutal and dangerous ring theatrics.