re: Foley Undergoes Knee Replacement Surgery; Ric Flair Posts Photo From Hospital

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"Foley has a cult following because of his contribution to hardcore wrestling, but hardcore is such a small part of the history of this business. When I was training, falling off a ladder was not a prerequisite to making it was a professional wrestler. Being fundamentally sound was ..."

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"I don't care how many thumbtacks Mick Foley has fallen on, how many ladders he's fallen off of, how many continents he's supposedly bled on, he'll always be known as a glorified stuntman."

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"Verne Gagne didn't fall off a ladder. Dory Funk Jr. didn't fall off a ladder. Neither did Wahoo (McDaniel), (Ricky) Steamboat or Steve Austin. Terry Funk was a great worker before he started doing that. Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho can do it and maintain their reputations because they're already respected as athletes."

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"And what about people who never did anything else, like the Sandman? He's no wrestler. Hardcore became a niche for a lot of guys who couldn't do (anything) in the ring."

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"I'm not saying that Mick Foley wasn't a star, that he wasn't a great attraction. But in my estimation, Mick Foley was not a great worker. He couldn't punch. He couldn't kick. In the World Wrestling Federation, he'd spend half the day sucking up to the writers -- because he's such a fan of himself."

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"There's a difference between being a great performer and being a guy -- like Brutus Beefcake or The Ultimate Warrior -- who became famous because he happened to be working for Vince (McMahon). It's the same with Foley. When he hasn't been working for Vince, there's been no demand for him whatsoever. He's just another guy."

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