Getty Mick Foley
Following the broadcast of Summerslam, the WWE Network will debut the premiere episode of the reality series "Holy Foley," starring WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley.
Foley recently took over as the General Manager of "Monday Night Raw," which airs weekly on USA. He regularly appears on the show, where one of his main roles is deciding on which performers will square off against each other during the show.
In a phone interview with Foley, I asked him what it's like to work with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who still oversees almost every creative decision that goes into what ends up on TV.
"I've always told him and always felt that he's on the level of US Presidents," Foley said of McMahon.
"I don't think he understands that other human beings need to sleep. I've been told at 3, 3:30 in the morning, Mr. McMahon will give a call and (say) 'hey, pal' and have an idea... His work ethic is unparalleled, and I think we all learn from his example."
When so much of the creative direction of such a large company depends on the opinion of one man, it might be intimidating for a performer new to the roster to attempt getting face-time with the extremely busy chairman. I asked Foley if this is true, and if McMahon's door is indeed open to employees who want some one-on-one time with the boss.
"He is an intimidating presence. He's a larger-than-life superhero in some sense. But it's really important for everyone to have some type of relationship with him," Foley said. "He wants you to knock on his door and ask for some of his time. He wants to set up appointments. He wants to know how you feel about things.
"I tell people the most important move they can make is not in the ring. It's taking the time to get to know Mr. McMahon."
Listen below to hear my full conversation with Mick Foley where we discuss WWE's extremely successful developmental promotion NXT, the differences between Japanese and American wrestling fans, and his take on the difficulties superstar Roman Reigns has faced in winning over WWE fans.