Sabu was one of the fathers of high-flying hardcore wrestling!
#2 Mick Foley
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The true hardcore legend, Mick Foley.
I went back-and-forth with this one for quite some time. In fact, Mick Foley was actually my number 1 pick during the majority of the time I spent writing this article. In the end, there is an extremely fine line separating the first and second picks on this list.
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Mick Foley is someone who no one believed in, initially. After all, Mrs. Foleys baby boy doesn't necessarily look like the average professional wrestler. However, once people saw what he could do both creatively, as well as inside the ring, there was then no denying the fact that he would one day become a legend. If there ever was a truly self-made man in professional wrestling, Foley is that man.
While everyone is familiar with the various "faces of Foley," it was the Cactus Jack persona which solidified him as a hardcore wrestling icon. Cactus Jack was the gimmick in which Foley seemed to morph into someone completely different than what anyone ever saw him as.
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At the end of the day, Mick Foley revolutionized what we know as hardcore wrestling. Fearlessly he would enter rings with barbed-wire ropes, rings full of thumb-tacks and rings surrounded by flames of fire. This is what he did, this was his sacrifice to the sport and his gift to the fans.
Long live Foley.
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About the author
J. Carpenter
Jonathan Carpenter is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda. After obtaining a degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he started writing WWE articles in 2016. Jonathan believes integrity is vital in journalism and ensures his work is high on accuracy. He conducts in-depth research and verifies information from various sources before curating a feature.
Jonathan has engaged in many meaningful conversations with prominent pro wrestling personalities like Drew McIntyre and DDP. He grew up in Memphis, admiring Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan during WWE’s Golden Era in the ‘80s. He has attended many pro wrestling events and credits The Hulkster for making his childhood memorable.
Jonathan, a big fan of Bray Wyatt, would like to see the latter's brother, Bo Dallas, continue his legacy as Uncle Howdy. If he were to work on the storyline, Jonathan would book the return of Erick Rowan as Howdy’s muscle. He thinks it would be a great way to honor the former Universal Champion.
When not writing pro wrestling features, Jonathan likes to collect sports memorabilia and has amassed a large collection of event-used and autographed relics over the years.