There have been stories told about the lifelong friendships and bonds that have been formed through professional wrestling. One of these friendships is that of WWE legends Mick Foley and Chyna. Chyna, known as the “Ninth Wonder of the World '', and Mick Foley, who portrayed Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack, are well known figures in WWE history. Both were key figures of the Attitude Era in the late 1990s. On-screen, they encountered each other on a number of different occasions throughout their respective times in the industry. Aside from being competitors against one another, they were also friends outside the squared circle.
Mick Foley Had Immense Respect For Chyna's In-Ring Work
In the ring, Foley and Chyna had been rivals and interacted with one another numerous times. Chyna played a role in the feud between Triple H, for whom she was his bodyguard, and Mankind. The two were enthralled in a feud that carried for months and wrestled one another on a number of different occasions. Two notable matches involving Chyna were their SummerSlam 1997 steel cage match and the September 22, 1997 RAW, where Cactus Jack debuted. In both of these matches, Chyna would involve herself in order to aid Triple H. However, on both of these occasions, Triple H lost to Mankind. The rivalry had done a lot to help build Chyna’s reputation in WWE as a powerful presence in the landscape of the company.
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In addition to them working with one another, Foley had also spoken very highly of Chyna’s abilities in the ring and her role as someone who paved the way in professional wrestling for women. Chyna established herself as a legitimate talent, competing against both men and women in the WWE. She was the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble and also held the Intercontinental Championship and Women’s Championship in the WWE. Speaking on his “Foley is Pod” show, he believes that she should have held the WWE Championship and that there was a chance that she could have. Foley also criticized how WWE treated Chyna’s memory, as the company never brought her back or acknowledged her until after her passing.
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Outside of wrestling, Foley and Chyna were also personal friends. Foley has spoken about how kind she was to his daughter, Noelle Foley. They had been very close, with Foley saying “she thought of Joanie [Chyna] as her best friend.” Foley describes that Chyna had always been very kind towards Noelle, taking her backstage and was truly a role for Foley’s daughter. He also discussed how he invited Chyna to his home to watch Money in the Bank and how excited his family was to have her over.
Chyna's Personal Issues And Tragic Passing
In the latter part of Chyna’s life, she had been going through a lot of personal issues. Foley discussed how difficult it was for him personally to watch her on The Surreal Life television shows knowing that she had been going through a difficult time in her life. While they were in TNA with one another he said that “a lot of the joy seemed to have been gone” and that “she was in a really tough place.”
Tragically, Chyna passed away on April 17, 2016, at the age of 45. Foley was broken-hearted by this news, writing about how kind she was and how much he valued their friendship in a Facebook post. He wrote about how much he valued the way she treated his daughter, saying, “A father doesn't forget that type of kindness.” Foley has also expressed how much he will miss listening to her laugh.
Mick Foley's Respect For Chyna As A Trailblazer
On his podcast, Foley spoke at length about how important Chyna is to professional wrestling history as a whole. During her time in WWE, she did things that women had never done in wrestling before her. Foley stated that Chyna was “a trailblazer, well ahead of her time, finally getting her long overdue recognition.” He also said that women’s wrestling is where it is today due to contributions like Chyna’s and how inspiring she was to generations of wrestlers after her.
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Foley and Chyna’s relationship was one that was built on genuine kindness and care. It shows how these special friendships develop and grow over years of getting to know each other, both inside and outside the ring. They also had immense respect for the talents and abilities of one another. Although they were rivals in WWE, they had a genuine love for each other as friends behind the scenes.
