The Hell in a Cell Match between Mick Foley (as Mankind) and The Undertaker from the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view still stands as one of the most iconic wrestling matches in history. Foley was infamously tossed off the roof of the Cell through an announcer’s table, got back up, continued to brawl with “The Deadman” and wound up getting chokeslammed through the Cell’s roof down to the ring below. “The Hardcore Legend” has talked about the match many times in the years since, but in a new interview with Metro he revealed something new about the match — he’s still paying bills for the damage it caused to his body.
Videos by ComicBook.com
That bump through the Cell roof down to the ring knocked one of Foley’s teeth up through his gums and into his nose.
“Things did not work out like I’d have hoped,” Foley told the UK outlet. “The cell collapsing when I was chokeslammed still has fallout for me! ‘I just paid $425 to remove my bottom flipper — which are false teeth which were knocked out in that cell — and I’ll have to pay $15,000 or so to get those teeth fixed.”
Earlier this year Undertaker was featured in the documentary series Undertaker: The Last Ride, in which he struggled multiple times with accepting retirement. Foley sat down with ComicBook during that time and explained why so many wrestlers struggle with hanging up their boots.
“I think because success is subjective in our business,” Foley said. “It’s not like you can gauge it based on a batting average. In baseball, if a guy can’t get around on the fast ball, his career is done. Whereas, in sports entertainment, you are often at your peak years after your physical peak ends. In that you understand more about crowd psychology, you connect more with the fans, and you find ways to have better matches even though your prime physical years are over. I think there’s a fine line between self-confidence and delusion. I think some of us, myself included, when we get older tiptoe over that line and still believe we have that one last match left in us.”
WWE’s next pay-per-view, Hell in a Cell, will feature three titular Cell matches. Check out the full show lineup below:
- WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Hell in a Cell I Quit Match)
- WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell Match)
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (Hell in a Cell Match)
- Jeff Hardy vs. Elias
- Money in the Bank Contract: Otis vs. The Miz
