These days, Mick Foley is best known for pulling a sock out of his sweatpants. But in ECW, The Hardcore Legend earned his nickname through blood, sweat and tears, all while wearing a pair of leopard-skin boots.
Cactus Jack first arrived in ECW as one-half of the WCW Tag Team Champions during a brief talent exchange with the Ted Turned–owned organization. His brutal encounters with Sabu, viewed by fans as “dream matches” at the time, led to the soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer joining ECW on a more permanent basis.
In a bizarre twist, the man from Truth or Consequences, N.M., denounced his former hardcore ways. Philly crowds turned their back on the future WWE Champion in response, inspiring the sadistic Cactus to deliver some of the most emotional interviews in the history of wrestling. On the microphone or with a barbed wire bat, Cactus was hardcore whether he liked it or not. — Z.L.