Mick Foley is known for his brutal matches and unbreakable spirit—but during his appearance on Episode 33 of the No-Contest Wrestling podcast with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson, he reminded everyone that his heart might be even bigger than his legacy.
The former WWE Champion took a moment to reflect on what wrestling cost him physically, emotionally—and literally—revealing the incredible story of how he no longer owns his own WWE title belt.
It started with a discussion about memorabilia and what remains from Foley’s legendary career. “I don’t have my championship belt.” Foley then detailed the title’s journey—and how it ended up far from his hands.
“The lineage was Austin, Rock, me. And so I’ve got this title belt that smells like beer and mildew because Steve [Austin] did the beer bash all the time. I didn’t know where to hang it, so it was just in my closet for a couple years.”
But when Sabu—Foley’s longtime peer and ECW trailblazer—faced serious medical issues, Foley stepped up. Despite not being known for self-promotion or bragging, Foley made it clear this was one of the proudest things he’s ever done.
“And Sabu, who we recently lost, had some real trouble with medical bills. You can imagine Sabu trying to get insured, right? Before Obamacare? You take off his shirt — ‘We can’t insure this guy.’”
Foley was contacted by Fumi Saito, a longtime journalist for Japanese wrestling magazines, who asked if he had anything he could donate for auction.
“So Fumi, who did one of the Japanese magazines, asked if there was anything I could auction. I pulled out the belt.”
Foley explained the auction wasn’t a big online affair. It was small and in-person—meaning it didn’t fetch nearly what the title would go for today.
“And it didn’t get nearly what it would now. It got like one-tenth of what it would now because they decided they were only going to make it available to people who were at the show in Japan. It wasn’t like an online auction.”
Still, the value of that moment can’t be measured in dollars—and Foley knows it.
“But that to me… Like, I can be shallow, selfish, all those other things—but I did auction my belt to help one of the guys.”
“More than anything I did in the ring, I hope that’s the type of thing people remember.”
He also shared how much that gesture meant to Sabu, who reportedly told people later on that Foley had done more for him than anyone else.
“I guess Sabu was on record saying I did more for him than anyone. I didn’t do anything besides that. But he never forgot it.”
Then, with a perfect mix of self-deprecation and heart, Foley ended the story with a line that brought the house down—and perfectly summed up who he is.
“So I’m the WWE Champion without the teeth, without the belt, without the socks… but I got the fanny pack.”
The room erupted in laughter—but the sentiment stuck. Foley’s beat-up body, missing teeth, and lack of hardware haven’t changed what he stands for: loyalty, sacrifice, and the kind of generosity that made wrestling better than he found it.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Should WWE shine more light on the selfless moments behind the curtain—like Mick auctioning his belt to help a friend? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.