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Is No Way Out the last we’ll see of Cactus Jack?

John Powell

 

Goodbye and God bless, Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love and Mick Foley. Have a nice day…and a nice life for that matter.

If we are to believe the World Wrestling Federation, hardcore wrestling icon – Mick Foley – wrestled his final match last night at the No Way Out pay-per-view. With his entire career at stake, Foley (in his Cactus Jack persona) lost a masterpiece of a Hell In The Cell bout against WWF World Heavyweight Champion, Hunter-Hearst Helmsley. It was one of many startling surprises that capped off another sound pay-per-view put on by WWF in recent months. It took them awhile but the WWF is finally over the loss of television writer Vince Russo. WrestleMania is around the corner in April and they’re pulling out all the stops building as much intrigue around the event as possible.

The much publicized Rock, Hunter-Hearst Helmsley match at WrestleMania may be scrubbed as The Big Show beat The Rock tonight in a bout where the top contender’s spot was up for grabs. Though The Big Show should share the joy with Shane McMahon as it was his interference that paved the road to victory. Could a rivalry be developing between Shane and his sister Stephanie, Hunter-Hearst Helmsley’s “wife”? Stay tuned, folks.

Mick Foley’s ride into the sunset was a heart-stopping backdrop through the top of the Hell In A Cell steel cage to the ring below. The ring gave way leaving Foley literally planted in the mat. Ouch! That’s gotta hurt. Whomever you root for, you gotta respect both men. Foley and Triple H bladed and took several very nasty bumps. They put on a hell of a show. There’s no two ways about it.

As a sign of respect, Triple H came to the ring first. Usually in title matches the challenger enters first not the champion. Cactus Jack (alias Mick Foley) noticed something wrong right from the get-go as he saw that the door leading in and out of the steel cage was chained shut. It was the handiwork of Stephanie McMahon who mocked Foley by hollering…”There’s no way out, Mick!” from outside the cage. Cactus and Triple H brawled outside the ring to start things off. Cactus got the better of that exchange slamming Triple H’s head into the canvas and catching him with a flying forearm to the head back in the ring. Resuming their brawl on the outside, Triple was thrown into the steel ring stairs. Triple H blocked two attempts by Foley to bounce his head off the cage.

As Cactus tried to climb back in the ring, the champ hit him with a running knee lift, sending Cactus flying off the ring apron backwards into the steel cage. Cactus then collided with the steel post and the ring stairs. Triple H picked up the stairs and threw them at Cactus catching him in the noggin. Laying the steps over Cactus’ face, Helmsley hit them over and over again using a steel chair. Helmsley continued the chair assault in the ring. On his knees, Foley dared Triple H to strike him again. Foley caught Triple H coming in, took control of the chair and drove it up into Helmsley’s crotch.

A double-armed DDT got Foley a two count. A Russian leg sweep onto a steel chair rendered the same result. Foley set-up the chair in a corner. Backing Helmsley into the turnbuckle, Foley punched him until Helmsley was sitting in the chair. Foley ran from the opposite corner looking to bury his knee in Triple H’s throat. Triple H’s Ravenesque drop toe-hold had Cactus’ head smashing into the chair instead. The unorthodox move score Helmsley a two count. A clothesline sent Cactus over the top rope to the floor. Helmsley bounced Cactus’ head off the cage three times. As he made an effort to Pedigree Cactus on the steel steps, Cactus turned it into a slingshot sending Triple H face-first into the cage. Helmsley came up bleeding while Cactus munched on his forehead and ground it into the fence.

Using a trademark Cactus Jack maneuver, Foley put a chair under his arm and dove off the second rope driving it into Triple H’s face. Another hurling of the ring stairs broke open a small hole in the cage. In a strange and suicidal move, Cactus took it upon himself to dive through the opening to make it larger. The steel sliced up Cactus’ arm as he did so. Blood began to pour down his arm. It would do so the rest of the bout. Triple H followed Cactus outside. Cactus rammed Triple H’s head into the announcers’ desk and piledrived him on top of it. The desk did not collapse. Pushing a photographer out of the way, Cactus retrieved a 2×4 wrapped in barbed wire. Triple H wanted to dive over the ringside barrier to escape. Cactus grabbed him by the shorts whacking him in the face.

Triple H climbed up to the top of the cage. Cactus gave chase tossing the 2×4 up so Helmsley could hit him in the head with it. Cactus fell off the cage and through the announcer’s table below. Cactus bled from a gash in his forehead. Appreciating his bump, the fans chanted Foley’s name. Breathing fire and brimstone, Cactus somehow stood up and threw steel chair after steel chair up to the top of the cage. None made it.

Cactus and Triple H fought on the roof of the Hell In A Cell. A double-arm DDT subdued Triple H long enough for Cactus to light the barbed wire 2×4 on fire. Cactus nailed Helmsley with a glancing blow. Cactus attempted to piledrive Hunter through the cage. Triple H backdropped Cactus through the cage roof. Cactus hit the mat causing the ring to partially cave in around his body. Helmsley climbed back in demanding the ref to rule if Cactus could continue. Again, the human-bump machine, Cactus Jack staggered to his feet. Triple H Pedigreed Cactus to put him away and bring the curtain on a one-of-a-kind wrestling career.

The crowd gave Foley a standing ovation as he refused medical treatment walking to the entrance way under his own power. Cactus gave the appreciative crowd chanting his name a thankful, teary-eyed glance as the pay-per-view left the airwaves.

SPECIAL EDITOR’S NOTE: If this was indeed Mick Foley’s last match (with professional wrestling, you never know) SLAM! Wrestling would like to thank Mick Foley for all the blood, sweat and tears he gave so that we might be entertained. We’re not worthy of your sacrifice, Mick. There will never be another Mick Foley and professional wrestling won’t be the same without him.

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