Foley is Pod - Stephanie McMahon [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re discussing Stephanie McMahon Mick!

Mick - when do you first meet Stephanie McMahon?

At 22 years old she becomes a TV character and is abducted by the Undertaker for the Ministry of Darkness. What did you think of her becoming an on-air character at such a young age?

Stephanie would eventually become involved with Test on-air until Hunter interrupts the wedding with the infamous drive-thru marriage. How much did you see Stephanie coming into her own as an on-air character?

Eventually she’ll turn heel and along with DX the McMahon-Helmsley regime begins and you’ll play a major role in that regime with your matches with Triple H. Did you see an evolution of Stephanie behind camera and on camera at the time?

Do you remember the first time you heard the rumors and whispers about Hunter & Stephanie dating in real life?

Did you and Stephanie do a promo together that Vince was deadset against?

You wrote in “The Hardcore Diaries” that you originally told Stephanie & Kurt Angle about Tietam Brown all the way back in September of 2000 - what was your relationship like with Stephanie at the time?

You wrote in that book about a phone conversation you had with Stephanie - can you tell us about it?

“A few days later, I was on the phone with Vince when he told me Steph wanted to say hello. What followed was one of my favorite conversations; one that, even without Hardcore Diaries to document it, would be hard for me to forget.

“Hi, Mick.”

“Yeah, hi Steph.”

“I can’t tell you how much I like your story.”

“Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.”

“You know, up until I read it, I never thought that you liked

me.”

“You?” I said in disbelief. “Why?”

Now, I’m going to double-check with Steph to see if it’s all

right to say this, but my recollection is that she was pretty close to tears, so unless I’m overruled by Steph or if WWE doesn’t want her to seem sympathetic, try to picture this moment as a tearful one.

She said, “Well, I always got the feeling that you didn’t respect me, because I hadn’t paid my dues. That you thought I was only here because I was Vince’s daughter.”

I didn’t really know what to say. I mean, her thoughts, which she had actually shared with Vince, were actually a long way from the truth. As it turned out, I was wrestling Triple H, who was managed by Stephanie at the time when WWE first started scripting interviews. Because I was new to this scripting process and because, to this day, I don’t completely believe in it, I was very likely to stray from the script, leaving Stephanie to interpret my actions as a personal sign of distaste for her.

“Steph. That’s really strange, because you’ve always been one of my favorite people.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

And with that one conversation, Stephanie McMahon and I became good friends, which I consider us to be to this day. In September of 2001, she took on some more responsibility, assuming the role of one of the show’s writers. But prior to that, for a few months after I returned to WWE as commissioner in June of 2000, Steph and I would talk and hang out frequently. So it was not unusual that we would be hanging out with our frequent lunch mate and good friend Kurt Angle when I first spoke of my initial vision for Tietam.”

What did you think of her transition to becoming a writer?

Did you wear a Stephanie McMahon shirt at some point in time?

In November 2000, Stephanie became head writer of the company, replacing Chris Kreski.

Was this a surprise to you?

Stephanie is in Vince’s corner when he take son Shane at WrestleMania 17 which you were the referee for. The evolution of the Stephanie character was really something was it not?

Stephanie would have various roles on air - from ECW owner, SmackDown GM - did you enjoy Stephanie’s work during this time?

Stephanie lost the first, and probably only ever Father vs Daughter “I Quit” match at No Mercy 2003 vs Vince…that’s just Vince being Vince isn’t it?

Stephanie & Hunter are married and have kids as Stephanie moves her way up the corporate ladder. Have you been around Stephanie with her kids?

Eventually - Stephanie is the commissioner of the Raw brand while Shane McMahon is named commissioner of SmackDown and both are to appoint general managers. You are tapped for the job by Stephanie…how did this all come to be?

You two would announce that a WWE Universal Championship would be the main championship on Raw and that a winner of that title would be crowned at SummerSlam. Were you happy to be back on the road and doing this role with Stephanie?

You two would have your ups and downs on the Raw side of things - including the epic Universal title match at SummerSlam where the belt is revealed and the whole crowd revolted at that point. How disappointing was that for Seth Rollins & Finn Balor and what was running through your head?

There’s been some criticism of the way you were portrayed with Stephanie’s heel character and that you were made to look like a sap as opposed to a strong face in the company. What say you?

On February 27th in 2017 - the story begins to have you replaced as GM.

Stephanie McMahon gets brutally honest with Mick Foley: Raw, Feb 27, 2017 - YouTube

“At first Stephanie said she wanted to apologize, but then buried Foley underground. Right now it’s a virtual lock Foley is going to be gone, at the very least temporarily for hip replacement surgery. The storyline sure seems like he’ll be replaced as General Manager. Stephanie said how 17 years ago her husband ended Foley’s career, and since then, her husband gets stronger and Foley gets weaker. So the back story here is that in 2000, Foley, on his way out, feuded with HHH, and put him over in almost every angle and in every match. Up until that point, HHH was a guy who was pushed harder than he was over because he had the look and they thought he should be a star given his size and look, and that he was also very good in the ring. But something was missing. Foley made him come across as such a top star that he kind of had it from then.

Unfortunately, Foley has mentioned that, and everyone knows the idea that anyone helped HHH become a top guy, or that he wasn’t a super over top guy when he was pushed as one (which was before that program as he was pushed from day one because he was tall and had a good look), is now blasphemous and the sinner must always pay. Stephanie said when she hired him, she didn’t realize how far he’d fallen and that he’s a shell of himself, and didn’t measure up to her expectations, and couldn’t even measure up to his own expectations. She said he gets more feeble and pathetic with every step.”

Were you clearing the creative at this point - or did you just go along with what were you told to do?

Seth Rollins saves Mick Foley from Triple H: Raw, March 13, 2017 - YouTube

“Stephanie said that Foley was failing as General Manager, that she tried to teach him through tough love, but that didn’t work, and Foley said he’s the kind of guy who responds better to a pat in the back. Stephanie said she wanted to teach Foley all the lessons she’s learned and if he was filling to learn, she was willing to teach. Stephanie told Foley that by the end of the show, he had to fire someone. She said just one person, that it would send a message of strong leadership to the locker room, everyone will be more competitive, we’ll have a better product and we’ll cut some overhead costs. She then patted him on the back. He looked worried…

The final segment started with Stephanie and Foley and ended with HHH destroying Rollins. Stephanie came out. She called out Foley. Foley was really having trouble walking. It was noticeable in one of the backstage skits as well. Foley said that he was thinking about who to fire and couldn’t come up with one name who deserves to be terminated, but ten minutes ago, a name popped into his head, and he thanked Stephanie for giving him the opportunity to make for a more enjoyable Raw. So he fired Stephanie. The place went nuts. Stephanie said that it wasn’t within his power to fire her and don’t turn this into a cheap joke. Foley said that Stephanie is the one who needs to go, she treats the superstars like jokes, like cattle, but they’re human beings. Foley said he came to work for Stephanie because he treasured their friendship of 18 years, but he remembers six months ago when she looked him in the eye and said he had nothing to do with HHH giving Owens the Universal title and he had to believe her because if he didn’t, he’d have to think she was a liar and a really bad person. Well, he said that she’s a liar, and a really bad person, and she needs to go. He said she was behind HHH all along and that HHH isn’t a creator, he’s just assembling his own army to do his work for him. She called him pathetic and weak and then HHH showed up. HHH acted like he was Mr. Cool and way above it all, like everyone were just children amusing him by acting up. He said he doesn’t want a lawsuit before Mania so he’s not going to take Foley’s leg off and beat him with it.”

It turns into this promo fest back and forth with you & Hunter and then it becomes about your kids and how Noelle wants to be a superstar and Dewey works in the office and you put Mr. Socko on Hunter before Stephanie gave you a low blow. This is quite the way to write out your character wasn’t it Mick?

Stephanie McMahon fires Mick Foley: Raw, March 20, 2017 - YouTube

“Foley was written off as General Manager on Raw, which they’d been building for some time, since he was going to have to take time off for hip replacement surgery and had been in great pain traveling every week. They could have kept the story more open-ended. It was done in a way that felt like it was a finale and not an angle where he comes back in a few months, which, if he’s able to move better, he perhaps could do. His surgery is

scheduled for mid-April. It is possible, given the surgery date, that he could get the last laugh by helping Rollins in some form at WrestleMania, since Samoa Joe having an involvement in the Rollins vs. HHH match could happen.

The crowd was really hot for Foley and he read a fake apology statement on index cards thanking HHH & Stephanie for giving him the opportunity of a lifetime. He apologized for what he did and teased that he would do the right thing - indicating resigning, but instead said he was taking a leave of absence. Then he tore up the notes and said that ten minutes before the show started, HHH gave him those cards to read. He said what he really thought and began running them down and they cut his mic. Actually it was on and off, enough to where as a viewer, you think that he’s going off script and they cut his mic, but where you still could hear most of what he said. Stephanie came out and bullied him, saying that he screwed everything up and he can’t remember a thing anymore. The fans were cheering for him and she got the opportunity to fire him. She said Foley doesn’t understand the big picture of business and it’s all about him and it’s all about him being liked. That has been at times the internal reaction to him when he’s been critical of the company in the past, often for things he had a good point about.”

This just makes them all just the most tremendous heels doesn’t it?

Foley asks Stephanie to write the foreward for the upcoming Christmas book.

Foley blog from October 5, 2017:

Foley Fires Back – How I REALLY Feel About Stephanie McMahon

“The February 27th, 2017 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw included a backstage promo delivered by Stephanie McMahon that was, perhaps, the most deliberately evil dressing down I’d received in my entire career. Sure, I’d endured constant threats to my well being, my livelihood and even my life during the course of building up big matches, but this was different – it was visceral; with a closing line ‘the man who could stand up to anyone and anything, can now hardly stand…at all” that hit really close to home.

I don’t care how long you’ve been part of this business; when you hear words like that, delivered in a voice as confident and adept as Stephanie’s, it can sting a little bit. So following the segment, when I asked Stephanie if I could speak with her alone for just a moment, there was just this tiniest bit of tension in the air.

What I had on my mind wasn’t easy to say, and had been arrived at through careful thought over the course of several days. And in truth, it had nothing to do with the promo that had just taken place; a promo I had, in fact, encouraged her to deliver. With my hip replacement surgery on the books for April, I knew the clock was ticking on my gig as RAW GM, and my goal before leaving was fairly simple – to exit with the most glorious on-air firing possible, and to help out a WrestleMania storyline along the way. Stephanie’s promo was an important means to that end…but that didn’t mean it didn’t sting a little, and Stephanie later admitted she had no idea what was on my mind when I asked for a private meeting.

“Steph, I was wondering if…” My words tailed off, as I tried to gather the courage to say what was on my mind.

“Yes, what it is it, Mick?” she asked.

“I was wondering…I was wondering if you would consider writing the foreword to my book.”

The question left her momentarily speechless, and even though this may be my memory against hers, I could have sworn I saw her eyes begin to water as soon as my words hit her.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” she said. “I’d be honored.”

Writing the foreword to a book is a pretty big deal. I guess I should be honest and tell you that Stephanie McMahon was not my first choice when it came to writing the foreword for SAINT MICK. She was my only choice. While we may have bickered on the air – saying terrible things about each other in the hope of creating good TV – behind the scenes, Stephanie was my weekly sounding board for my book, and her interest and encouragement helped convince me that this very personal memoir might just deserve a wider audience than the 100 people I had planned to self-publish it for.

But following my on-air firing (which was indeed glorious) – a week after an in-ring Raw encounter with Stephanie and Triple H that will absolutely go down as one of my personal favorite segments of my career – I reached out to Stephanie in April to see when she might have the foreword ready. I was genuinely stunned by her reply. “I’m sorry it’s late, but I should have the first draft finished by the end of the week.”

Does anyone out there remember the famous Allen Iverson press conference where he addressed his coach’s concern for something that took place at practice? “PRACTICE?” Iverson asked aloud, in disbelief. “Practice? Practice? Practice?” Well, that’s kind of the tone of disbelief that I took on when I read that line about Stephanie and her first draft. “FIRST DRAFT? First Draft? First Draft?” She even mentioned something about sending it out for proofreading, and a round of edits. I certainly did not want to seem ungrateful, but felt like I had to share a hard-hitting truth with her. “Steph, I wrote DDP’s foreword last week in 90 minutes while I watched TV.”

So I waited on Stephanie and her first draft, her proof-reading, and her edits, until finally, it arrived – along with a note saying that she hoped I liked it, but that her feelings would not be hurt if I didn’t use it. I truly hoped I would enjoy it, and wondered how I could ever break the news to her should we opt not to use her foreword in the book. I really wanted to like it, as I took a deep breath and began reading.

I didn’t like Stephanie’s foreword, though. I loved it! While I have no doubt she could have produced a fine forward in 90 minutes, while watching TV, the hard work she put into creating this generous piece of writing (that’s what my publisher called it – a generous piece of writing) is so obvious, is such a great addition to my book – and so greatly appreciated. I teared up when I read it, then teared up again when I read it to my wife – who teared up as well. “Mick, that’s really beautiful”, my wife said.

“And she obviously worked very hard on it.” She certainly did. First drafts. Proofreading. Edits. In the end, it was worth the wait, and I will forever be grateful to Stephanie McMahon for going so far above and beyond both the call of duty, and my expectations to produce something so eloquent and beautiful.

Sometimes, during the course of writing, some good stuff needs to be edited out for the overall good of the book. While I was writing SAINT MICK, there were times when I juxtaposed some running commentary of current events in WWE, with my experiences in the red suit. But, in the end, it wasn’t what was best for the story, so I had to lose some cool stuff – like writing at Santa’s Village the night before the historic women’s Hell in a Cell, as well as a carefully concluded assessment of Stephanie McMahon. It was an assessment I had arrived at after months of observing her and working side by side with her on Raw – where she bailed me out on many occasions when my short-term memory failed me on live TV. Every few episodes, if you watched or listened closely, you could hear or see Steph whisper to me, either to remind me of where the promo was supposed to go when my mind drew a blank (a frightening proposition on live TV) or just to offer me encouragement as I headed for the home stretch. In a business that lends itself so readily to one-upmanship, there was never a moment when Stephanie did not have my back. She played to my strengths, cleverly disguised my weaknesses, and helped make my time as Raw GM (which was hampered by a hip and knee that all but quit on me) far more rewarding and fun than it otherwise would have been. So here are some carefully constructed words I wrote about Stephanie, that, sadly, did not make the final edit, but which I will share with you here…right here in this article.

Stephanie McMahon is great. Not “great” as a synonym for “cool” or “awesome” or great with an exclamation point behind it in a text message to convey happiness in a single word. Stephanie is great in the sense that she possesses qualities of true greatness, with the potential to accomplish truly great things in her lifetime.

She certainly writes a great foreword!”

Stephanie has been in the news as of late with everything going on in WWE. When was the last time you spoke with her?

What is your relationship today?

Do you think she gets a bad rep in wrestling fans circles?

Are you proud of her accomplishments?