You said wrestling fans? You were some sort of wrestler before, is that right?
(Laughs)

No seriously, we know you were part of the Hardcore Homecoming reunion show in Philadelphia. What was it like to be a part of such a phenomenal show and did that, and the WWE-ECW show, play a part in your wanting to come back to wrestling?
No, they didn't, because I had actually been talking with the WWE about playing a very limited role before those shows were even on the table. I enjoyed both shows. Hardcore Homecoming is a difficult one for me to judge because I was kind of sequestered in an office and very few of the wrestlers even knew I was there. I did that show to try to show my thanks to Shane Douglas for being such a good friend when I was breaking in.

I really enjoyed the One Night Stand and I'm afraid to watch it because I'm sure I'll think the commentary sucked. But, I liked it and I guess either a lot of people have lied or really did think that I did okay on it.

How close were you to signing with NWA TNA?
Very, very close. I think that everybody is better off with another viewing option and I really had convinced myself that the competition would bring out the best in Vince McMahon. I really felt like I'd be doing him a favor in an odd way. That argument, of course, didn't go that well with Vince when I brought it to him. It turns out that Vince can be a little difficult to say no to. I also didn't understand just how highly they thought of me in WWE. I was very, very close, but I always told Jeff Jarrett that I needed to make that call to Vince, and there was always a chance that he could make me an offer I couldn't refuse.

Ultimately, you decided to sign with the WWE. How long are you back for? What do you see your role being in the WWE this time around?
What's great from both my standpoint and their's is that it's just a few matches a year and we can really look long term at where those matches would best be utilized. So, if they think I can best be utilized in a role at Wrestlemania, that's great, or if they say, "We've got enough on our plate at 'mania, but we could really use you at Backlash," then I'm all for that as well.

Have you had any talks with the creative team yet? Do you know what show you are going to be on?
No, I had just one very vague talk with a member of creative team and definitely liked what I heard, but that's as far as I'll go.

Have you been training for your return at the WWE Homecoming show?
(Laughs) I've been assured that this is not one of those matches, but I am in the process of trying to drop a couple of pounds. Next time I get down to 270, I’m going to try to stay in that ballpark. As it turns out, if you go back to all of your terrible eating habits and stop working out, you will put some of weight on. It's a scientific marvel. I used my body as a guinea pig and dedicated the last year and a half to science.

Muhammad Hassan was recently released from the WWE after drawing some heat from the media for forming a group resembling a terrorist cell. One of the last times we saw you in a WWE ring, you were helping to put over Muhammad Hassan. What are your thoughts on the way that situation was handled?
Timing is sometimes everything. The timing was really bad as it turned out to do a faux terrorist angle, being that it ended up airing on the day of the London bombings. I would have thought that was going too far anyway. I think it's a shame because I did like that character or else I would not have participated in that December television show with him. I really thought the potential would have been in him coming back, asking the American people for forgiveness, seeing the error in his ways and being accepted as a positive Arab American role model. The only problem is once people found out he wasn’t really Arab American, it would have made for a lot less effective character. But, I do believe the public would have forgiven him if it was done the right way.

Talk to us about the state of wrestling.
Well, I like the fact that there is some competition on the horizon. I like a lot of those TNA guys and I really do believe a good TNA show will bring out the best in the WWE. I think everybody wins in that situation.

What about the WWE shows today? What do you think of them now?
I've always thought they were pretty good. Some people are a lot harder on the shows than I am. There's always something entertaining there for me. I still think if you were to compare today's product and 1983's product, for example, we'd blow it away. I just think we kind of set a tough standard in the late 90s.

We'd like to change gears for a moment here. Let's talk about your visits to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. You've been quoted as saying the first time you went was out of guilt, but since then you've been back close to 20 times to visit wounded veterans. How difficult was it the first time and what makes you go back?
I fully expected my first visit to Walter Reed to be my last, but there's something about that WWE TV coming into so many homes, especially when so many of these soldiers were in their formative teen years. I think especially my character kind of made them feel like they had a friend. So when I meet these guys, they kind of look at me as if they already know me and they find me easy to talk to. I realized after my first visit, which had been about an eight hour visit, that I hadn't actually done a whole lot of talking, mostly listening. And I also realized, far from being depressed or sad, I really felt enthused and motivated. By the fifth or sixth hour, I was telling some of these guys I planned on seeing them again.

Okay, we don't want to end this on a serious note. So, we'd like to ask you about one of your favorite subjects - Christmas. Are your Christmas lights up now? Honestly, who gets more excited - you or your kids?
The sad truth is the Christmas Room is less spectacular than the public has been lead to believe. It's really just a collection of Annalee Mobilitee figures - Annalee figures being a unique New Hampshire creation.

When it comes to lights, one year I actually hired people to do my lights because I'm the least handy person you'll ever meet. While the house looked good, it was hard to drive up and take pride in that look because I had had nothing to do with it. So, last year the Foley house, believe it or not, went lightless. Big disappointment to people who think I really do love the holidays, but in my opinion seeing a big guy with long hair cursing on his front lawn does not add to the holiday season.

Photo by Courtney Vickery

We've got one last thing for you here. We are going to do a word association. We'll just throw out a name and tell us the first thing that comes to your mind.

Al Snow.
My literary punching bag.

Joe Torre.
A poor choice for a Mick Foley comic foil.

Vince McMahon.
My benefactor.

Mr. Socko.
Laughing all the way to the bank.

Hell in a Cell.
No sense fighting it, might as well embrace it.

Mick Foley.
Work in progress.

The future.
I'm not real optimistic about the way we've been treating Mother Earth or the world.

That's sort of an interesting note to end on there.
Yeah, might as well end with a downer.

Interviewed by Joel Murphy, October 2005. Scooter is available in bookstores now. To read our follow up interview with Mick Foley conducted in March of 2007, click here.