A request! And a great one, as this is the culmination of what is *maybe still* my favorite WWE angle of this century.

The Foley promo about his old hardcore days was great. "These were honorable men. They never spit in my face, they never took cheapshot, triple-team efforts to send me to the hospital. But the fact is, when I had the chance, I wrapped the arm in barbed wire and tore them apart!"

JR: "Take a good look at his face. You may never see it in this condition again."

"Mick Foley is in Cactus Jack attire!"

JR: "This Cactus Jack manifestation that Foley can conjure up is a sick and sadistic individual, with no conscience."

Foley at his lightest weight in 15 years, moving well, so hey fuck it let's get nuts

Foley breaks out Socko, then has a conundrum so he lets the crowd decide.

with no blood in the WWE wrestling today's young fans of The Superstars will not learn the thrill of seeing a traditionally handsome heel get jacked up by a traditionally ugly angry babyface

Orton is so great in this match. Pure fear, pure terror on his face. No one can help him, and he can't run away.

Foley just doused the bat in gasoline and intends to set it on fire, but ERIC BISCHOFF says he CAN'T??? Threatens him with the fire marshal shutting down the show. Bischoff preying on Foley's weakness: his constant need for wrestling fans to like him.

Foley ditches the fire-bat idea and gets this out. Jerry Lawler is straight up hornier for Orton than he was for any Diva ever.

If Foley wants to go hardcore, Orton will go HARDCORE

POCKET SAND!
SLAM ONTO BARBED WIRE!

There is a HUGE gasp of anticipation when Foley reverses the whip before Orton re-reverses it here.

look the death match legend Randy Orton brought thumb tacks, so yes he's gonna use them

Orton practices lining up how to hit the RKO without himself landing in the tacks.

But then this happens, and the roof halfway blows off the arena.

YEET

Officials try to end the match there, but Foley's not feeling that.

This match is legit the all-time most violent WWE version of Mick Foley. The closest he ever truly got to Being Cactus Jack again, and believe me I loved the Royal Rumble 2000 version of Cactus against HHH.

Foley gets the Mandible Claw on, but Orton with the RKO!

A second RKO on the bat finishes it. This is it, the best match of Orton's career, and it's not particularly close.