RIC FLAIR VS. MICK FOLEY (I QUIT MATCH)

This is a match that everyone besides me seems to love. Flair and Foley had been feuding over things said in Ric Flair's book “To be the man” that Foley objected to, referring to Foley as a “glorified stuntman” due to his hardcore style. They had a 2 out of 3 falls match last month at Vengeance which followed on to this “I Quit” match. Before the match Melina asks Mick if he's ready, he thinks so but the look Flair gave him on WWECW gives him doubt, Melina fires him up so he says he won't say I Q-U-I-T to that worthless piece of crap. Mick walks out first, he found a trash can on his way to the ring which he throws into the ring. Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. As Ric Flair enters JR plugs Unforgiven next month saying after this match one of these guys might not make it there. Ric has a noticeable black eye as he gets to the ring.

RIC FLAIR VS. MICK FOLEY (“I Quit” match)

WWE Summerslam 2006 (20^th August 2006)

Mick Foley jumps Flair to start, hitting him with right hands in the corner followed by a running crotch shot before picking up the trash can. Foley drives the trash can into Flair in the corner and brings out Mr Socko for the mandible claw on Flair before giving him an easy out. Ric Flair doesn't say anything, breathing into the mic like a stalker on the end of a phone so Foley takes the barbed wire that was inside his trash can and wraps it around Mr Socko. Ric Flair gets to his feet using the testicular claw then switches to more conventional strikes. Foley staggers back into the ropes and Flair kicks him low before taking Socko for his own use. Flair wraps the barbed wire sock over his hand and chops Foley, Flair rips Foley's shirt to remove what little cushioning it gives and chops him in the corner causing him to fall out of the ring. Ric Flair follows with an ax handle from the apron and sends Foley over the ring steps. Foley knocks Flair down in front of the announce desks as we see the replay and grabs a barbed wire board from under the ring. Mick Foley charges into Flair with the barbed wire board, busting him open all over his head and sends him back into the ring. Mick Foley grabs Socko, which still has barbed wire stuck to it and hits Flair with right hands then drives the barbed wire into Flair's forehead as the fans chant for fire.

Mick Foley hits Flair with another right hand and chokes him with his boot before ramming him with the barbed wire board again as JR mentions the violent Foley matches he's called. Foley dives onto Flair with the barbed wire board and asks him again, Flair tells Foley to kiss his ass so Foley beats the microphone to death using Flair's skull. Oh wait, the battery fell out, I can see it near Flair. Mick Foley grabs a bag of thumbtacks from the corner and spreads them on the mat before slamming Flair onto them. Ric Flair still refuses to quit as the less indented thumbtacks fall out of his skin so Foley grabs a barbed wire baseball bat from under the ring. Foley sneaks up behind Flair and drives the barbed wire into Flair's forehead, Flair swings his leg back for another low blow and drives Foley's shoulder into the ring post. Ric Flair grabs the baseball bat and attacks Foley's arm and shoulder before knocking him down with right hands. Flair has Foley in a headlock driving in more right hands then bites at his forehead. He tells Foley to quit before Flair kills him but Foley doesn't. Ric grabs another testicular claw and knocks Foley out to the apron. Ric Flair runs into Foley with the barbed wire bat knocking him past the crash mats onto the base of the entrance ramp, smacking the back of his head on the trash can, not much cushioning from thinly carpeted concrete. Medical staff and Melina come out to check on Mick, with the trainer trying to call the match off.

Ric Flair grabs the mic saying it isn't over and brings Foley back into the ring. Mick Foley rolls through the thumbtacks and has the barbed wire bat stuck to his shirt, Flair grabs the bat and drives the barbed wire into Foley's skull, causing Foley to bleed too. Ric Flair tries to make Foley quit but I'm not sure he could if he wanted to then goes back to the barbed wire, but in the most awkward looking way near the ropes. Flair again asks a dazed Foley if he quits, forcing Melina to throw in the towel from ringside. Ric Flair promo time version 2: Flair tells the referee that only Foley quits for Foley and tells Melina to get out of the ring, dragging her away by the hair. Ric Flair grabs the barbed wire bat that dropped to the floor at ringside and hovers over Melina with it forcing Foley to quit.

WINNER: RIC FLAIR

I still don't see the appeal of this match. Ric Flair showed a more vicious side to him (possibly channelling Terry “Crazy Middle Aged” Funk) and the match was violent but except the floor bump Foley took and to be fair, Ric Flair did a lot of new things in the match too, but it just didn't flow with me. Mick Foley quitting to save Melina was noble but it was anti-climactic to me even if it did make sense. – WORKRATE: 1/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 1/5 OVERALL 2/10

This match is available on the 3-Disc collection: Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses: Hardcore Edition