…continued from page one
I remember back at Wrestlemania in 2004, Brock’s final match with WWE; when I told Brock that he’d actually inspired a character in my first novel. I mean, I actually saw Brock while I was writing this kid, Clem Baskin. In the book Baskin’s dad was even named Brock, and played a pretty big part in a fairly memorable scene.
"Thanks, Mick, I appreciate it" Brock said, when informed of his contribution.
"Actually, the kid is kind of a jerk," I said.
Five years later, I’m at UFC Fight Night in Fayettville, North Carolina, at the Crown Coliseum, making my way through the crowd with my TNA colleague A.J. Styles, who is one of those previously mentioned huge MMA fans. The arena is packed with American service members (all the funds from the evening are donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, for service members suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury) and A.J. and I are waving, smiling, shaking hands and patting backs as we try to make our way around to our front row seats on the fan side of the ring.
I see Randy Couture – and say hello as I pass by, paying respect to a veritable MMA legend.
A.J. and I sit down, and I look across the UFC Octagon at Coutore sitting in the front row directly across from us.
"Hey A.J.?" I say, noticing a large, menacing figure sitting next to Couture.
"Yeah, Mick," A.J. says.
"Was Brock Lesnar sitting next to Randy when we walked by?"
"Yeah, he was, Mick," A.J. says.
"Did you say hello to him?"
"Yeah, I did."
"And I walked right past him?" I asked; pretty much rhetorically, as I thought I knew the answer to this one.
"Yeah, you did, Mick," A.J. said. He’s got a very soothing style, that A.J. Styles.
"So, do you think it looked like I was disrespecting the UFC Champion in front of thousands of people?"
"That’s the way it looked to me, Mick."
"Do you think I ought to go over there and try to fix that?"
"I would if I were you."
That, indeed is just what I did, moving faster than I had in many years in the process.
Check out the complete "Foley Files" blog at www.TNAWrestling.com.
