His real name is Mike Foley, he grew up on Long Island a lifelong wrestling fan. A huge Superfly Jimmy Snuka fan, he says he hitchhiked to Madison Square Gardens in 1983 to see him fight Intercontinental Cahmpion Don Muraco. In college, he made a video of himself leaping of his neighbore roof as Dude Love. They video made its way to Hall of Fame legend Dominic Denucci who would train him as Cactus Jack Manson.

His first big break would come in October 1988, in the Memphis based CWA as a member of Robert Fuller's Stud Stable as cactus Jack. Foley teamed with Gary Young and defeated Todd Morton and Bill Dundee in a tournament final to become the new CWA Tag team Champions.

He would then leave for Texas, to World Class Wrestling(IWCCW). He defeated Eric Embry for the light heavyweight title at the end of 1988. As a member of Skandar Akbars stable, he was also USWA(New name for IWCCW) tag team champion with both Super Zodiak and Scott Braddock.

In 1989, Foley joined WCW. They never used him for anything significant, he didnt do much there. He would leave in 2001 to join Hot Stuff Eddie Gilberts Tri State Wrestling. This was one of the first "extreme" wrestling organizations. No surprise Foley beame a headliner in this type of promotion.

Cactus Jack went back to the WCW, this time as a headliner. He was introduced in a birthday present box for sting, which he tore out of and attacked Sting. He was managed by the legendary Harley Race. Then Race turned on him and he became a good guy. He moved on from Sting and Big Van Vader was his nemesis in 1993. During a WCW match in Germany with Vader, he lost a third of his ear, adding to the credentials of hardcore legend! Cactus Jack would then tag with Kevin Sullivan to win the WCW tagteam championship from the Nasty Boys. At this point, Foley was already signed to go to the newly formed ECW. Sullivan and Foley had a loser leaves town match that Foley lost.

Once in ECW, Cactus Jack would team with Mikey Whipwreck to beat Public Enemy for the ECW tagteam titles. At the same time he was wrestling in Japans IWA. He won the one night King of Death tournament by beating legend Terry Funk. He also wrestled in Japans Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling(FMW).

In 1996, Foley joined WWF as Mankind and was matched against The Undertaker. Paul Bearer would end up turning on The Undertaker and helping Mankind win their boiler room brawl match at the 1996 Summerslam. He would also battle Shawn Michaels for the WWF title. At Wrestlemania XIII, he would unsuccesfully tag with Big Van Vader against tag team champions Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. He then began feuding with Hunter Hearst Helmsley(pre Tiple H persona).

In 1997, during a tag team championship match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and the champs Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart, Foley would come to the rescue of Stone Cold as Dude Love and they would capture the tagteam championship. They would have to forfeit the belts after Austin had a major injury in 1998 Slamboree. He would then tag with Terry Funk as Chainsaw Charlie to defeat DX's New Age Outlaws. They would lose them back the following night. Foley would the "retire" the Cactus Jack character for the Mankind persona. He aligned himself with Vince McMahon and battled both Stone Cold and The Undertaker.

Mankind then took a sharp turn from vicious to caring and introduced Mr. Socko. He would then be given the newly created WWF as a gift from Vince McMahon. Vince turned his back on Mankind in the 1998 Survivor series and Mankind would turn his anger on The Rock, whom he defeated for the WWF heavyweight title.

mankind would win and lose the title 2 more times but in Summerslam 1999, he would form an alliance with The Big Show, Ken Shamrock and Test. He beat both Stone Cold and Triple H to win the title, which was refereed by WWE Hall of Famer Jesse The Body Ventura, who at the time was the governer of Minnesota. In 2000, he would battle several times with Triple H, culminating in a loser retire match the Foley lost. He would then come back as the commisioner, a pretty funny skit. During this time, he sold two best seller books about his life. He left after the 2001 Survivor series and retired.

He came back to the WWE as a referee in the summer of 2003 for a Hell in The Cell match pitting Triple H against Kevin Nash. Over the next few months he feuded with upstart Randy Orton to get Ortons career going. He would battle Orton with his old friend The Rock in Wrestlemania XX and again in Backlash.

Foley again left the WWE and came back in 2005 as Mankind to fight Carlito, once again boosting a new wrestlers profile. Mankind and Edge would battle it out in Wrestlemania XXII, which Foley won.

2009, Foley is currently commisioner and Heavyweight Champion in ECW and is once again a heel.