WrestleMania 22 was packed with unforgettable moments, but one of the most brutal and legendary matches of the night was the Hardcore Match between the Hardcore Legend Mick Foley and the Rated-R Superstar Edge. This encounter showcased sheer brutality, innovation, and the willingness of both men to put their bodies on the line for the ultimate WrestleMania moment.
As the bell rang, Edge, accompanied by Lita, wasted no time, charging at Foley with a flurry of punches. Foley, a veteran of hardcore warfare, fought back, but Edge quickly introduced the first weapon—a baking sheet—smashing it over Foley’s head. However, what Edge didn’t realize was that Foley had wrapped barbed wire around his waist beneath his flannel shirt, causing Edge’s first spear to backfire painfully.
Seizing control, Foley ripped off his flannel, revealing the barbed wire and began using it against Edge, raking it across his forehead, immediately drawing blood. The match escalated as Foley introduced more weapons, including a barbed-wire baseball bat, which he used to deliver devastating shots to Edge’s back.
Lita attempted to interfere, allowing Edge to regain some momentum. He brought out a steel chair and delivered a thunderous shot to Foley’s skull, but the hardcore legend kept coming. The fight spilled outside the ring, where Foley set up a table near the entrance ramp. Edge, desperate to turn the tide, doused Foley in lighter fluid, but before he could set him ablaze, Foley turned the tables, locking in the Mandible Claw with Mr. Socko wrapped in barbed wire.
Foley wasn’t finished. He retrieved a second barbed-wire bat and used it to brutalize Edge further. The crowd roared as Foley, ever the sadistic showman, pulled out another can of lighter fluid, pouring it over the table. Before he could act, Lita blindsided him with a barbed-wire bat shot, allowing Edge to regain control.
Then came one of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history. Edge, bleeding profusely, saw an opportunity and took it. With Foley dazed on the ring apron, Lita set the table ablaze. In a jaw-dropping moment, Edge charged forward, spearing Foley off the apron and through the flaming table! The impact was deafening, and the sight of both men crashing into the inferno sent the crowd into a frenzy.
The match, now nearing its brutal climax, saw Edge crawl onto Foley’s smoldering body and cover him for the three-count. The Rated-R Superstar had won, but he was barely able to move, his arms shaking as he lay on the burned and broken Foley.
As Edge and Lita stumbled away, Foley, despite the loss, had once again cemented his status as the toughest competitor in WWE history. The match was not just about victory but about the legacy of hardcore wrestling on the grandest stage of them all. WrestleMania 22’s Hardcore Match remains one of the most unforgettable and violent spectacles in WWE history.
