Saint Mick: My Journey from Hardcore Legend to Santa's Jolly Elf

by Mick Foley

Saint Mick from New York Times #1 bestselling author Mick Foley is a Yuletide tale like no other: part jolly memoir, part whimsical ode to a lifetime love affair with Christmas, part solemn tribute to the power of finding the best part of oneself in the unlikeliest of places. After a lifetime of putting his body on the line to entertain his dozens (and dozens!) of fans, the Hardcore Legend is paying the price - both physically and emotionally.. Unable to resist the roar of the crowd, Mick returned to the ring too often, risking too much, losing belief in the characters that had defined him, and losing sight of his dreams. When the final bell on Mick's career finally tolled - not with glory inside the ring, but with solemn words in a neurologist's office, the future is far from merry and bright. Until hope and redemption come to him in the form of a beloved figure from his past. Given the chance to become Santa Claus - not dress up, not pretend, but become - Mick Foley rediscovers the joy of performing, finds a character he can believe in, and even finds a way to put his body on the line in commitment to his new craft, enduring an excruciating six hour bleaching so that the beard on his chin can be as white as the snow. Mick charts a course from the heartwarming to the surreal, detailing the drastic measures he takes to keep the magic age of belief alive for his younger children, as well as taking us inside the secret world of the Santa subculture - where -real-bearded Santas- and -traditional- or -mystical- Santas are quite often at odds as to who makes the better red suit ambassadors. Along the way, Mick worries that he will be excommunicated from the Santa world for everything from his colorful WWE background, to his Santa character being run over by a motor vehicle on Christmas Eve on WWE television, to his intentional breaking of -The Santa Claus Oath- by promising toys to families in need, to his participation in a controversial Santa Claus documentary. With Saint Mick , Mick Foley sails into the Holiday season with the earnestness of George Bailey discovering how wonderful life can be, the dog-eared determination of Ralphie on his Red Ryder quest, and with the speed and precision of a Buddy Elf snowball barrage. And with the help of an unlikely elf -- 8 time Grammy award winner Norah Jones -- Mick learns valuable lessons about the real power and responsibility of the red suit, and that success as Santa comes not by appearing in front of millions on TV, but by touching hearts and creating -Santa moments- for the young and the young at heart - one memory at a time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir, Christmas, Sports, Holiday

6 pages, Audible Audio

Published October 17, 2017

About the author

Mick Foley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several memoirs, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Good Morning America, Family Feud, Fox News, and has made several appearances on The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" – where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former pro wrestler Mick Foley returns with his fifth memoir - this time taking a look at his years in the red suit portraying Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick (or Saint Mick, if you please).

When it comes to Mick Foley’s memoirs, they seem to have fallen within the law of diminishing returns.  His first two are absolute classics while the two that followed lacked substance (at least in my opinion, anyway).  However, this time around, I found that Foley once again found his footing in the literary world.

My unabashed love of Christmas could have played a role in how much I enjoyed this, but I truly feel this is a story worth telling.  Mick has written about wrestling in four prior books, and while that’s his bread and butter, this entry felt both fresh and deeply personal.  You will read about his charity work with RAINN (rape and incest national network), his struggles with his growing children and their diminished belief in the magic of Christmas - especially his son Mickey and his autism diagnosis, as well as the documentary he hosted that led to his entry into the world of Santa Claus - I AM SANTA CLAUS.

Of course, this being a Mick Foley book, there’s going to be some wrestling talk.  He discusses his various portrayals of Santa Claus on WWE television - some great, some not so great - but clearly something he enjoys doing.  His trademark wit and humor is again on full display in telling stories about performing with Norah Jones on stage, interacting with WWE superstars and working alongside his kids as Kris Kringle.

If I had to rank Foley’s books, I’d put this in third place just below Foley is Good and above Countdown to Lockdown with Have a Nice Day in first and The Hardcore Diaries finishing in last place.  If you’re not a fan of Christmas and you’re looking for a wrestling memoir, this might not be for you.  However, Mick is a rare genuinely good person and it’s nice to have your faith in humanity restored once in a while.

[Matt Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book that filled me with love and joy and an even deeper desire to be one of Santa's ambassadors. Foley's deep and abiding love for Christmas, his family and spreading joy to others shine through in this book and I couldn't help but smile.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this book,
You can't have a rainbow kid, with out the rain I had a crayola designed bedroom at one time in life from sears catalogue, that was my pick til after grammar school.
For a birthday or Christmas gift one of the two.
The sun always shined on my side of the house (east facing room) and it was a bright room.
I had a terrible and yet terrific childhood.
That quote made memories


I had to look at this book up again a year later, what they don’t know when the business man asks what I’m on

I look back at the autistic comedy and go

The spectrum.

And shake it off….

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saint Mick: My Journey from Hardcore Legend to Santa’s Jolly Elf

I Picked Up This Book Because: Curious

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Hoopla
Dates Read: 12/26/23 - 12/29/23
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Mick Foley


The Story:

I had no expectations going into this book. I was familiar with Mick Foley from his wrestling days but had no idea what his life had evolved into. He is genuinely sharing so much joy in this book. Also the documentary he speaks about is... interesting.

The Random Thoughts:

One of the last stories made me cry…while grocery shopping in Walmart. Good thing it was super early and very few people were around.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is currently available on Audible Plus. It was about four hours long, but the physical copy is under 300 pages if you are interested. If you are a WWE fan, this might be of interest to you. There are some stories about Mick's time in WWE, but the book does center around his love of Christmas. I was actually completely unaware that some Santa subculture existed, and certainly was not aware that Mick Foley was into that. I think it is wonderful that he was able to find something that brought him joy at a time when he was struggling with CTE and other health issues. I am not a Christmas lover, so this book was a little outside my normal realm of reading material, but it was okay for a short book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started with the hardcover, then switched to the audiobook on the drive home from Thanksgiving this year. I humbly recommend the audiobook version. Getting to hear the excitement and emotion from the author himself greatly adds to the tale Mick tells. I also HIGHLY recommend the “I am Santa” documentary he talks about throughout the book. We watch it every year. After watching that and reading this, I can say that Mick Foley is not only my favorite professional wrestler of all time, he’s among my favorite human beings of all time.

[George Hazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mick Foley’s writing is captivating.

[Michael Marcela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a professional Santa myself I was excited to read this book. Mick Foley is a Hall of Fame WWE wrestler who has always loved Christmas and Santa Claus. As his wrestling career faded, he focused on becoming a professional Santa Claus. This book is about his transition from WWE celebrity to Santa. Overall it is a good read.

For most of the book, it appears his original intention after getting into Santa work was to be a Santa to the millions on TV for WWE and to do high profile events for his own selfish purposes. Up until the last 75 pages, he tries to connect his WWE celebrity to Santa and misses the true point and reason for portraying the man in the red suit. At that point I wasn't sure how this was going to end.

But then the book takes a 360 degree turn for the better over the last 75 pages. Things change and Mick changes. I honestly have to say that it was a fitting and touching ending. For all the WWE bombast and his original quest to be a celebrity Santa to millions of WWE fans, Mick Foley, in the end, realizes that the gift and his purpose in being Santa is to bring joy and hope and love to children, one at a time. He ends up doing all his gigs for free in hospitals and for charities and for private sneak-a-peaks. You can see that his role as Santa transforms his heart. Although I was skeptical as I read most of this book, I was proud and teary eyed and very pleased at how Santa changed Mick's heart and motivations and intentions. (Sorry for the spoiler)

The book definitely highlights Foley's love of Christmas and of Santa and how both were/are highly important to him and in providing great Christmas memories for his children. He does respectfully write about the Santas that he worked with and came to know as well. In the end, being Santa for one child in a hospital fighting cancer is more important to Mick than being Santa Claus at Madison Square Garden for 20,000 people. That is the true heart of being a Santa Claus and makes for a great ending. I was glad to see his transformation and explanation of what it means to all of us who wear the red suit.

[Josh Gilstrap · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wrestler's memoir told through multiple Christmases. Not a wrestling fan? No worries. This is more about the journey of a man who loves Santa and is a good way to get in the spirit of the season.

Listened on Audio.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book back in March of 2018, on sale. I do my best not to spend too much money on books....or else I'd be broke! But, I saw this and, due to my love of both wrestling and Christmas, I thought it was a given that I'd love this book. Unfortunately, life and my love of other books (sorry, Mick, but I'm usually more of a thriller/horror fan!) got in the way and I didn't get a chance to read it. Well, not until this holiday season. In fact, I think I left it for a reason because, somehow, some way, I knew I'd need cheering up and this would be the perfect book.

Boy was I right!

So, this year's been hard on everyone. Personally, my family's been lucky *knock on wood* and we've been doing all right through this pandemic. But, like everyone else, there have also been some bumps, some sadness. I've been really feeling that sadness since Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd read some holiday books to cheer me up! I read something sweet and....it was cute, but it wasn't that great. Then I read something naughty and....it was fun, but, again....not what this mood needed. So, I started looking through all of my holiday books and saw this one and thought 'Why not?'. So I read it.

And I loved it. Mick Foley is a wonderful storyteller. He evokes all sorts of emotions from you with just a few words. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel incredibly grateful for my family, my traditions, and made me want to look at the brighter side. Every year, I read Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos and A Most Mizerable Christmas because, again, Mick Foley is such a good storyteller and, even if they're children's books, their messages are perfect for children of all ages. I may just have to add this one to my Christmas routine because reading as Mick found the true magic of Santa made me believe again too.

I suggest everyone who is looking for some Christmas magic read this book.

Thank you, Mick!

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will like this book.

Let's get this out of the way: Yes, this is Mick Foley from WWE. So you'll like it if you like wrestling.

But this is also a book about Christmas. Not *a* Christmas - all Christmas. It's about the spirit of Christmas, about Christmas magic, about a man becoming Santa Claus. So it's great for that reason.

It's also a book about a father. Mick and his Christmas experiences with his family - great stuff.

Speaking of his family, this is also a book about Mick Foley's autistic son. And the magic this father created for his high-needs son. Such an incredibly sweet man.

And it's a book about change - this is the hardcore wrestling legend Mankind/Cactus Jack/Dude Love ... and how he has changed from being a character on a wrestling show to becoming Santa Claus. Not *a* Santa Claus - Santa Claus. Just ask Norah Jones.

It's not a wrestling book; it's a Christmas memoir.

I was fortunate to get the book as part of a wrestling subscription box, but I also discovered the audiobook available for free streaming from the library (via Hoopla) - and listening to the warmth of Foley reading his own book added to the magic. Especially near the end, when this man reading aloud the book he wrote allows his emotions to choke him up a bit.

I wish I could MAKE you read this book; it's that good. Five stars all the way.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically finished this yesterday right before I took it back to the library but didn't get a chance to write this up until now. (This probably falls in the 3.5 category more than 3 or 4 stars.)

This was book #90 for the year for me and completes my reading challenge for the year as well. (Just in the....Mick of time.....budum-dish......)

This was another good autobiography from Mick Foley. And a different and interesting one from him, that's nothing like his previous (obviously since this is about Santa and being a volunteer Santa Claus, whereas his previous autobiographies mentioned his love for Christmas and Santa but were much more linear and about his life especially his wrestling.)

This was fun, very interesting look at his time and work as a volunteer ("ambassador") Santa. It was fun to see him mention Hershey and HersheyPark's Candylane (he's a big fan of Hersheypark). There were a lot of editing errors in this, and at times it could have been cut down and you could tell it was just his rambling and things weren't edited correctly (a paragraph he basically writes twice with just slightly different sentences back to back, maybe one was supposed to be removed before going to printing, not sure.)

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in a series of memoirs from the legendary wrestler, Mick Foley lets the world into his obsession with Santa Claus, and how it became a career path/passion with the ending of his wrestling days. There are plenty of references to his past life, and more than a few humorous allusions to his in-ring shtick (The literary "cheap-pop", references to Hell in the Cell, etc). Yet, this memoir is also covering a difficult time in his life. Coming to the end of his wrestling career, and that his body is paying the bills from all the checks his hard-core style of wrestling paid earlier in life, he and his family face some difficult times. Yet, his transformation into a Santa Claus and a newer passion for him is a guiding light in trying to navigate his newer life is an engaging story. It may not quite have the super happy ending, but he enjoys his work and like so much else, he throws himself into the game wholeheartedly. Would be interesting to see if he writes about his COVID experiences, and if his Santa passion still continues. His writing is fairly straight-forward and engaging. Worth at least one listen around Christmas time for a wrestling fan. Bonus points for narrating his own audiobook.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Mick and have been an avid reader of all of his books. He has always made it a point to show his abiding love of Christmas and Santa, and this book highlights that in spades.

Why three stars then? This book suffers from poor editing overall. And I don’t blame the author for that. I would just consider that a book like this, that may be unlikely to receive future printings, and serves a niche audience, would have been better off with an editor that cared a bit more about the finished product.

Further, some of Mick’s jokes just don’t translate so well on the page. Mostly his ongoing disappointment at a decision to have him be Santa on a third-string show rather than the main one. But also his repeated misspelling of someone’s name, and then joking about how he found the right one, but that was then spelled wrong again later.

Overall, beautiful book that highlights this man’s love and dedication to the right reasons for the season, just needed some fine-tuning.

[Greg Allan Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a like a one sided conversation that you wouldn't want to stop eavesdropping on. Mick Foley's obsession with the magic of Christmas is the kind of thing you would want to protect. I listened to the audio book in March, so put can read it anytime, but I am envious of my friend who will be getting it this year for Christmas, or maybe thanksgiving.
Foley himself reads the audiobook a couple times it gets weird when he talks about writing the book, but I got over it knowing not one word was changed. I
In conclusion of this book review, "Foley is good." !

And a note to my followers: I am not reading anywhere near as much since my brain injury five years ago. As soon as I turn a page I forget what I just read.
I have finally figured out that I enjoy first person stories as audiobooks.

[Justin Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

may be biased, I may have a decent sized soft soft for “Mrs Foley’s Baby Boy”. However!!! I do not give out 5 star ratings “wily nily”. A book has to really touch me, reach within me & elicit a .. “This is freakin awesome” reaction & well, this book definitely touched the olde ticker. I’ve read quite a few Foley books & after not only watching Holy Foley on the Wwe Network & I am Santa on Netflix, i feel like this is what the old Micker was supposed to do post wrestling career. Good on ya Mick for writing this book, taking the journey to truly be Santa and all the other sacrifices that you have had to go thru. In closing....Foley emits the true essence of Santa & therefore.....Is Santa

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Jew who has never followed or watched professional wrestling, I'm pretty sure I'm not the target audience here. I know almost nothing about Foley's wrestling career, but I have randomly stumbled across snippets of his interviews for various things and he has always come across as an interesting and intelligent person. I was pleased to find out the book isn't really about wrestling or even Christmas, though there are still some good and funny stories about both. Instead, the book details the author's journey attempting to be the best person and dad that he can, told in a fun and lighthearted way.

[Teolinda Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lite pinsamt för mig, som gammal wrestlingfan, att erkänna att jag inte kan komma ihåg Mick Foley. Genom hela boken frågar jag mig själv, vem är han??
Jag har kollat klipp på Youtube, jag hör honom prata om the Undertaker och Shawn Michaels, väl kända namn för mig. Men icke!
Att jag fastnar i denna loop gör att boken missar mycket av det den faktiskt ger. Ett porträtt av en ödmjuk och härlig man som älskar julen och ger allt för att människor ska njuta av denna känsla med honom.

Det hade varit spännande att följa denna utveckling tillsammans med alla andra wrestlingfans där ute men nu blir Mick Foley för mig, som vilken annan tomte som helst.

Betyg: 3 sparkade alver av 5

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Read Mick’s first book over 20 years ago and loved it and decided to read another one to finish out 2023.

Mick writes like he talks, which is endearing at times and obnoxious at others. Much more enjoyable to listen to the book than reading it.

One thing is for sure is this man loves Christmas and if you read to the end, you will be touched by the stories he shares about children he visits in hospitals. The last 20 or so pages had me tear up some, as they were so moving on the impact Santa can have on people.

This book makes me want to make sure I go to one of his standup shows, if I ever get another chance. You cannot help but like Mick. He is a good man with a big heart.

[Jeff Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a bigger fella, and generally in a jovial mood (and living just short drive from the actual little town of Santa Claus, Indiana), I’ve often thought it would be fun to be one of Santa’s helpers. After reading this book, I know, deep down, that I would never make the cut. As much as I enjoy interacting with children, and making people happy, I don’t think I could do the job, emotionally. Heck, just reading this book, and Mick’s journey and adventures as an ambassador had me in tears in places. What a kind soul...what a great cause...what an awesome little book

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Mick Foley as a wrestler when I was a kid and appreciate him as a person as an adult. His obsession with Christmas, his showmanship from decades of wrestling, his inherent kindness, and his physical appearance make him the perfect Santa Claus and this book is a sweet memoir of the transformation process. I just wish it had been published by a company that had a better copy editor because the vast amount of typos and redundancies detracted from the story. Still, it was a sweet book to read in the days leading to Christmas.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have with the 4 the came before it I greatly enjoyed reading this memoir of Mick Foleys. His writing is so well done and engaging. Reading these memoirs always makes it feel like he is sitting it he room telling these stories directly. I found this Santa memoir just as enjoyable as his wrestling memoirs. And find myself filled with Christmas spirit after completing this read. I hope that his 5th memoir isn’t his last. As I always enjoy reading about what Foley is up to in our outside of the wrestling business. Keep them coming.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a giant fan of Mick Foley's professional wrestling career, and that is why I chose to read this book about his love of Christmas. Post-wrestling, Mick began a career that saw him playing the part of Santa Claus for family visits. There was a little bit about his wrestling career here (which were my favorite parts), but not enough to have me extremely interested in this book.

Final rating = 3.5 stars

SIDE NOTE:

My son has a lot of WWE action figures, and I think he'd love to have a "Mick Foley as Santa Claus" action figure. Make it happen, Mattel!

[Becki Basley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saint Mick: My journey from hard core legend to Santas Jolly Elf by Mick Foley (Audiobook Read On Everand app)
Mick Foley takes us on a journey away from the ring to his second obsession , Christmas and his journey to become an ambassador for the Big guy himself Santa claus. With many heartwarming stories hes shared with his family over the years and the rewarding work he had accomplished for strangers, he even makes a not very fond of Christmas person like myself consider going to making a bigger effort in the holiday this year.

[Lucas Dickinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather touching read & a great expansion on Mick’s part in the movie “I Am Santa.” Mick has a genuine love for Christmas & it’s great to know that he is using that & his celebrity to make things a bit better in the world to the extent that he can.
There’s a lot of funny stories on this book. Whether someone like pro-wrestling or not, you can get a lot of enjoyment from this, especially if you love Christmas.

[Jenny Blaszczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mick Foley IS Santa. Anyone who disagrees can fight me in a shell cage match! No seriously this book was so amazing. If Christmas is magical to you this makes it 100times more magical. The way Mick explains his love for Christmas and the holiday season is mesmerizing. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Christmas and or WWE.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story

I’m neither a wrestling fan nor a fan of Santa (I’m Jewish, which makes the whole thing pointless); however, I enjoy reading about things that people are passionate about. Mick Foley is passionate about Santa Claus and bringing joy to children and it comes through in the book.

[Chelsea Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mick Foley was just raised right. He is so intelligent and caring it just oozes out in every page. During his wrestling career he did it for the cheers and smiles and the Santa spirit drives him the same way. Such a well rounded man who has a lot to teach all of us. So endearing and he reminds me of what my late father could have achieved in his brief Santa Ambassador career.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would have been a whole lot better if it wasn't riddled with typos and mistakes. It was very distracting. There were places where paragraphs repeated themselves and the whole story felt like reading the thoughts of someone with ADHD. He really needed a better editor.

[Kaylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas in July. I'm a huge wrestling fan and an even bigger fan of Mick, so I had to check this out. Reading this book had me blinking back tears from his sheer love for his family. A great story of a good man. Highly recommend.