Edge vs. Mick Foley

[8.0] "This is a very iconic WrestleMania match with the flaming table spear being one of the objectively coolest WM moments. Foley and Edge had a great hardcore match here using the barbed wire bat, thumbtacks, and gasoline to fight with each other. The match was quick but was high octane and intense the whole time, not through ability or in-ring moves but by the consistency of the hardcore spots. Mick Foley is one of the masters of the craft of extreme wrestling and this was one of his last high-profile Mania moments as a competitor. ****"

[9.0] "A fantastic match between these two. This was match of the night. The variety of weapons used was great and obviously the flaming table spot is what everyone still talks about"

[10.0] "Said this on the Orton/Foley match from Backlash 04 and I'll say it again here. The best (tied with Backlash 04) WWE only hardcore match. I know this doesn't need to be said, but Foley is a legend and is capable of really making somebody a star. He did that with Randy Orton 2 years prior to this, and did it with Edge at this event too. Helped really solidify Edge as main event star. Brutal match, which is best remembered for the spear through the table set on fire. Truly a 10/10 classic that's worth going out of your way to watch. It's a must watch Foley match and a must watch Edge match. Stole the show at WM22 and is a true WWE gem."

[7.0] "They did a great job at setting up spots and building to the big flaming table bump finale. Usually not a fan of hardcore stuff but this one worked, not a fan of the barbered wire stuff or thumbtacks, those are stupid. At least the flaming table was visually impressive. This is more for the bloodthirsty sort, not my kind of thing. At least there was an actual story and reason for the hardcore stuff but some of it is too much for me which puts me off."

[8.0] "That's what you call a baptism by fire. At this point, it's almost a ritual for a young rising star to go through hell with Foley to prove themselves. And while Edge was already a known commodity when it comes to brutality, it still elevated him significantly. It's under 15 minutes and it packs so much violence. It's more of a brawl than a spotfest, which I appreciate, they bleed buckets and take some hard bumps, the crowd loves it, but it's barbed wire and thumbtacks at the end of the day, so while its graphic, it's not that brutal neither. That final spot is awesome. What a refreshing sight to have such a match at WrestleMania. Shout out to Edge, but Foley is the man! ****"

[9.0] "One of the craziest visuals in pro wrestling we will ever see. Especially for this company. Man we were so lucky to be able witness this sort of matches in our lifetime live that todays generations probably would never get. Still can't believe this was given the green light. Every spot was awesome. Hardcore always rules. Edge proved he is the man and Foley showed by he is a legend of this industry."

[8.0] "The iconic fire table spot is obviously the highlight here, but it's a good hardcore match all around. Foley took some nasty bumps."

[8.0] "Any match involving Mick Foley and hardcore rules can't be bad and this one didn't disappoint, probably had the most rememberable moment from the entire event."

[9.0] "This is the type of match that truly belongs to the biggest stage, Wrestlemania. You put Edge at his peak up against a man who doesn't have any limits when it comes to hardcore matches and you get magic. All 3 players involved in this match did great and created a match to remember for years. ****1/2"

[6.0] "For me, the hardcore match was good but average. It wasn't long, nor did it use much more violence like chairs or multiple tables; it was just one table. The match needed more time, so for me, it was a 3-star match."

[10.0] "One of the GOAT hardcore matches, imo. Cashing in MITB was a good moment for Edge that was squandered shortly after but THIS was his moment that made him for life. Same with the Orton/Foley match two years prior. You just straight-up felt like Edge was a main eventer after this."

[8.0] "For me this the most extreme match in history of Wrestlemania for sure.For me it is little bit slow in the start, but in the end it shows very good hardcore with perfect reactions from two sides.Mick Foley is a genius in that type of matches and Edge very good opponent.Really good match but boring at the start."

[10.0] "It's been almost twenty years and this match still holds up as a Wrestlemania classic. In my mind, it's right there with Foley's hardcore match with Orton from two years prior. This match had the perfect beginning with Foley tricking Edge into spearing him while he was wrapped in barbed wire, which was such a Foley thing to do. It had the perfect ending with a spear through the ropes into a flaming table out on the floor. And the middle was pretty damn good too with almost no filler. Foley had two big bumps involving the steel steps, the second of which looked so wild and painful. His backdrop to Edge onto the thumbtacks was brutal and was such an amazing visual. I'm also not sure if I've ever seen Foley do the Mandible Claw with barbed wire on his hand, but I thought it was very creative. Both of these guys bled buckets and sold like crazy for each other's offense. The image of Edge trembling with blood running down his face and through his eye is seared into my brain. These guys tried to kill each other and almost succeeded. What a match!"

[7.0] "Sorry, I don't enjoy WWE hardcore matches. April is the cruellest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain. Winter kept us warm, covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."

[9.0] "This match is easily a WrestleMania classic. There are some great gnarly spots in the match including the famous spear through the flaming table."

[10.0] "One of my favorite matches as a kid that I can still watch nearly twenty years later and never get tired of, everything here is done perfectly in it's brutality and this more than anything made Edge a top guy, even more than cashing in Money in the Bank on Cena, because his win here was less fluky than that. And the finish is probably one of WWE's most replayed moments, but nobody really talks about Edge's selling after that where he's shaking from the fire, I still don't know if that's a shoot or not and I would prefer not to know. All Timer Stuff. Five Stars out of Five."

[10.0] "Lovely hardcore bloody mess. Spear through the flaming table gained a legendary status since the first second."

[9.0] "Had everything a hardcore match should have, blood and brutality. The moment of the match was, obviously, Edge spearing Foley through the burning table, it was a moment that perfectly closed this match and certified this as a great Wrestlemania matchup."

"Grade : 8/10. This was definitely a fun watch ! Edge and Foley managed to make this match look like a real hardcore fight, their facial and body languages were excellent. Edge literally shaking at the end of the match while Foley was still screaming to death, that was great. The spots were cool, and the fire table spot was super duper cool ! Definitely one of the greatest mania matches in history, it has its spot in the top 50."

[9.0] "These two both walked into this arena with something to prove, and they stole the show. Edge was filled with bitterness having not gotten his world title show at Wrestlemania. Foley never having had that special Wrestlemania match up until this point. This is a great Wrestlemania. But no match on this card even approaches this one. The brutality is as good as it gets without going into gorey Japanese death match-type territory. The pacing is wonderful and their timing and chemistry is on point. For sure this isn't on the same page as a Bret Hart or Kurt Angle wrestling classic, but in terms of hardcore matches, this might very well be the best in company history. So many spots here are classic. The initial spear with Foley having barbed wire under his shirt. The barbed wire Socko. The tacks. And of course the final flaming table spot. Unless you are the purest of pure wrestling fans, there's nothing not to like about this one. It's a legendary match that deserves every bit of praise it gets. And I'd even go as far as to say this match alone cemented Edge as a main eventer for the remainder of his career."

[9.0] "A complete classic for a reason, the best match in Wrestlemania 22 by far in my humble opinion. The spots are amazing and worth every minute, ranging from your usual chairs to barbed wire to the face to tables fire, in good old ECW fashion. Both Edge and Foley give their everything and deliver some great spots equally."

[9.0] "Great, brutal and bloody, Foley's best Wrestlemania match by a mile and did a great deal to establish Edge as a top guy. The image of Edge bloody and shaking after winning is etched into my brain, as is the spear through the table engulfed in flames."

[9.0] "While I like this less than the match Foley has with Orton at some point around here (can't remember if it's before or after lmao) still a classic. Lita is so good! At everything!"

[8.0] "The selling is absolutely fantastic. Edge's bloodshot eye at the end is a shocking visual. Foley knows how to elevate guys. After the spear through the burning table, they sold it with their lives!"

[9.0] "Is it weird to define a wrestling match as avantgarde? Bizarre spectacle of watching men putting each other through hell and both elevating the other greatly as the result. How they sell the burning chair spear is unbelievable."

[8.0] "One of the best matches from this WrestleMania, no other match could've topped this one. It's just a brutal hardcore match that Edge look legit and showed fans that Mick Foley still has it."

[7.0] "The match is only 14 minutes so it feels very "spotfesty" with very little actual wrestling. However the spots ARE very memorable, the burning table, barbed wire to counter the spear and thumbtacks. It's not as good as Foley v Orton, but memorable enough."

[7.0] "The ending burning table spear is fantastic, as is Edge's trembling selling, but overall this match doesn't push into the 'excellent' category for me. It feels short with a few generic hardcore spots that I don't love (thumbtacks, barbed wire face-grinding). I think it's down to taste really, if you're into hardcore spots more this will work better as a greatest hits."

[8.0] "Foley returns in 2006 to prove he's still got it. Any true wrestling fan should bow their heads to this man at minimum for giving his heart and soul every time he went to the ring, especially in big pay off moments. There was hardly a dull moment in the match. Some creative spots with baking sheets to start. A lot of the weapons and hardcore goodies were under one of the ring steps, Styles was commentating as a hardcore specialist of sorts and referred to the foreign objects in the match as "weapons of mass destruction, " which made me chuckle. Speaking of the ring steps, Foley was really creative in getting his butt kicked by the rings steps. At one point, Edge gave Foley a quick, brutal hip toss onto one of the rings steps. Another spot saw Foley just hurling himself knees first, then flipping over the steps. Most guys would stop their momentum when being whipped into the steps, enough to make a sound, but not a real impact, but Cactus was always willing to take the sick bumps off the steps. At one point Foley gave Edge a mandible claw/Mr. Socko wrapped in barbed wire, nice touch. Edge took a bump on the thumbtacks hidden under one of the ring steps, always a treat. Of course, both guys get color, Foley's color is always brutal looking. The finish was the spear through the burning table. Not something you saw often on WWE television, but it was epic nontheless and well placed as the finish of the match. Edge goes over, but Foley still gets a standing ovation at the end for the hardcore legend he is and Edge should also get a lot of credit for a taking some sick bumps of his own, coupled with his great mannerism and facial expressions, pure usual. Lita was well placed in the match as well, her role in the match seemed to making the transitions from spot to spot much smoother when she would interfere. The crowd seemed subdued relative to the action in the ring. Not to say the audience was taking a piss break for the match, but outside of the burning table spot, there wasn't a huge, palable reaction, once again, relative to the brutality. Perhaps it was due to the weird early spot this match was on the card. In my opinion, this match should have happened later in the night, but this is a mere nitpick. When it comes to the match itself, there's virtually no down side. For what the match was trying to be, I say mission accomplished,"

[8.0] "This was a fun hardcore match. Edge and Foley worked well together and each sold their asses of for each o0ther and made this match as iconic as it is"

[10.0] "With the aspirations they both had it was impossible for this to go wrong: Mick wanting his wm moment and Edge wanting to assert himself as a superstar. They both got what they wanted. It had everything an hardcore match should have, combined with perfect psychology and storytelling, edge and foley delivered one of the most unforgettable and hardcore matches of all time."

[10.0] "Such a really phenomenal match between both men with phenomenal and insanely entertaining action and spots throughout the match and they gave it their everything with their performances and psychology. A true spectacle this is."

[9.0] "[4.25*] Phenomenal hardcore match. It got a little bit hurt by the lack of crowd reactions from the first 2/3 of the match, which was honestly pretty hard to understand for me because they were literally killing each other there. Loved the usage of weapons such as thumbtacks, barbed wire, the bat and everything else. I thought the spot of Edge spearing Foley on the beginning and getting outsmarted by the veteran who was using the barbed wire on his defense was pretty cool, the first time I saw something like that. The ending is obviously legendary and eternal with the Spear on the table in flames. With a proper atmosphere this could have been a 5* match imo."

[7.0] "Another one of these Foley hardcore matches with youngsters and once again he's done a great job of keeping it brutal while also making sure that everything made sense. Compare this to Awesome vs Tanaka from One Night Stand and I'm sure that those guys would have kicked out of the table spot, making it completely forgettable. Here every move counts, some things are still just hardcore for the sake of hardcore, but the atmosphere and the reactions from the crowd were worth it."

[7.0] "I'm not one for hardcore matches, but this one culminates in an all-timer bump for wrestlemania, so it gets some extra points for that. The spots are pretty bloody, and the whole thing gets over and done with in about 12 minutes so it's at least short and sweet."

[8.0] "a spotfest for the most part. I'm used to more selling and storytelling from Mick Foley. I liked the Orton match at backlash a little better. Could've used more time to be really great."

[10.0] "An all time classic and one of my personal favorites. The perfect escalation of violence that solidified Edge as a main event player. The wrapped barbed wire to counter the spear was genius, Edge laid everything in and looked like a menace and the ending is iconic. Mania 22 is one that I look back on fondly in general but this one stole the show."

[10.0] "Probably my favourite match of all time, the pace of it is extradionary, not a wasted moment and the spots escalate to the final crazy fire spot. Just so many fun creative moments, a great story, two vicous bastards wanting to hurt each other, lites involvement in the match really helps to string things a long, just everything I like about wrestling"

[9.0] "Quick but eventful. Edge looked great and came off like a star and Mick was able to keep up and take major bumps, you can argue its mostly a spot fest but major spots are done with foresight and care. Lots of great facials in this match every frame is photoworthy."

[7.0] "Eh, I find this match a bit overrated. The spear through the burned table spot was really cool but everything else was just a standard deathmatch on a much bigger stage. Its still enjoyable for what it is though. I much prefer the match Foley had with Orton at Backlash."

[5.0] "Mick Foley taking off his flannel to reveal he's wearing his old Cactus Jack outfit from the Attitude Era gets a bigger reaction from the crowd than almost any of the moves done in the match. I was shocked at how dead the crowd was for this at a Wrestlemania of all things. Foley is clearly past his prime here, and while there's a few good spots in this match, its overall just not very interesting and they seem to just rush to the finish because Foley can't go any longer."

[9.0] "No one helped to make a star quite like Mick Foley. He would drag himself and his opponent through hell just so his opponent could come out looking like a killer, and this is no exception. Mick somehow wrestles the first part of the match with a bunch of barbed wire wrapped around his stomach. Mick makes Edge work for this win, with Lita taking a few shots along the way. And, of course, the finish is iconic."

[8.0] "A good match, a little short for my taste. Inferior to Orton Vs Jack at Backlash 2004, notably because of the duration. Very hardcore all the same. Foley didn't really sell the Spear early in the match. (4*)"

[10.0] "Just one of the greatest matches of all time. Its brutal as hell, and just to see the stuff both Edge and Foley put their bodies through... I couldn't even imagine."

[9.0] "This match is very brutal. This match had everything: fire, barbed wire, buttons. The barbed wire in my mouth felt very harsh. It's a shame that wwe won't hold matches like this anymore."

[9.0] "A match Ive seen so many times as a kid and through my teens as I own the dvd to this mania. Just a fantastic hardcore match with this probably being foleys last true great performance and this being edge real Coming out party as a singles competitor. The thumbtack spot and the flaming table spot are some of my earliest wrestling memories. 4.75/5"

[8.0] "Mick Foley is probably my favorite WWE wrestler and this was one of his better matches in WWE, though I wouldn't say it was the best. This match also represented Edge at his peak as a dick heel who was equally beloved and hated by fans. The match itself is a bloodbath with all sorts of weapons and gimmicks. The finish was excellent and the crowning moment of the match. ****"

[10.0] "This is probably the most fun match in the history of WrestleManias, the rhythm is frantic, all the spots are great, Foley even not being at his peak anymore showing how amazing he is and Edge doing what he does best which is being a good heel in a match full of great spots where chaos reigns and everyone is happy and satisfied (*****)"

[10.0] "Un des plus grands match de l'histoire de Wrestlemania, tous ce que j'aime, des punaises, une batte de baseball, des tables, du feu et du sang. Quel match incroyable, pour le coup vraiment hardcore, avec un Edge au top de ça forme et un Mick Foley qui prouve que c'est une légende du catch hardcore, malgré son âge, il est exceptionnel. Un match extrêmement bien rythmé, avec un finish digne d'une cascade de film d'action, que dire de plus, à part que c'est la Perfection."

[10.0] "One of the most memorable hardcore matches in WWE history. This was violent and bloody, with a pace that really added a sense of chaos, and a great mixture of brutal and creative spots. The finish is still insane all these years later. An extremely entertaining brawl, and at just shy of fifteen minutes this is nothing but action all the way through."