Randy Orton, in his 23-year-long WWE run, has had multiple incredible matches. The matches not only put Randy’s blood and sweat down the line but also brought a sense of regret in his eyes. One such match was his 2004 No Holds Barred match against WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley.
WWE Backlash 2004 witnessed two names of the promotion cross all boundaries to walk out of the ring as then Inter Continental Champion. As the two stars took out their best weapon to attack, it was on thumbtacks that left their impact. Randy Orton felt that using “those tacks were a bad idea” as revealed by Mick Foley in one of his ‘Foley is Pod‘ podcasts.
Randy Orton had placed a bag full of tacks in the ring and had planned an RKO to the WWE HOF’er. However, Foley reversed the RKO. Ultimately it was The Viper who fell with a straight back on the thumbtacks. “Mike Chioda goes to check on Randy and all Randy can say is, ‘Chioda, those tacks were a bad idea’,” said Mick Foley recalling the match in his podcast.
How did Mick Foley feel about his match against Randy Orton?
The No Holds Barred match was indeed one of the greatest matches of all time and while Randy Orton suffered a lot, Mick Foley loved the match. A Twitter user named Steve Fall once shared a clip from the match and it reached Mick Foley. The WWE legend then decided to address the match and called it the best match of his career.
16 YEARS AGO, TODAY – the best match of my career! #Backlash2004 @RandyOrton
— Mick Foley (@foleyispod) April 18, 2020
Great job on the video! https://t.co/zR1TPF09KZ
However, the match was not the best because of the pain that the tacks had caused Orton but for the excellent elbow drop that he gave to The Viper. “I think it is the best elbow of my career, partially because it’s captured with that low-angle shot; I couldn’t have dropped a better one in my life,” recalled Mick Foley on his podcast.
@RealMickFoley that is probably my favorite and the most impactful match of my career. #stillhavethethumbtacks #thankyoumick 🙏🏼 https://t.co/1Z9XQlBnHM
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) April 18, 2020
Mick Foley also recalled the moment the nails hit Randy Orton. The pain was clearly evident in his eyes as they opened wide. However, even after enduring the pain, The Viper was able to walk out strong.
However, as Randy Orton looked back, he called the match to be his favorite and the most impactful match of his career. In addition to this, he added a hashtag that read “stillhavethethumbtacks” revealing that the pain was indeed legitimate.