Kevin James Wrestled a WWE Legend in High School

Long before he was delivering packages as Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens or patrolling malls as Paul Blart, Kevin James was a force to be reckoned with on the wrestling mat. But the most incredible part of his athletic history isn’t just his skill—it’s the man he kept on the bench.

In the early 1980s, at Ward Melville High School on Long Island, Kevin James (then known by his birth name, Kevin Knipfing) was the number-one ranked wrestler in the heavyweight division. The man ranked right behind him at number two? Future WWE Hall of Famer and "Hardcore Legend" Mick Foley.

The Battle for the Top Spot

Mick Foley, famous for his three distinct personas—Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love—has frequently credited Kevin James with being a superior athlete during their teen years. The two were teammates and frequent sparring partners, meaning they spent hundreds of hours wrestling each other in the school's practice room.

According to Foley’s memoir, Have a Nice Day!, James was a "formidable" opponent who possessed natural strength and agility that belied his size. In fact, James held the first-string position on the team for the majority of their time together. It was only after James suffered a season-ending back injury that Foley was able to move up and take the top spot.

From the Mat to the Screen

The connection between the two didn't end at high school. Both James and Foley went on to attend the State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland). While James focused on playing football as a halfback, Foley began his formal training for a professional wrestling career.

James has often joked about their time together, recalling during an appearance on Hot Ones that he used to "throw Mick around a little bit." He also noted that even back then, Foley’s "demented mind" was already at work, as he remembered Foley jumping off his roof into cardboard boxes to practice his legendary bumps.

A Lasting Friendship

Despite their drastically different career paths—one becoming a sitcom king and the other a specialist in "deathmatches" involving thumbtacks and barbed wire—the two have remained friends.

• The 2013 Reunion: The pair reunited on Katie Couric's talk show, Katie, to reminisce about their wrestling days and share old team photos that quickly went viral.

• Mutual Respect: Foley has often taken to social media to defend James’s athletic chops, telling fans that James was one of only two students in their high school who could bench press over 300 lbs.

The "What If?" of Wrestling History

Wrestling fans often speculate about an alternate reality where Kevin James never injured his back. If he had stayed on the mat, would he have followed Foley into the world of sports entertainment? While James eventually put his athleticism to use in the MMA-themed film Here Comes the Boom, he seems perfectly content with his decision to trade the wrestling ring for the soundstage.

Still, it remains one of the greatest "fun facts" in Hollywood: the man who once "beat" Mankind was none other than the King of Queens.

Source - https://www.vice.com/en/article/kevin-james-wrestled-with-a-future-wwe-superstar-in-high-school/

Disclaimer - All celebrity-related content, information, and images on this website are based on publicly available online sources and AI-generated insights/data. Information such as biography, age, career, personal details, and images may change without notice over time. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of any information or imagery displayed on this website. This content is provided for general informational purposes only.