Mick Foley bids farewell to WWE upon expiration of Legends contract
June coming to an end means that Mick Foley no longer has any contractual ties to WWE.
Citing what he called a “close relationship” between the company and President Donald Trump, Foley announced in December 2025 that he would not be renewing his WWE Legends contract when it expired this summer. He debuted for AEW in May and was able to do so because he was not under a talent contract with WWE, only the Legends deal that applies mostly to merchandising.
That Legends deal has now officially expired, and Foley sent out a message today thanking WWE.
“Hey everyone, this is Mick Foley and I do have a message for WWE, along with all my fans and fans of wrestling in general,” the Hardcore Legend said. “The message for WWE, and specifically for their merchandise and marketing people, the message is: Thank you. And I mean that sincerely.”
Foley said that, when he got his first WWE action figure in 1996, he thought it would be the only one ever made of him. He expressed his appreciation for everyone who ever decided he was merchandise-worthy, noting that he just received his largest quarterly WWE royalty check in about a decade.
“For fans, I want you to know that I have no problem signing WWE memorabilia. I look forward to it. I’m proud of everything I did there,” he added. “But it’s time for a new chapter in my career and in my life, and I’m really looking forward to this adventure with AEW. And I’m really looking forward to doing everything I can possibly do to make AEW as great as it can possibly be.
“And I’m looking forward to having some merchandise coming out with AEW, in addition to a couple of other companies that I just talked to today that have a couple of exciting ideas. And I will be rolling out those ideas sometime soon.”
Mick Foley’s AEW broadcasting role and potential in-ring return —
Foley’s first night in AEW saw him co-host the Double or Nothing pre-show with Renee Paquette. He’ll have a broadcasting role like that going forward but wasn’t able to be at Forbidden Door last weekend due to a one-man show he already had booked before signing with AEW.
The idea of competing in the ring for AEW is something Foley is open to, but he’d need to continue getting in better shape for that to happen. Though he’s mentioned Darby Allin as a potential dream opponent, Allin is not interested in facing Foley and would only want to team with him. The 61-year-old Foley has not wrestled since appearing in the 2012 WWE Royal Rumble.
“Thanks so much not only to WWE, but for all of you out there who have supported me over the years, bought my merchandise, attended my shows, have cared about me enough to comment, like, and support me,” Foley said at the end of the video he posted today. “Wishing you all the best, have a nice day.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.