Mick Foley praises AEW boss Tony Khan, bids farewell to WWE
Mick Foley is excited to join an environment in AEW where everyone is encouraged to take risks and swing for the fences.
In a video posted to his social media accounts on Monday, Foley reflected on now being more than a week removed from his AEW debut at Double or Nothing. Foley thanked everyone who made it a special night, including the fans who gave him more than just a nostalgia pop. To Foley, the reception felt like fans truly believe he can make a difference in AEW.
The 60-year-old hardcore wrestling icon, who chose not to renew his WWE Legends contract due to political differences, expressed how grateful he is for every opportunity WWE has given him. He then looked toward the future by sharing why he thinks Tony Khan is such a unique boss.
“In no way am I here to throw stones at WWE. I love the company, I always will. I will always be deeply appreciative for every opportunity they afforded me,” Foley said. “But there’s something unique about seeing the owner of the company just so obviously happy and excited. Mr. McMahon had a different way of doing things, but it wasn’t with that type of joy [laughs].”
Foley said AEW feels like WWE felt in the Attitude Era — everyone is pulling for each other and knows that failure is inevitably going to happen sometimes when you’re trying to hit a home run.
“It just seems like, to me, the AEW wrestlers are out there and they are playing to win because it is understood that failure is part of the process,” he said. “I’ve seen so many people over the years almost petrified to walk through that curtain because they didn’t know whether they would get the thumbs up or the thumbs down, figuratively speaking. Tony’s excited. Tony loves what he’s doing. He’s happy to be there, and I think that type of enthusiasm makes me feel enthusiastic.”
Mick Foley on his AEW role —
At Double or Nothing, Foley co-hosted the preshow alongside Renee Paquette. He has officially signed an AEW deal for that broadcasting role but considers himself a “Swiss army knife” who can help in a variety of ways.
“I consider myself a Swiss army knife, and I can be used in a lot of different ways,” he said. “I’m excited about the future. And I’m excited about wrestling in a way that I haven’t been in a few years. And I want to thank AEW fans and the AEW product for helping me fall in love with wrestling all over again.”
It remains to be seen how physically involved Foley will get in AEW. He did take part in an angle at Double or Nothing where MJF gave him a low blow.
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.